NBA Game Notes (April 19, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 19, 2025.

Apr 20, 2025

Three Stars

The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.

First ⭐️

Nikola Jokic scored a team-high 29 points as the Denver Nuggets edged the LA Clippers 112-110 in overtime, giving them a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference First Round series. Jokic shot 12-24 from the field and 4-6 from the free throw line. He also recorded a game-high 12 assists, a team-high nine rebounds (tied with Jamal Murray), a game-high three steals (tied with Kawhi Leonard), and one block in 46 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the New York Knicks’ 123-112 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference First Round series. Towns was very efficient from the floor, sinking 10 of his 14 attempts. He added five assists, four steals, and a team-high two blocks (tied with three others) in 39 turnover-free minutes.

Third ⭐️

Jaden McDaniels matched his playoff career high with 25 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Los Angeles Lakers 117-95 in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series. McDaniels shot a blistering 11-13 from the field, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts. He also snagged a game-high nine rebounds, swiped one steal, and was not charged with a turnover in 33 minutes of action.

Milestones

The Clippers’ James Harden (32 points, 11 assists) moved up to 14 place on the NBA’s all-time postseason scoring list with 3,796 points, surpassing John Havlicek (3,776). He also took over eighth place on the NBA’s playoff career leaderboard for assists with 1,072, breaking a tie with Steve Nash (1,061) and passing Larry Bird (1,062).
Giannis Antetokounmpo (36 points, 12 rebounds) set one Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff career record and tied another in a 117-98 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo’s 957 rebounds are one more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total, and his 53 double-doubles match Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.
Jokic and teammate Jamal Murray (21 points) have each scored at least 20 points in the same playoff game 37 times, tying three other duos for the 10th-most such games in NBA history.
Jalen Brunson (34 points) recorded his 12th career 30-point playoff game for the New York Knicks, tying Willis Reed for the second-most such games in franchise history (Patrick Ewing, 18).
The Minnesota Timberwolves (21-42 on threes) broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game. The previous mark of 18 had been set April 23, 2022 and tied May 22, 2024.
The Detroit Pistons (15-32 on threes) tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game, matching the 15 triples they hit May 7, 2006 and April 17, 2016.

Streaking

Luka Doncic (37 points) has scored at least 25 points in each of his last 13 playoff games, tying three former Los Angeles Lakers — Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant — for the 11th-longest such streak in NBA history. He’s averaging 31.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 7.0 APG, and 2.2 SPG over that span.
Doncic’s teammate, LeBron James (19 points), has scored in double figures in 136 consecutive playoff games, tying Larry Bird for the sixth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Pistons have lost 15 straight playoff games, the longest such streak in NBA history. Their last postseason win came May 26, 2008 versus the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Doncic was the day’s leading scorer, netting 37 points. He was followed by Antetokounmpo with 36 points, Brunson with 34, and Harden with 32.
The Clippers’ Ivica Zubac was the chairman of the boards, pulling in 13 rebounds yesterday. Antetokounmpo ranked second with 12 boards, while Towns placed third with 11.
The Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, and Jokic tied for the daily lead in assists with 12 apiece. Harden also delivered double-digit dimes with 11.