{"id":318871,"date":"2025-12-01T18:09:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T18:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/318871\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T18:09:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T18:09:22","slug":"10-stats-milestones-to-watch-for-in-december","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/318871\/","title":{"rendered":"10 stats milestones to watch for in December"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant is 480 points from passing Wilt Chamberlain for No. 7 on the NBA\u2019s all-time scoring list.<\/p>\n

November in the NBA treated fans to a bevy of stats moments and milestones, and more may be on the horizon in the final month of 2025.<\/p>\n

As the season enters its second full month, these stats milestones \u2014 on the league and team level \u2014 could be toppled before we ring in 2026 on New Year\u2019s Eve. Below are 10 major individual (and several team) milestones to keep an eye out for in December.<\/p>\n

Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order. All stats totals through Nov. 30, 2025<\/p>\n

Player milestones for December
\nKevin Durant: Points scored, 3-pointers made, field goals made & attempted<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant enters December needing 480 points to pass Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and claim the No. 7 spot on the all-time scoring list. Once he does that, he won\u2019t be far off from the No. 6 spot (Dirk Nowitzki) this season, as he\u2019ll need 621 more points to surpass Nowitzki.<\/p>\n

Durant has 2,215 career 3-pointers, good enough for No. 12 on the all-time list. He\u2019s more than capable of entering the Top 10 in this category as well and needs four 3-pointers to surpass Jamal Crawford (2,221) for No. 12 and 65 3-pointers this month to surpass Jason Terry (2,282) for No. 11. Once he passes Terry, he will be just\u00a0nine away from passing Vince Carter (2,290) for No. 10.<\/p>\n

In terms of field goals made, Durant needs 82 more this month to pass Hakeem Olajuwon (10,749) for No. 10 in that category. He\u2019s also moving up in field goal attempts and is 88 away from passing Carter (21,339) for No. 13 and 338 from passing Dominique Wilkins (21,589) for No. 12.<\/p>\n

James Harden: Points scored and assists<\/p>\n

Prolific scoring has marked James Harden\u2019s career and he\u2019s kept pace with that storyline this season as well. With 28,213 career points, he ranks No. 11 but is just 77 away from passing Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for No. 10 on that list. Once he passes Anthony, Harden will be just 307 points away from passing Shaquille O\u2019Neal (28,596) for No. 9 on the all-time scoring list.<\/p>\n

Harden has amassed 8,481 career assists, which ranks him 13th all-time. He\u2019s 44 away from passing Andre Miller (8,524) for No. 12 all-time. After that, he\u2019ll have some work to do to pass Gary Payton (8,966) at No. 11 and Isiah Thomas (9,061) at No. 10 to climb into the Top 10 in this stats category.<\/p>\n

Russell Westbrook: Assists<\/p>\n

The NBA\u2019s all-time leader in triple-doubles is starting to make his way into the Top 5 on the NBA\u2019s all-time assists list, too. Russell Westbrook\u2019s 10,060 assists rank No. 8, but he\u2019s only 75 away from passing Magic Johnson (10,141) at No. 7. Once he passes Johnson, he\u2019ll be within range of passing Mark Jackson (10,334, No. 6) and Steve Nash (10,335, No. 5) to move up to No. 5. Both totals are well within reach given his pace to start this season.<\/p>\n

Nikola Joki\u0107: Triple-doubles<\/p>\n

Nuggets big man Nikola Joki\u0107 has been on a triple-double tear this season, amassing 10 in the 19 games he\u2019s played in 2025-26. If that pace continues in December, he\u2019ll move up on the all-time triple-doubles list. He needs eight more to pass Oscar Robertson (181) for No. 2 all-time. Joki\u0107 recorded six of his 10 triple-doubles in November, and given Denver has 12 games in December, he\u2019s got plenty of chances to pass or narrow the gap on Robertson.<\/p>\n

Rick Carlisle: Wins<\/p>\n

Injuries have wreaked havoc on the Pacers this season, but longtime coach Rick Carlisle is closing in on history and needs three wins to reach 1,000 in his career.<\/p>\n

In NBA history, only 10 coaches have 1,000 or more wins: Gregg Popovich (1,390), Don Nelson (1,335), Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Jerry Sloan (1,221), Pat Riley (1,210), George Karl (1,175), Doc Rivers (1,171), Phil Jackson (1,155), Larry Brown (1,098) and Rick Adelman (1,042).<\/p>\n

Doc Rivers: Wins<\/p>\n

Bucks coach Doc Rivers needs five wins in December to surpass George Karl (1,175) for No. 6 on the all-time coaching wins list. The move from No. 6 to No. 5 (Pat Riley, 1,210) is one Rivers will likely have to seek next season as he trails Riley by 40 wins entering December.<\/p>\n

Team milestones for December
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

In December, LaMelo Ball could move up to No. 5 on the Hornets\u2019 all-time assists list.<\/p>\n

(Editor\u2019s note: Teams lacking an entry means they do not have a player within a realistic range of moving up in a franchise\u2019s statistical category in December 2025. All totals through Nov. 30, 2025.)<\/p>\n

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young<\/p>\n

\"\"All-Star guard Trae Young is No. 6 on the team\u2019s all-time scoring list<\/a> and needs 313 more points in December to pass John Drew (12,621) for No. 5. Young scored 89 points in five games before getting hurt in November and if he\u2019s able to return quickly in December, he could trim the deficit for No. 5 quickly.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Nets: Nic Claxton<\/p>\n

\"\"
Brooklyn big man Nic Claxton has 558 blocks in his career<\/a> with the team, which ranks No. 6 all-time. Claxton is one block away from passing Derrick Coleman (559) for No. 5 on the franchise\u2019s blocks list. Once he overtakes Coleman, next on his list will be Mike Gminski (599) at the No. 4 spot.<\/p>\n

Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Bal<\/p>\n

\"\"
Entering December, LaMelo Ball has 1,820 career assists with the Hornets, which ranks No. 5. He\u2019s 92 assists away from passing David Wesley (1,911) for No. 4, and, after a November in which Ball totaled 59 assists, getting close to Wesley before 2026 begins seems possible.<\/p>\n

Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bulls center Nikola Vu\u010devi\u0107 heads into December needing 12 blocks to pass Luc Longley for No. 15 (278) on the team\u2019s all-time list. He\u2019s also 15 3-pointers away from passing franchise icon Michael Jordan (555) for No. 6 on the all-time list. Vu\u010devi\u0107 recorded six blocks in November, so he\u2019d need a big month to close the gap on Longley, but given his 3-point shooting this season (39.6%), Jordan is well within range.<\/p>\n

Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley & Jarrett Allen<\/p>\n

\"\"
Big man Evan Mobley is tied for sixth on Cleveland\u2019s all-time blocks list (450). He needs one more block to pass Jim Chones for sole possession of No. 6 and needs 23 more to pass Tristan Thompson (472) for No. 5. Given that Mobley had 20 blocks in November, passing Thompson may be within range in December. Fellow big man Jarrett Allen is tied for No. 10 in blocks and needs one more to pass Brad Daugherty, needs two more to pass Anderson Varejao (399) for No. 9 and 32 more to pass Roy Hinson (430) for No. 8. Allen had 11 blocks in November and, like Mobley, is likely to climb this list in December if his production stays the same.<\/p>\n

LA Clippers: Ivica Zubac<\/p>\n

\"\"Clippers center Ivica Zubac is already in the team\u2019s Top 10 in blocked shots, but he can move up a peg in December. He needs eight blocks to pass Michael Olowokandi (527) for No. 6. Should Zubac replicate his November block production (13) in December, that shouldn\u2019t be an issue.<\/p>\n

Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant<\/p>\n

\"\"All-Star guard Ja Morant is in the team\u2019s Top 10 in nine categories already. Provided his defense is strong, he\u2019ll enter the Top 10 in another one in December. Morant is seven steals away from passing O.J. Mayo (333) for No. 10 in that category. Even with Morant missing time in November due to injury, he\u2019s averaging 1 spg this season, which puts him on pace for No. 10.<\/p>\n

Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/p>\n

\"\"Much like Nikola Joki\u0107 in Denver, Giannis Antetokounmpo has numerous franchise records locked down in Milwaukee. One he doesn\u2019t? All-time 3-pointers made, but he can make progress on that list in December. He is 34 3-pointers behind former teammate Pat Connaughton (585) for No. 5. Antetokounmpo can\u2019t trim that margin in a month, but he can make a dent in it before 2025 is through.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards<\/p>\n

\"\"Superstar guard Anthony Edwards is on pace in December to climb into the Wolves\u2019 Top 5 in assists. In December, Edwards needs 20 assists to pass Terrell Brandon (1,681) for No. 5 in that stat. Last month, Edwards posted 56 assists, and another month like that will get him into the Top 5.<\/p>\n

New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson & Trey Murphy III<\/p>\n

\"\"High-flying forward Zion Williamson is best known for his finishes around the rim, but his quick hands can be overlooked. Williamson has 235 career steals with New Orleans and needs five more to pass Tyreke Evans (239) for No. 10 on the team\u2019s all-time list. Williamson is averaging 1.6 spg this season, and provided he is healthy all month, passing Evans shouldn\u2019t be an issue.<\/p>\n

Swingman Trey Murphy III, a reliable scorer in New Orleans, is on pace to rise in the franchise\u2019s Top 10 in field goals made. Murphy needs 37 field goals to pass Ryan Anderson (1,315) for No. 9 and needs 80 more to pass Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas (1,358) for No. 8 in field goals. Last month, Murphy shot 103-for-210 and has made 70 or more field goals in four of his last five months.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid & Tyrese Maxey<\/p>\n

\"\"Former Kia MVP Joel Embiid was slowed by injuries in November, playing only three games that month. However, he notched six blocks in that span and, with a healthier December, needs 10 more to pass Theo Ratliff (757) for No. 4 in that stat.<\/p>\n

The Sixers\u2019 leading scorer, Tyrese Maxey, had 138 3-point attempts in November and is a near-lock to move up to No. 2 in that category in December. Maxey needs two more 3-point attempts in December to pass Robert Covington (2,015) for No. 2 in that stat.<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker<\/p>\n

\"\"Phoenix star Devin Booker already holds the team\u2019s all-time mark in 3-pointers made and attempted, field goal attempts and points. He also ranks in the Top 10 in several other categories. One place he\u2019s not in the Top 10 is rebounding, but that stands to change in December. Booker needs 13 more rebounds to pass Dan Majerle (2,823) for No. 10 in team annals.<\/p>\n

More milestones to watch for this season
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

LeBron James can move to No. 1 all-time in games played and field goals made this season.<\/p>\n

Coaches<\/p>\n

Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson needs six wins to reach 200 career wins
\nCeltics coach Joe Mazzulla needs seven wins to reach 200 career wins\u00a0<\/p>\n

Players<\/p>\n

Eastern Conference:<\/p>\n

Sixers guard Kyle Lowry needs 59 assists (7,102) to pass Terry Porter (7,160) for 18th all-time
\nWizards guard CJ McCollum needs 48 3-pointers (2,041) to pass Eric Gordon (2,086) for 17th all-time<\/p>\n

Western Conference:<\/p>\n

Clippers center Brook Lopez needs nine blocks (2,074) to pass George Johnson (2,082) for 17th all-time
\nClippers forward\u00a0Kawhi Leonard needs 13 points (14,987) to reach 15,000 career points
\nKings guard\/forward DeMar DeRozan needs 93 field goals (9,121) to pass Vince Carter (9,293) for 23rd all-time
\nLakers forward LeBron James needs 46 games played to pass Robert Parish for No. 1 all-time. He can also move to No. 5 in steals (needs 97 more), No. 3 in assists (needs 475 more) and No. 1 in field goals (needs 324 more) this season, too.
\nMavs forward\/center Anthony Davis needs five blocks (1,823) to pass Elton Brand (1,828) for 23rd all-time
\nMavs guard Klay Thompson needs 54 3-pointers (2,850) to pass Damian Lillard (2,904) for fourth all-time
\nWarriors guard Buddy Hield needs 52 3-pointers (2,155) to pass Kyle Lowry (2,206) for 14th all-time
\nWarriors center\/forward Al Horford needs 225 points to reach 15,000 career points<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kevin Durant is 480 points from passing Wilt Chamberlain for No. 7 on the NBA\u2019s all-time scoring list.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":318872,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,459,141736,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-318871","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-nba-stats-milestones-december","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=318871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/318871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/318872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=318871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=318871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=318871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}