Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Cooper Flagg scored a game-high 29 points (tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo) to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 113-109 victory over the Miami Heat. Flagg made 12 of his 23 attempts from the field, including two 3-pointers. He also recorded a game-high 11 assists (tied with Antetokounmpo), six rebounds, a game-high five steals, and a game-high three blocks (tied with Zaccharie Risacher) in 40 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Anthony Edwards erupted for a game-high 47 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-125 in overtime. Edwards went 19-34 from the floor, although he hit just five of his 15 attempts from 3-point range. He added four rebounds, four assists, a team-high two steals, and a team-high two blocks (tied with Joan Beringer) in 41 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Alperen Sengun produced game highs of 29 points and nine assists as the Houston Rockets improved to 4-0 with a 120-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Sengun was very efficient, going 11-15 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. He also contributed nine rebounds, a game-high six steals, and one block in 37 minutes played.

Milestones

• At 19 years and 309 days old, Flagg became the first teenager to record at least 20 points, 10 assists, and five steals in a game since the NBA began tracking steals in the 1973-74 season.

• The Heat’s Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 57th career triple-double, compiling 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was his 474th career 25-point game, breaking a tie with Adrian Dantley for 20th place on the NBA’s all-time list.

• Nikola Jokic had 19 points and 11 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 134-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors, his 250th career points-assists double-double. No other center in NBA history has even recorded 80 such games.

• Jokic snagged his 9,000th career rebound, becoming the 61st player in NBA history and the seventh active player to attain that milestone. He’s just the third player in league history to reach career totals of 18,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, and 6,000 assists, joining LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.

• Devin Booker increased his career total to 4,580 free throws attempted in the Phoenix Suns’ 125-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, breaking a tie with Kevin Johnson atop the franchise’s all-time list. He is also the Suns’ career leader in free throws made with 4,001.

Streaking

• The Warriors’ Stephen Curry hit all three of his attempts from beyond the arc to extend two 3-point streaks. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in 95 straight games (eighth longest in NBA history, tied with Klay Thompson) and multiple 3-pointers in 34 straight games (also eighth longest, tied with himself).

• The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 26 points, the 154th consecutive game in which he’s scored at least 15 points. It’s the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history.

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Houston Rockets (five).

Miscellany

• Edwards now has 31 career 40-point games, as many as the next three players on the Timberwolves’ all-time list combined: Karl-Anthony Towns (13), Kevin Love (10), and Andrew Wiggins (eight).

• The Chicago Bulls were destroyed by the Boston Celtics 134-99, becoming just the second team in NBA history to suffer two 35-point losses within their first four games of a season. The 2017-18 Phoenix Suns were the first team to achieve this ignominious feat.

• The Memphis Grizzlies moved to 4-0 with a 110-105 victory over the Utah Jazz. It’s just the second time in franchise history they’ve opened a season with four straight wins, the first such occurrence coming in the 2014-15 season (when they started 6-0).

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Luka Doncic recorded his 10th career 50-point game, pouring in a game-high 52 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132-123. Doncic shot 17-30 from the field (8-18 on threes) and 10-11 from the free throw line. He also contributed a game-high 10 assists (tied with Keyonte George), a team-high eight rebounds, and two steals in 38 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Ty Jerome scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 123-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Jerome went 8-17 from the floor and a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe. He added a team-high six assists, four rebounds, and one steal, committing just one turnover and one personal foul in 32 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Tyrese Haliburton produced game highs of 24 points and 10 assists as the Indiana Pacers routed the Brooklyn Nets 136-109. Haliburton shot 8-13 from the field, hitting four of his seven attempts from 3-point range. He also recorded four rebounds, a team-high two steals, and zero personal fouls in 31 minutes played.

Milestones

• As noted above, Doncic recorded his 10th career 50-point game, becoming the 12th player in NBA history to reach that mark. At 27 years and 239 days old, he’s the fifth-youngest player to achieve the feat.

• Doncic has recorded at least 50 points and 10 assists in a game four times, breaking a tie with Nate Archibald, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, and Nikola Jokic for the second-most such games in NBA history.

• Doncic is just the second player in NBA history to record a 50-point, 10-assist game for multiple franchises, having previously done so with the Dallas Mavericks. Wilt Chamberlain also performed the feat for the San Francisco Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Streaking

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 34 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 108-101 win over the LA Clippers, the 153rd consecutive game in which he’s scored at least 15 points. That breaks a tie with James Harden for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history.

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Detroit Pistons (six), Los Angeles Lakers (six), and Minnesota Timberwolves (five).

• Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Brooklyn Nets (six).

Miscellany

• The New York Knicks fell to 0-3 with a 111-102 loss to the Orlando Magic. They are just the third defending champion in NBA history to open a season with three straight losses, joining the 1969-70 Boston Celtics and the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Nikola Jokic recorded his 199th career triple-double, scoring 35 points to go with game highs of 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 141-135 in overtime. Jokic shot 12-23 from the field and hit all eight of his free throw attempts. He also recorded game highs of three blocks and two steals (tied with four others) in 44 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Devin Booker poured in 43 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 131-122 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors. Booker was very efficient, going 17-25 from the floor and 7-8 from the charity stripe. He also contributed seven rebounds, seven assists, and one block in 36 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Jamal Murray scored a game-high 42 points in the Nuggets’ win over the Pelicans. Murray went 12-25 from the field (8-16 on threes) and 10-13 from the free throw line. He added six assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in 43 turnover-free minutes.

Milestones

• Joel Embiid recorded his 10th career triple-double, compiling 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 127-116. He’s the fifth player in franchise history to reach that mark, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Ben Simmons, Billy Cunningham, and Charles Barkley.

• Booker increased his career total to 4,579 free throws attempted, tying Kevin Johnson atop the Suns’ all-time list. He also became the first player in franchise history to reach 4,000 career free throws made.

• James Harden went 9-11 from the charity stripe in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 125-121 win over the Brooklyn Nets, passing Kobe Bryant to move into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time list for free throws attempted with 10,017.

• The Nuggets’ DeMar DeRozan went 4-10 from the floor, taking over 18th place from Tim Duncan on the NBA’s career leaderboard for field goals attempted with 20,339.

Streaking

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Philadelphia 76ers (five).

• Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Golden State Warriors (six), Brooklyn Nets (five), and New Orleans Pelicans (five).

Miscellany

• Rookie Caleb Wilson had 30 points and 14 rebounds in the Chicago Bulls’ 124-120 loss to the Washington Wizards. He’s the first player to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game within the first three games of his career since Lamar Odom on Nov. 2, 1999 (his NBA debut).

• The Golden State Warriors have opened a season 0-3 for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign. They have lost six straight regular season games dating back to last season.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 36 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 107-103 victory over the New York Knicks. Tatum shot 14-26 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line. He added a team-high nine rebounds, a team-high seven assists, and a game-high three steals (tied with Josh Hart) in 37 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Domantas Sabonis recorded his 69th career triple-double, scoring 27 points to go with game highs of 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the Sacramento Kings’ 128-120 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Sabonis made 10 of his 13 attempts from the floor, including one 3-pointer. He also went 6-7 from the charity stripe in 39 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Giannis Antetokounmpo produced game highs of 36 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Miami Heat fell to the Detroit Pistons 128-111. Antetokounmpo went 15-26 from the field and 5-8 from the free throw line. He also contributed a team-high five assists (tied with Davion Mitchell), a game-high two steals (tied with two others), and one block in 33 minutes played.

Milestones

• Antetokounmpo recorded his 473rd career 25-point game, tying Adrian Dantley for 20th place on the NBA’s all-time list. He’s shot at least 50% from the field in 409 of those games (86.5%).

• Luka Doncic tied an ignominious franchise record in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-117 win over the LA Clippers, committing a career-high 11 turnovers. He shares the mark with Magic Johnson (three times), Jamaal Wilkes, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

• The Atlanta Hawks routed the Charlotte Hornets 128-81, breaking the franchise record for largest margin of victory in a game. The 47-point difference surpassed the previous mark of 46 set on Nov. 15, 2017 versus the Sacramento Kings.

• The Charlotte Hornets went just 11-51 from beyond the arc, tying the franchise record for most 3-pointers missed in a game. They also missed 40 threes on Nov. 10, 2024 versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

Streaking

• Stephen Curry hit three triples in the Golden State Warriors’ 111-108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, extending two 3-point streaks. He’s made at least one 3-pointer in 94 straight games (ninth longest in NBA history) and multiple 3-pointers in 33 straight games (also ninth longest, tied with Trey Murphy III).

• Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Detroit Pistons (five) and Los Angeles Lakers (five).

• Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games (dating back to last season): Golden State Warriors (five).

Miscellany

• Kawhi Leonard was held to 16 points in the Toronto Raptors’ 112-102 win over the Washington Wizards, snapping his streak of 20-point games at 58. It’s the 13th-longest such streak in NBA history.

• The New York Knicks are just the seventh defending champion in NBA history to start a season 0-2, and the first to do so since the 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks.

• The team the Knicks beat in the 2026 Finals, the San Antonio Spurs, also fell to 0-2 with a 114-110 loss to the Houston Rockets. It’s just the third time in NBA history both Finals teams started the following season 0-2. It also happened in the 1969-70 (Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers) and 1979-80 (Seattle SuperSonics and Washington Bullets) seasons.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 32 points (tied with Donovan Mitchell) as the Philadelphia 76ers stormed back from a 29-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106. Maxey shot 12-23 from the field and 6-8 from the free throw line. He also contributed a game-high six assists (tied with VJ Edgecombe), three rebounds, and two steals in 42 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 32 points (tied with Maxey), but it wasn’t enough in the Cavaliers’ stunning loss to the Sixers. Mitchell went 11-19 from the floor and 8-11 from the charity stripe. He also recorded a game-high 10 rebounds (tied with LeBron James), three assists, a team-high two steals (tied with two others), and one block in 35 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Chet Holmgren produced a double-double, scoring 12 points and snagging a game-high 17 rebounds in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 96-84 win over the Denver Nuggets. Holmgren made five of his nine attempts from the field. He also blocked a game-high four shots and swiped one steal in 28 minutes played.

Milestones

• The Cleveland Cavaliers lost despite leading by 24 points at halftime, matching the largest second-half collapse in franchise history. They also lost a game on Dec. 17, 1972 in which they held a 24-point halftime lead over the Houston Rockets.

Streaking

• The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 17 points on 6-19 shooting from the field, bringing his NBA-record streak of 141 consecutive 20-point games to an end. He did, however, extend his streak of 15-point games to 152, tying James Harden for the seventh-longest such streak in league history.

Miscellany

• The Denver Nuggets scored only 84 points, their lowest total in a regular season game since Jan. 25, 2024. They shot just 31-82 from the field (37.8%) and committed 22 turnovers.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Ty Jerome scored a career-high 45 points as the Memphis Grizzlies blew out the Utah Jazz 123-103. Jerome was incredibly efficient, going 17-25 from the field (5-10 on threes) and 6-7 from the free throw line. He also contributed seven rebounds, a game-high six assists, and one block in 32 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Anthony Edwards poured in 45 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a convincing 131-106 victory over the Miami Heat. Edwards went 16-29 from the floor, hitting nine of his 17 attempts from 3-point range. He added 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in 33 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Paolo Banchero produced game highs of 35 points and 10 assists, but it wasn’t enough in the Orlando Magic’s 132-125 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Banchero shot a sizzling 10-12 from the field (3-4 on threes) and 12-16 from the charity stripe. He also recorded a team-high seven rebounds (tied with Wendell Carter Jr.) and one steal in 41 minutes played.

Milestones

• Jerome set a Grizzlies record for most points scored by a player in a season opener with 45, eclipsing Ja Morant’s 44 points to open the 2020-21 campaign. He joined Morant (three times), Mike Miller, and Desmond Bane as the only players in franchise history to score at least 45 points in a game.

• Edwards broke his own Timberwolves record for most points scored by a player in a season opener with 45. His previous mark of 41 points was set in last season’s opener.

• Edwards is just the third player in NBA history to record multiple 40-point games in season openers, joining Wilt Chamberlain (four times) and Michael Jordan (three). He and Chamberlain are the only players to do so in consecutive seasons.

• Edwards became only the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 45 points and 10 rebounds in a season opener. He joins Wilt Chamberlain (twice), Elgin Baylor, Michael Jordan, and Anthony Davis.

• Edwards broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers attempted in a season opener with 17. The previous mark of 16 attempts was set by Terry Rozier in 2020-21.

• Walker Kessler shot a perfect 12-12 from the floor in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Golden State Warriors. He broke the NBA record for most field goals made without a miss by a player in a season opener, surpassing Jarrett Allen’s 11-11 performance to open the 2021-22 campaign.

• Miami’s Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points, breaking the franchise record for most points scored by a player in his Heat debut. The previous mark of 31 points was set by LeBron James on Oct. 26, 2010.

• The Toronto Raptors demolished the Chicago Bulls 135-92, the largest margin of victory in a season opener in franchise history and the fourth-largest margin of victory in a season opener in NBA history.

Streaking

• The Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points, extending his streak of 20-point games to 58. That breaks a tie with Bob McAdoo, Allen Iverson, and James Harden for the 13th-longest such streak in NBA history.

• The Warriors’ Stephen Curry made two 3-pointers, the 93rd straight regular season game in which he’s hit at least one triple. It’s the ninth-longest such streak in NBA history.

Miscellany

• Anthony Davis produced 34 points and 12 rebounds as the Washington Wizards defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 128-116. He’s the first player in franchise history to record a 30-point, 10-rebound game in his debut with the team.

• Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson had a rating of minus-45 points, the lowest such figure recorded by a player in a season opener in the play-by-play era. He shot just 7-21 from the field (1-8 on threes) and committed nine turnovers.

• The Portland Trail Blazers routed the Phoenix Suns 124-83, the third time in franchise history they’ve opened a season with a 40-point victory. No other franchise in NBA history has recorded more than one such win.

• On the flip side, the Phoenix Suns were handed a 40-point loss in a season opener for the second time in franchise history. They are the first franchise in NBA history to suffer multiple such losses.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Paul George set a franchise record for most points scored by a player in his Boston Celtics debut with 38, but it wasn’t enough in a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons. George shot 12-21 from the field (7-12 on threes) and 7-8 from the free throw line. He also recorded a game-high five steals, five rebounds, and three assists in 31 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 116-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs, extending his NBA-record streak of 20-point games to 141. Gilgeous-Alexander went 13-27 from the floor, hitting three of his seven 3-point attempts. He added six rebounds, four assists, a game-high three steals, and three blocks in 36 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 28 points as the new-look Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks 106-100. Maxey shot 9-19 from the field and 8-9 from the charity stripe. He also contributed five assists, four rebounds, a game-high three steals, and a game-high three blocks (tied with Joel Embiid) in 40 minutes played.

Milestones

• As noted above, George broke the franchise record for most points scored by a player in his Celtics debut with 38. The previous mark of 30 points was set by Kristaps Porzingis on Oct. 25, 2023.

• George tied seven other players for most 3-pointers made by a player in his debut with a new team with seven. He increased his career total to 2,456 triples, passing Kyle Korver to take over eighth place on the NBA’s all-time list.

Streaking

• As mentioned earlier, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 141 regular season games, the longest such streak in NBA history by 15 games. The last time Gilgeous-Alexander was held to fewer than 20 points in a regular season game was Oct. 30, 2024.

Miscellany

• George’s 38 points are the second most in Boston Celtics history by a player in a season opener. Jaylen Brown scored 46 points to open the 2021-22 campaign.

• At 36 years and 171 days old, George is the second-oldest player to record at least 35 points and five steals in a game since the NBA began tracking the latter statistic in 1973-74. Stephen Curry was 37 years and 18 days old when he accomplished the feat on April 1, 2025.

• The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama shot just 1-13 from the field, the second-worst shooting performance in a season opener in franchise history by a player who attempted at least 10 field goals. Tony Parker went 0-10 from the floor in the 2002-03 season opener.

Many people are touting the 2026 NBA Draft as one of the deepest and most talented ever, but it will take many years to sort out its place in history. Below is an update to a piece I wrote in June 2024 on the greatest draft classes of all time. It’s unlocked for all readers, but if you’re a free subscriber, please give some thought to upgrading to a paid subscription, or you could simply buy me a coffee. Thank you for your support.

There have been many articles written about the best draft classes in NBA history (almost all of which come to the same conclusion), but most of them have been qualitative in nature. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to approach this from a quantitative angle to see how things would shake out. My basic framework was:

1. Find a career value for each player from a given draft class.

2. Combine these career values to get a score for the entire draft.

Before I could compute a player’s career value, I needed a way to measure a player’s approximate value in a given season. I decided to use individualized wins, a replacement for another statistic I created, win shares*. I wanted to factor in the playoffs, so for a given season a player’s approximate value is defined to be the sum of his regular season and postseason individualized wins.

* Win shares, in my opinion, overrates low-usage/high-efficiency players and underrates high-usage/low-efficiency players.

In order to obtain a player’s career value, I used a weighting scheme similar to what Doug Drinen, creator of Pro-Football-Reference.com, uses for his Approximate Value metric (or AV, for short). Here’s Drinen’s description of the method:

My opinion is that most people mentally rank players by counting all the player’s seasons, but weighting their best seasons more. In order to mimic that, I’ve defined each player’s career “value” to be:

100% of his best season, plus 95% of his 2nd-best season, plus 90% of his 3rd-best season, …

So, for two players with the same career AV, the one with the higher peak will be rated a little higher. And junk seasons at the end of a player’s career count for almost nothing.

I computed the career value for every drafted player in NBA history. To turn this into a draft score, I used weights of 1.0 for the player with the highest career value in a given draft class, 0.95 for the player with the second-highest career value, 0.90 for the player with the third-highest career value, etc., and found the sum of these weighted values. My thinking was this would reward drafts with both high-end talent as well as depth.

Without further ado, here are the top five draft classes in NBA history using this method, with the score for each draft listed in parentheses.

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#5: 1987 NBA Draft (788)

The top five players by career value:

1. David Robinson (168)

2. Reggie Miller (130)

3. Scottie Pippen (118)

4. Kevin Johnson (93)

5. Horace Grant (91)

Robinson, the top overall pick, had to delay his NBA career for two years in order to fulfill his commitment to the U.S. Navy. In his rookie season, the San Antonio Spurs saw a 35-win improvement (from 21-61 to 56-26), with Robinson winning the Rookie of the Year Award by unanimous vote.

This draft featured five players with a career value of at least 90, one more than any other class in history. The 1984, 1996, and 2003 draft classes had four such players apiece.

#4: 2003 NBA Draft (830)

The top five players by career value:

1. LeBron James (247)

2. Dwyane Wade (140)

3. Carmelo Anthony (103)

4. Chris Bosh (95)

5. David West (78)

James (first overall pick), Wade (fifth), Anthony (third), and Bosh (fourth) were all selected in the top five, while West was picked 18th overall. The second overall selection in this draft was Darko Milicic, one of the biggest busts in NBA history.

The player’s in this draft class accounted for 62 NBA All-Star Game selections, the second-highest such total in history. You’ll see which class was first by this measure in a bit.

#3: 1985 NBA Draft (851)

The top five players by career value:

1. Karl Malone (200)

2. Patrick Ewing (126)

3. Terry Porter (91)

4. Detlef Schrempf (85)

5. Chris Mullin (81)

Ewing was the first overall pick in this draft, but the others listed above were selected seventh (Mullin), eighth (Schrempf), 13th (Malone), and 24th (Porter). Porter attended the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, at the time an NAIA school. In my opinion, both he and Schrempf have good Hall of Fame cases.

This draft produced six players with a career value of at least 75, one more than any other class. That group is made up of the five players above, plus Joe Dumars (77).

#2: 1996 NBA Draft (863)

The top five players by career value:

1. Kobe Bryant (181)

2. Ray Allen (118)

3. Steve Nash (115)

4. Allen Iverson (114)

5. Stephon Marbury (75)

Allen (fifth overall pick), Iverson (first), and Marbury (fourth) were all taken in the top five picks, but Bryant and Nash were the 13th and 15th overall selections, respectively. Bryant, Nash, and Iverson each won at least one MVP Award, tied for the most such winners in a single draft class (more on this below).

No draft class in NBA history has produced more All-Star Game selections (64). Ten different players accounted for these selections, including six of the top seven picks. The lone non-All-Star in the top seven was second overall pick Marcus Camby, who won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2006-07 and was a four-time All-Defensive selection.

#1: 1984 NBA Draft (977)

The top five players by career value:

• Michael Jordan (231)

• Charles Barkley (162)

• Hakeem Olajuwon (156)

• John Stockton (155)

• Otis Thorpe (79)

This result shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who knows a little bit about NBA history. This group — which has been the subject of a documentary by NBA TV and a book by Filip Bondy — stands head and shoulders above the rest.

There have been deeper drafts, but none come close to matching the quality at the top of this group. Four of these players have a career value of at least 150. The only other draft class to produce even two such players is 2009 (Stephen Curry and James Harden).

Jordan, Barkley, and Olajuwon each won at least one MVP Award, tied with 1996 for the most such winners in a single draft class. They accounted for seven total MVP Awards (five for Jordan, one apiece for Olajuwon and Barkley), the most ever in one draft class.

This draft class also accounted for 47 All-NBA nods, a whopping 10 more than any other group. Olajuwon leads the way with 12 such selections, followed by Barkley, Jordan, and Stockton with 11 apiece. Alvin Robertson and Kevin Willis were also named to one All-NBA team each.

Thorpe earned just one All-Star selection in his 17-season career, but he was a very good player for a very long time. He’s one of 28 players in NBA history to reach career totals of 15,000 points and 10,000 rebounds, and his career field goal percentage of 54.6% ranks fifth in that group.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 45 points as the New York Knicks rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to claim their first title since 1973. Brunson shot 14-27 from the field (4-7 on threes) and 13-15 from the free throw line. He also contributed three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 41 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Dylan Harper came off the bench to score a team-high 25 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Spurs’ series-ending loss to the Knicks. Harper made 10 of his 19 attempts from the floor, including two 3-pointers. He added five rebounds, four assists, and one block in 31 turnover-free minutes.

Third ⭐️

Josh Hart recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds in the Knicks’ comeback win. Hart shot just 4-11 from the field, but sank three of his six 3-point attempts. He posted a team-high rating of plus-15 points in 39 minutes of action.

Milestones

• Brunson won the Bill Russell Trophy as the NBA Finals MVP. He averaged 32.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 2.0 SPG in five games, shooting 42.1% from the field, 38.9% from 3-point range, and 86.0% from the free throw line.

• Brunson is just the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 45 points in a Finals-clinching win, joining Bob Pettit (50, 1958), Michael Jordan (45, 1998), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (50, 2021). He and Jordan are the only players to accomplish the feat on the road.

• Brunson recorded his 10th career 40-point playoff game, becoming the 12th player in NBA postseason history to reach that mark. At 6 feet 2 inches tall, he’s the second-shortest player to attain that milestone, trailing only the 6-foot Allen Iverson.

• At 20 years and 103 days old, Harper became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in a Finals game. Magic Johnson set the previous mark of 20 years and 271 days in Game 4 of the 1980 Finals.

• The New York Knicks won their first title in 53 years, the longest gap between championships in NBA history. The previous mark of 50 years was held by the Milwaukee Bucks (1971 to 2021).

• The Knicks outscored their opponents by 283 points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, by far the largest such figure in a single postseason in league history. The previous mark of 230 points was set by the 2017 Golden State Warriors.

• The last four games of the 2026 NBA Finals were decided by four or fewer points. Only one other Finals has featured four such games in a row: the 1956 series in which the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons four games to one.

Streaking

• Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 61 playoff games, tying Jerry West (March 24, 1961 to April 28, 1966) and LeBron James (June 9, 2011 to May 26, 2014) for the eighth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• The Knicks won their ninth consecutive road playoff game, breaking a tie with the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest such streak in a single postseason in NBA history.

Miscellany

• Brunson was the night’s leading scorer, dropping 45 points. He was followed by Harper (25 points), the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (19), the Knicks’ Mikal Bridges (14), and the Spurs’ Julien Champagnie (14).

• Wembanyama was the top board man last night, collecting 14 rebounds. Also securing double-digit boards were a trio of Knicks: Hart (11 rebounds), Mitchell Robinson (10), and Karl-Anthony Towns (10).

• The Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox took home nightly honors in assists, handing out five helpers. Next in line were Bridges, the Spurs’ Stephon Castle, and Harper with four dimes apiece.

• Brunson accounted for 47.9% of the Knicks’ points, the fifth-highest such figure in a Finals game in NBA history. The only player to score a higher percentage of his team’s points in a closeout win is Michael Jordan (51.7%, 1998).

• The Knicks’ Mike Brown won his first NBA title in his 12th season as a head coach. The only coach to wait longer for his first championship is Larry Brown, who accomplished the feat in his 21st NBA season.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

OG Anunoby scored a playoff career-high 33 points — including a game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining — as the New York Knicks made a historic comeback to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Anunoby was incredibly efficient, going 10-15 from the field (7-9 on threes) and 6-6 from the free throw line. He also contributed four rebounds, one steal, and one block in 41 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 36 points in the Knicks’ record-breaking comeback win (more on that below). Brunson went 12-25 from the floor (3-7 on threes) and 9-11 from the charity stripe. He added a game-high seven assists (tied with De’Aaron Fox), five rebounds, and a team-high three steals in 44 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama scored a team-high 24 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Spurs fell to the Knicks. Wembanyama shot just 9-25 from the field (2-8 on threes) and 4-7 from the free throw line. He also recorded game highs of 13 rebounds and three blocks in 44 turnover-free minutes.

Milestones

• The New York Knicks trailed by 27 points at halftime, the largest such deficit overcome to win a playoff game in NBA history. The previous mark of 26 points was set on April 24, 2025, when the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.

• The Knicks were down by 15 points entering the fourth quarter, matching the largest such comeback in NBA Finals history. The Chicago Bulls also recovered from a 15-point deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 of the 1993 Finals.

• The San Antonio Spurs scored 76 points in the first half and just 30 points in the second half, a difference of 46 points. That ties the Memphis Grizzlies (April 24, 2025) for the largest such difference in a playoff game in NBA postseason history.

• The Spurs’ 27-point halftime lead was the largest in NBA Finals history by a visitor in a true road game. The previous mark of 24 points was set by the Chicago Bulls versus the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 3 of the 1996 Finals.

• At 20 years and 100 days old, the Spurs’ Dylan Harper became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 20 points in a Finals game, tallying 21 points. The previous mark of 20 years and 260 days was set by Tyler Herro in Game 4 of the 2020 Finals.

• Brunson produced his 18th career 35-point playoff game, tying Karl Malone and Kawhi Leonard for the 15th-most such games in NBA postseason history. He’s recorded 17 of those games with the Knicks, eight more than any other player in franchise history.

• Wembanyama has blocked 73 shots in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the fourth-highest total in a single postseason since the league began tracking blocks in 1973-74. He passed Dikembe Mutombo, who recorded 72 blocks in 2001.

Streaking

• Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 60 playoff games, the 10th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history. The streak spans his entire postseason career with the Knicks.

• Wembanyama has recorded at least 20 points and one block in 11 straight playoff games, the longest such streak since Shaquille O’Neal recorded 14 such games in a row from May 12, 2002 to April 20, 2003.

• Anunoby has made at least one 3-pointer in 25 consecutive playoff games, the longest such streak in New York Knicks postseason history. He’s averaging 19.4 PPG with 51.6/42.1/83.6 shooting splits over that span.

• The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in 27 consecutive playoff games, breaking a tie with the Boston Celtics (May 29, 1958 to April 2, 1960) for the sixth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

Miscellany

• Brunson led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 36 points. He was followed by Anunoby (33 points), Wembanyama (24), and Harper (21).

• Wembanyama was the top board man last night, pulling down 13 rebounds. The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns also collected double-digit boards with 10.

• Brunson and Fox were the night’s leading playmakers, handing out seven assists apiece. The Knicks’ Josh Hart was next in line, delivering six dimes.

• Anunoby recorded the second-highest true shooting percentage (93.5%) and the third-highest effective field goal percentage (90.0%) in a 30-point game in NBA Finals history.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 32 points (tied with Jalen Brunson) as the San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, cutting New York’s series lead to 2-1. Wembanyama shot 11-18 from the field (2-4 on threes) and 8-9 from the free throw line. He added eight rebounds, six assists, a game-high three blocks, and a team-high two steals, committing just one turnover in 39 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

OG Anunoby scored a team-high 28 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Knicks’ loss to the Spurs. Anunoby went 9-13 from the floor (3-7 on threes) and 7-9 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed five rebounds, blocked a team-high two shots (tied with Karl-Anthony Towns), and was charged with only one turnover in 38 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Stephon Castle scored 23 points in the Spurs’ huge road win over the Knicks. Castle shot 8-14 from the field (2-5 on threes) and 5-6 from the free throw line. He also contributed five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 38 minutes played.

Milestones

• At 22 years and 155 days old, Wembanyama became the second-youngest player in NBA Finals history to record a 30-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist game. Magic Johnson was 20 years and 276 days old when he accomplished the feat in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals.

• Wembanyama has blocked 70 shots in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the fifth-highest total in a single postseason since the league began tracking blocks in 1973-74. He passed Hakeem Olajuwon (1986) and Dikembe Mutombo (1994), each of whom recorded 69 blocks.

• Castle is just the fourth player age 21 years or younger to record at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NBA Finals game. He joins Alvan Adams (three times), Magic Johnson (twice), and Tony Parker.

• Wembanyama and Castle are the first teammates in NBA history to each record at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the same Finals game at the age of 22 years or younger.

• This is just the second NBA Finals in which the home team has lost each of the first three games of the series. The first such occurrence came in 1993, when the Chicago Bulls opened the Finals with two road wins over the Phoenix Suns before the Suns returned the favor in Game 3.

Streaking

• The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, extending his run of playoff games with 15 or more points to 59. It’s the 10th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• Wembanyama has tallied at least 20 points, one steal, and one block in each of his last 10 playoff games, the longest such streak since the NBA began tracking steals and blocks in 1973-74.

• Wembanyama has recorded at least one steal and one block in 10 consecutive playoff games, the longest such streak in San Antonio Spurs postseason history.

• The New York Knicks have scored at least 100 points in 26 straight playoff games, tying the Boston Celtics (May 29, 1958 to April 2, 1960) for the sixth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

Miscellany

• Brunson and Wembanyama shared nightly scoring honors with 32 points apiece. They were followed by Anunoby (28 points), Castle (23), and the Knicks’ Josh Hart (16).

• The Spurs’ Dylan Harper and Hart were the chairmen of the boards, each grabbing nine rebounds last night. The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns and Wembanyama were next in line with eight boards apiece.

• The Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox was the night’s top playmaker, handing out eight assists. Wembanyama was runner-up with six dimes.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a team-high 21 points as the New York Knicks edged out the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Town shot 8-12 from the field, sinking three of his five 3-point attempts. He also contributed a game-high 13 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 34 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Mikal Bridges scored 20 points as the Knicks held off the Spurs. Bridges went 8-13 from the floor, hitting four of his six attempts from 3-point range. He added six rebounds, a game-high six assists (tied with Jalen Brunson), and one steal, committing just one turnover in 41 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 29 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Spurs fell to the Knicks. Wembanyama shot 11-21 from the field and 5-8 from the free throw line. He also recorded a team-high nine rebounds (tied with Devin Vassell), a game-high four blocks, and a team-high two steals in 40 minutes played.

Milestones

• The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson tallied 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, and five steals, becoming just the 10th player to record at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a Finals game since the NBA began tracking the latter statistic in 1973-74.

• Towns made the 100th 3-pointer of his playoff career, joining Dirk Nowitzki as the only listed 7-footers in NBA postseason history to attain that milestone. Towns reached the mark in 66 games, 15 fewer than Nowitzki.

• Towns and Bridges became just the seventh teammates in NBA history to each score at least 20 points with an effective field goal percentage of 75% in the same Finals game.

• The New York Knicks are just the third team in NBA Finals history to win Games 1 and 2 on the road. They join the 1993 Chicago Bulls and the 1995 Houston Rockets, both of whom went on to win the Finals.

Streaking

• Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 58 playoff games, breaking a tie with LeBron James (May 30, 2014 to May 19, 2017) for the 10th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• Brunson shot just 7-25 from the floor, the second straight game in which he’s shot less than 40% from the field on 25 or more attempts. The last player to record two such games in a row in the Finals was Patrick Ewing on June 12 and 15, 1994.

• The Knicks have won 13 consecutive playoff games, the second-longest such streak in a single postseason in NBA history. The 2017 Golden State Warriors recorded 15 playoff wins in a row.

• The Knicks have won their last eight road playoff games, tying the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers for the longest such streak in a single postseason in NBA history.

• The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in 25 straight playoff games, tying the Golden State Warriors (May 26, 2018 to June 5, 2019) for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

Miscellany

• Wembanyama led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 29 points. He was followed by Towns (21 points), Bridges (20), Brunson (20), and the Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox (20).

• Towns was the top board man last night, snagging 13 rebounds. The Spurs’ Devin Vassell and Wembanyama were runners-up with nine boards apiece.

• Bridges and Brunson were the night’s premier playmakers, handing out six assists each.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Josh Hart recorded game highs of 15 rebounds, six assists, and four steals as the New York Knicks rallied to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Hart scored just three points, going 1-5 from the floor. He posted a game-high rating of plus-22 points in 27 turnover-free minutes.

Second ⭐️

Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double in his first career Finals game, tallying 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Knicks’ win. Towns shot 7-15 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. He also dished out four assists and blocked one shot in 34 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

Jalen Brunson scored 13 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Spurs. Brunson went just 12-31 from the floor, but made five of his nine attempts in the final period. He added three rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes of action.

Milestones

• Spurs rookie Dylan Harper scored 16 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score in double figures in a Finals game (20 years and 93 days). The previous mark of 20 years and 121 days was set by Dereck Lively II in Game 3 of the 2024 Finals.

• The New York Knicks have outscored their opponents by 272 points over the last 12 games, the highest such figure in NBA history over any 12-game span, regular season or postseason.

• The San Antonio Spurs misfired on 32 of their 43 attempts from beyond the arc, setting a franchise playoff record and tying an NBA Finals record for most 3-pointers missed in a game. They share the latter mark with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who missed 32 threes in Game 3 of the 2017 Finals.

Streaking

• Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 57 playoff games, tying LeBron James (May 30, 2014 to May 19, 2017) for the 10th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• The Knicks have won 12 straight playoff games, becoming just the third team in NBA history to reach that mark in a single postseason. They join the 2017 Golden State Warriors (15 in a row) and the 1999 San Antonio Spurs (12).

• The Knicks have posted seven consecutive wins by 10 or more points, breaking a tie with the 2004 Indiana Pacers for the second-longest such streak in NBA postseason history. The record of eight double-digit wins in a row is held by the 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers.

• The Knicks have won each of their last seven road playoff games by double figures, the longest such streak in NBA postseason history by two games.

• The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 24 playoff games, snapping a tie with the Boston Celtics (June 8, 1986 to June 11, 1987) for the eighth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

Miscellany

• Brunson was the night’s leading scorer, dropping 30 points. He was followed by the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (26 points), Towns (18), the Knicks’ OG Anunoby (17), and the Spurs’ Stephon Castle (17).

• Hart was the chairman of the boards, pulling down 15 rebounds last night. Also collecting double-digit boards were Towns (12 rebounds), Wembanyama (12), and the Spurs’ Julian Champagnie (10).

• Hart took home nightly honors in assists, delivering six dimes. The Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox was runner-up with five assists.

• Wembanyama is just the fourth player to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in his Finals debut since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74. He joins Elvin Hayes (1975), Hakeem Olajuwon (1986), and Shaquille O’Neal (1995).

• Hart became the first player to record at least 15 rebounds and five assists while scoring fewer than five points in an NBA Finals game since Wes Unseld in Game 2 of the 1978 Finals.

• Brunson is just the second player since the ABA-NBA merger to record more field goals attempted than points in a 30-point game in the Finals. LeBron James scored 32 points on 33 shots in Game 6 of the 2015 Finals.

• The Spurs lost the first game of an NBA Finals series for the first time in franchise history. They had been 6-0 in Finals openers.

It’s been 27 years since the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks last met in the NBA Finals. Here are 27 factoids about the two franchises as the NBA gets ready to crown its 80th champion:

1. The Spurs have reached the NBA Finals for the seventh time in franchise history. It’s their first appearance since 2014. San Antonio has won five titles, with their lone Finals loss coming in 2013 to the Miami Heat.

2. The Spurs are one of only four franchises to win at least five championships since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. The others are the Los Angeles Lakers (11 titles), the Chicago Bulls (six), and the Boston Celtics (five).

3. The Knicks have reached the NBA Finals for the ninth time in franchise history. It’s their first appearance since 1999, when they also faced the Spurs. New York has won two titles, in 1970 and 1973.

4. The Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers (nee Syracuse Nationals) are tied for the second-most series losses in NBA Finals history with six. The Los Angeles Lakers are the runaway leaders with 15 such losses.

5. The Knicks enter the Finals on an 11-game winning streak, having outscored their opponents by 262 points over that stretch. That’s the largest point differential in NBA history over any 11-game span, regular season or postseason.

6. The Knicks are just the fifth team in NBA history to win at least 11 consecutive games in a single postseason. The others are the 2017 Golden State Warriors (15 in a row), the 1999 San Antonio Spurs (12), the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers (11), and the 2001 Lakers (11).

7. The Knicks have an average point differential of plus-19.4 PPG in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the largest such figure in postseason history by a team prior to the Finals. The previous mark of plus-16.3 PPG was set by the 2017 Golden State Warriors.

8. The Knicks have won four games by 30 or more points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, tying the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder for the most such wins in a single postseason.

9. The Spurs have six wins by 20 or more points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, tying them with the 1996 Utah Jazz, the 2014 Spurs, the 2018 Golden State Warriors, and the 2019 Milwaukee Bucks for the most such wins in a single postseason.

10. The Spurs and the Knicks have each recorded seven wins by 15 or more points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Only three teams in NBA postseason history have posted more such wins prior to the NBA Finals: the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers (nine), the 1996 Utah Jazz (eight), and the 2014 Spurs (eight).

11. The Spurs have scored at least 100 points in each of their 18 games in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the longest such streak in history by a team prior to the Finals. They are tied with the 2021 LA Clippers and the 2023 Boston Celtics for the most 100-point games in a single postseason through the conference or division finals.

12. The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 23 playoff games, tied with the Boston Celtics (June 8, 1986 to June 11, 1987) for the eighth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

13. Including the playoffs, the Spurs are 45-13 since Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19), the best record in the NBA over that span. At 40-14, the Knicks are tied with Oklahoma City Thunder for the second-best record over that stretch. However, the Knicks own the highest average point differential over that span (+11.9 PPG), while the Spurs rank second (+11.2 PPG).

14. The Spurs’ starters have an average age of 24.5 years (based on age in years and days on the day of each playoff game), the second-lowest such figure by a Finals team since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71. The low of 24.3 years was set by the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers.

15. The Spurs won their first NBA title on June 25, 1999, beating the Knicks 78-77 in Game 5. The only one of their top-7 scorers in the 2026 NBA Playoffs who was alive at that time is De’Aaron Fox (born on Dec. 20, 1997). On the flip side, nine of the Knicks’ top-10 scorers in these playoffs were alive the last time these two franchises met in the Finals. The exception is Miles McBride, who was born on Sep. 8, 2000.

16. Spurs rookies Dylan Harper (460 minutes) and Carter Bryant (164) have played a combined 624 minutes through the conference finals, the highest such total by a Finalist since the 1993 Phoenix Suns.

17. Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has made 30 threes and blocked 60 shots in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He’s the first player in history to record at least 25 three-pointers made and 50 blocks in a single postseason.

18. The 22-year-old Wembanyama has compiled 394 points, 183 rebounds, and 60 blocks in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He’s the youngest player to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, and 50 blocks in a single postseason since the league began tracking the latter statistic in 1973-74.

19. The Spurs’ Stephon Castle has produced 345 points and 120 assists in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He’s the first player in history to record at least 300 points and 100 assists in a single postseason before his 22nd birthday.

20. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson became the 71st player in NBA postseason history to reach 2,000 career points. He attained that milestone in 78 games, making him the 18th-fastest player to do so.

21. Brunson has recorded a plus-minus of plus-226 points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the highest such figure prior to the Finals in the play-by-play era. The previous mark of plus-215 points was set by Stephen Curry in 2017.

22. Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 56 playoff games, tied with Wilt Chamberlain (March 20, 1960 to April 14, 1967) for the 11th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

23. Karl-Anthony Towns has recorded two triple-doubles in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The only other listed 7-footer in history to produce multiple triple-doubles in a single postseason is Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 with seven.

24. A total of 21 players have made at least 75 field goals in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The top three by effective field goal percentage all play for the Knicks: OG Anunoby (67.9%), Towns (65.2%), and Mikal Bridges (63.8%).

25. The Knicks’ Landry Shamet has made 21 of his 35 shots from beyond the arc in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, a 3-point field goal percentage of 60.0%. That’s the highest such figure among the 75 players who have made at least 10 threes this postseason.

26. The Knicks have recorded an effective field goal percentage of 59.2% in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the second-highest such figure in history by a team prior to the Finals. The high of 59.8% was set by the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers.

27. The Knicks’ Mike Brown is the 11th different head coach to lead multiple franchises to the NBA Finals. It’s been 19 years since his last Finals appearance with the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers, the largest such gap in history by a head coach who’s been to multiple Finals. The previous mark of 14 years was set by the Indiana Pacers’ Rick Carlisle last year.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 35 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs with a 111-103 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 12-21 from the field and 9-11 from the free throw line. He also contributed a game-high nine assists, four rebounds, a game-high three steals (tied with De’Aaron Fox), and one block in 43 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Julian Champagnie scored 20 points in the Spurs’ series-clinching win over the Thunder. Champagnie went 6-11 from the floor, with all of his makes coming from 3-point range. He also grabbed six rebounds and swiped one steal, posting a game-best rating of plus-16 points in 38 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama scored a team-high 22 points as the Spurs beat the Thunder to reach the NBA Finals. Wembanyama shot 7-15 from the field (3-5 on threes) and 5-7 from the free throw line. He added a team-high seven rebounds (tied with Dylan Harper), one steal, and one block, committing just one turnover in 42 minutes played.

Milestones

• Wembanyama won the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy as the Western Conference Finals MVP, averaging 27.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 2.7 BPG with 48.1/40.0/89.5 shooting splits. At 22 years old, he’s the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 25 PPG and 10 RPG in a conference or division finals series.

• Wembanyama hit 16 triples and blocked 19 shots in the Western Conference Finals, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 15 or more 3-pointers made and 15 or more blocks in a single postseason series.

• The San Antonio Spurs have reached the NBA Finals for the seventh time in franchise history. They won the title in five of their previous six appearances, with the only series loss coming in 2013 to the Miami Heat.

• The NBA will produce its eighth different champion in the last eight seasons, a first in league history. Either the San Antonio Spurs or the New York Knicks will join the Toronto Raptors (2019), the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), the Milwaukee Bucks (2021), the Golden State Warriors (2022), the Denver Nuggets (2023), the Boston Celtics (2024), and the Oklahoma City Thunder (2025). There were six different champions from 1975 to 1980.

Streaking

• The Thunder’s Cason Wallace had two steals, the 18th straight playoff game in which he’s logged at least one theft. He’s recorded multiple steals in each of his last seven contests.

• The San Antonio Spurs have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 18 playoff games, the second-longest such streak in franchise postseason history. The record of 21 straight 100-point playoff games was set from May 2, 1982 to April 26, 1985.

• The Oklahoma City Thunder are the seventh straight defending NBA champion to fail to return to the Finals, the longest such streak in league history. The last reigning champion to reach the Finals was the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors, who fell to the Toronto Raptors in six games.

Miscellany

• Gilgeous-Alexander was the night’s leading scorer, dropping 35 points. He was followed by Wembanyama (22 points), Champagnie (20), the Thunder’s Cason Wallace (17), and the Spurs’ Stephon Castle (16).

• The Thunder’s Jaylin Williams was the top board man, collecting 10 rebounds last night. The Spurs’ Dylan Harper, Wallace, and Wembanyama shared second place with seven boards apiece.

• Gilgeous-Alexander took home nightly honors in assists, delivering nine dimes. Castle was runner-up with six assists, while the Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox placed third with five.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 28 points as the San Antonio Spurs staved off elimination with a 118-91 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Wembanyama shot 10-21 from the field, hitting four of his nine 3-point attempts. He also contributed a team-high nine rebounds, a game-high three blocks, and a team-high two steals in 28 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Stephon Castle scored 17 points in the Spurs’ blowout win over the Thunder. Castle went 5-10 from the floor and 7-8 from the free throw line. He added a game-high nine assists, five rebounds, and one steal, committing just one turnover in 32 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Dylan Harper scored 18 points as the Spurs beat the Thunder to force a Game 7. Harper shot 6-9 from the field, sinking two of his three attempts from 3-point range. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists in just 22 minutes played.

Milestones

• Wembanyama produced his fifth 25-point, 10-rebound game of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. At 22 years and 144 days old, he’s the youngest player in league history to record five such games in a single postseason.

• This will be the fifth series in the 2026 NBA Playoffs to go the full seven games, matching the most Game 7s in a single postseason. This also happened in 1994, 2014, and 2016.

Streaking

• The Thunder’s Cason Wallace had a game-high three steals, the 17th straight playoff game in which he’s recorded at least one theft. He’s swiped multiple steals in each of his last six contests.

• Wembanyama has blocked multiple shots in each of his last eight playoff games. His 59 blocks in the 2026 NBA Playoffs are the most in a single postseason since Serge Ibaka also rejected 59 shots in 2012.

• The San Antonio Spurs have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 17 playoff games, the second-longest such streak in franchise postseason history. The record of 21 straight 100-point playoff games was set from May 2, 1982 to April 26, 1985.

Miscellany

• Wembanyama led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 28 points. He was followed by Harper (18 points), Castle (17), and the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15).

• The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was the top board man last night, snagging 11 rebounds. Wembanyama also collected double-digit boards with 10.

• Castle was the night’s premier playmaker, handing out nine assists. The Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox was runner-up with seven dimes, while the Thunder’s Jared McCain placed third with six.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to take a 3-2 series lead. Gilgeous-Alexander shot just 7-19 from the field, but sank 16 of his 17 free throw attempts. He also contributed a game-high nine assists, two steals, and one block in 37 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Alex Caruso came off the bench to score 22 points in the Thunder’s win over the Spurs. Caruso went 5-10 from the floor (4-8 on threes) and 8-8 from the charity stripe. He also dished out six assists and swiped a game-high three steals (tied with four others) in 28 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Stephon Castle scored a team-high 24 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Spurs’ loss to the Thunder. Castle shot 7-11 from the field (3-5 on threes) and 7-8 from the free throw line. He added six assists, five rebounds, and a game-high three steals (tied with four others) in 33 minutes played.

Milestones

• Caruso has made 18 threes this series, the most in NBA history by a bench player in a single conference finals. The previous mark of 17 triples was shared by Mickael Pietrus (2009) and Stephen Jackson (2012).

Streaking

• The Thunder’s Cason Wallace had two steals, the 16th straight playoff game in which he’s recorded at least one theft. He’s swiped multiple steals in each of his last five contests.

• The San Antonio Spurs have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 16 playoff games, the second-longest such streak in franchise postseason history. The record of 21 straight 100-point playoff games was set from May 2, 1982 to April 26, 1985.

Miscellany

• Gilgeous-Alexander was the night’s leading scorer, dropping 32 points. He was followed by Castle (24 points), Caruso (22), the Spurs’ Julian Champagnie (22), the Thunder’s Jared McCain (20), and the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (20).

• The Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein was the top board man last night, hauling in 15 rebounds. Teammate Chet Holmgren also collected double-digit boards with 11.

• Gilgeous-Alexander took home nightly honors in assists, handing out nine helpers. The Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox was runner-up with eight dimes, followed by Caruso and Castle with six apiece.

• Caruso has scored at least 15 points with an effective field goal percentage of 70% four times in this series, tying James Worthy (1985), Kyrie Irving (2017), and Caleb Martin (2023) for the most such games in a single conference finals. Caruso is the only player to come off the bench in all four games.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Karl-Anthony Towns led a balanced attack with 19 points as the New York Knicks destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals to complete the series sweep. Towns shot an efficient 8-11 from the field, sinking all three of his 3-point attempts. He also contributed a game-high 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a game-high two blocks (tied with Jarrett Allen) in just 26 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 31 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Knicks. Mitchell went 9-18 from the floor (5-9 on threes) and 8-10 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed four rebounds and swiped one steal in 32 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

OG Anunoby scored 17 points as the Knicks routed the Cavaliers. Anunoby shot 6-13 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. He added seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, committing just one turnover in 27 minutes played.

Milestones

• The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson won the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He averaged 25.5 PPG and 7.8 APG in four games, shooting 48.7% from the field and 78.6% from the free throw line.

• The Cavaliers’ James Harden appeared in his 191st career playoff game, breaking a tie with Magic Johnson for 14th place on the NBA’s postseason leaderboard. He made eight free throws to increase his playoff career total to 1,128, passing Tim Duncan to take over sixth place on the league’s all-time list.

• The New York Knicks have won four games by 30 or more points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, tying the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder for the most such wins in a single postseason.

• The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to record three series-clinching wins by 30 or more points in a single postseason. They shared the previous mark of two such wins with the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, the 2008 Boston Celtics, and the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder.

• The Knicks have outscored their opponents by 262 points over the last 11 games, the highest such figure in NBA history over any 11-game span, regular season or postseason. The previous mark of 243 points was set by the Boston Celtics from Feb. 4 to March 3, 2024.

• The Knicks have an average point differential of plus-19.4 PPG in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the highest such figure in league history by a team prior to the Finals. The previous mark of plus-16.3 PPG was held by the 2017 Golden State Warriors.

Streaking

• Mitchell has made at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 38 playoff games, tying Damian Lillard (April 22, 2017 to April 25, 2025) for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• Brunson scored 15 points to extend his streak of playoff games with 15 or more points to 56. That ties Wilt Chamberlain (March 20, 1960 to April 14, 1967) for the 11th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• The Knicks have won 11 straight playoff games, becoming just the fifth team in NBA history to reach that mark in a single postseason. They join the 2017 Golden State Warriors (15 in a row), the 1999 San Antonio Spurs (12), the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers (11), and the 2001 Lakers (11).

• The Knicks have posted six consecutive wins by 10 or more points, tying the 2004 Indiana Pacers for the second-longest such streak in NBA postseason history. The record of eight double-digit wins in a row is held by the 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers.

• The Knicks have won each of their last six road playoff games by double figures, breaking a tie with the 2013 Miami Heat and the 2027 Golden State Warriors for the longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 23 playoff games, tying the Boston Celtics (June 8, 1986 to June 11, 1987) for the eighth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

Miscellany

• Mitchell took home nightly scoring honors with 31 points. He was followed by Towns (19 points), Anunoby (17), and the Knicks’ Landry Shamet (16).

• Towns was the chairman of the boards, snagging 14 rebounds last night. Teammates Josh Hart (11 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (10) also collected double-digit boards.

• Hart was the night’s top playmaker, handing out six assists. The Knicks’ Mikal Bridges and Brunson were runners-up with five dimes each.

• Shamet made 11 of his 12 shots from beyond the arc in the Eastern Conference Finals, a 3-point field goal percentage of 91.7%. That’s the highest such figure in a postseason series in NBA history by a player who hit at least five triples.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 33 points as the San Antonio Spurs routed the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-82 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to knot the series at two games apiece. Wembanyama shot 11-22 from the field (3-7 on threes) and 8-9 from the free throw line. He added eight rebounds, five assists, a game-high three blocks, and two steals, posting a game-best rating of plus-29 points in 31 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

De’Aaron Fox scored 12 points to go with a playoff career-high 10 rebounds in the Spurs’ series-tying win over the Thunder. Fox went 5-13 from the floor with one 3-pointer made. He also contributed five assists, one steal, and one block in 31 turnover-free minutes.

Third ⭐️

Devin Vassell scored 13 points as the Spurs blew out the Thunder. Vassell shot 3-7 from the field (2-4 on threes) and 5-6 from the free throw line. He added six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, committing just one turnover and no personal fouls in 33 minutes of action.

Milestones

• Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to record at least 20 3-pointers made and 50 blocks in a single postseason. He’s hit 23 triples and rejected 53 shots in 14 games.

• Wembanyama is just the fifth player to record at least 100 points, 50 rebounds, and 10 blocks through the first four games of a conference finals since the NBA began tracking the latter statistic in 1973-74. He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1977), Elvin Hayes (1978), Tim Duncan (2003), and Anthony Davis (2023).

Streaking

• The San Antonio Spurs have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 15 playoff games, the second-longest such streak in franchise postseason history. The record of 21 straight 100-point playoff games was set from May 2, 1982 to April 26, 1985.

Miscellany

• Wembanyama was the night’s leading scorer, tallying 33 points. He was followed by the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19 points), the Spurs’ Stephon Castle (13), Vassell (13), Fox (12), and the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein (12).

• Fox was the top board man last night, snagging a playoff career-high 10 rebounds. The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was runner-up with nine boards, while Wembanyama placed third with eight.

• Gilgeous-Alexander took home nightly honors in assists, delivering seven dimes. Castle ranked second with six helpers.

• The Oklahoma City Thunder shot just 33.0% from the field (30-91), the lowest such figure in a conference finals game in franchise history and the fourth-lowest such figure in any of the franchise’s 376 playoff games.

Three Stars

Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.

First ⭐️

Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 30 points as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brunson shot 10-19 from the field and 10-12 from the free throw line. He also contributed six assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 41 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Mikal Bridges scored 22 points in the Knicks’ win over the Cavaliers, setting up a potential series-ending Game 4 on Monday. Bridges was very efficient, sinking 11 of his 15 shots from the floor. He added six rebounds, three steals, and a game-high two blocks in 39 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

OG Anunoby scored 21 points as the Knicks knocked off the Cavaliers to move within one win of the NBA Finals. Anunoby went 6-10 from the field (3-4 on threes) and 6-6 from the free throw line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists in 31 minutes played.

Milestones

• The Cavaliers’ James Harden appeared in his 190th career playoff game, tying Magic Johnson for 14th place on the NBA’s all-time postseason list. His five career Finals games are the fewest of any player who ranks in the top 50.

• The New York Knicks have outscored their opponents by 225 points over the last 10 games, the highest such figure in NBA history over any 10-game span, regular season or postseason. The previous mark of 214 points was set by the Milwaukee Bucks from Nov. 27 to Dec. 16, 1973.

Streaking

• The Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell hit three triples, the 37th consecutive playoff game in which he’s made at least one 3-pointer. That ties Michael Finley (May 9, 2002 to May 11, 2005) for the eighth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 55 playoff games, breaking a tie with LeBron James (Aug. 22, 2020 to April 24, 2026) for the 12th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• The New York Knicks have won 10 consecutive playoff games, the longest such streak in franchise history (by four games) and tied with four other teams for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA history.

• The Knicks have won five straight road playoff games by 10 or more points, tying the 2013 Miami Heat and the 2017 Golden State Warriors for the longest such streak in NBA postseason history.

• The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 22 playoff games, the longest such streak in franchise history (by six games) and tied with two other teams for the ninth-longest such streak in NBA history.

Miscellany

• Brunson was the night’s top bucket getter dropping 30 points. He was followed by the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley (24 points), Mitchell (23), Bridges (22), and Anunoby (21).

• The Knicks’ Josh Hart was the chairman of the boards, snagging nine rebounds last night. Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns was runner-up with eight rebounds.

• Towns took home nightly honors in assists, delivering seven dimes. Brunson and the Cavaliers’ Max Strus shared second place with six assists apiece.

• Brunson has recorded 26 career 30-point playoff games with the Knicks, eight more than any other player in franchise history (Patrick Ewing, 18).