NBA Game Notes (April 20, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 20, 2024.

Apr 21, 2024

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 produced team highs of 32 points and 12 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets started their title defense with a 114-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series. Jokic made 15 of his 23 attempts from the field, adding seven assists and two steals in 39 turnover-free minutes.

Second ⭐️

Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 33 points in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 120-95 rout of the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series. Edwards went 14-24 from the field (4-8 on 3-pointers), also contributing nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 36 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Anthony Davis recorded game highs of 32 points (tied with Jokic), 14 rebounds, and four blocks, but it wasn’t enough as the Lakers fell to the Nuggets. Davis also dished out five assists in a game-high 45 minutes played, shooting 12-23 from the floor and 8-9 from the free throw line.

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Milestones

LeBron James tallied 27 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in the Lakers’ loss to the Nuggets. It’s the 150th time James has recorded at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game, by far the most such games in NBA history. Michael Jordan ranks a distant second with 73 such games.
The Suns’ Kevin Durant had team highs of 31 points (11-17 field goals) and seven rebounds in a loss to the Timberwolves. Durant now has 76 career 30-point games in the playoffs, breaking a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the fourth-most such games in NBA history.
Paolo Banchero scored a team-high 24 points in the Orlando Magic’s 97-83 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, tying Shaquille O’Neal’s franchise record for most points scored by a player in his playoff debut. It wasn’t all good for Banchero, as he committed nine turnovers, one shy of the franchise single-game playoff record.
The Cleveland Cavaliers secured 44 defensive rebounds in their win over the Magic, matching the highest such total in franchise history in a playoff game. They also recorded 44 defensive boards on June 1, 2017.
The Orlando Magic recorded 12 steals versus the Cavaliers, tying the franchise single-game playoff record. They also tallied 12 thefts on May 23, 1995 and May 9, 1999.

Streaking

Jokic has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 20 playoff games, the second-longest such streak in Nuggets history (Alex English, 24). He’s averaging 31.0 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 9.6 APG with 56/46/80 shooting splits over that span.
Edwards has produced five straight 25-point games in the playoffs, breaking a tie with Kevin Garnett (April 22-29, 2003) for the longest such streak in Timberwolves history.
The Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 30 points in a win over the Magic, the fifth straight playoff series he’s opened with a 30-point game. The only players in NBA history with a longer such streak are Michael Jordan (three distinct streaks, high of seven), Wilt Chamberlain (six), and Kobe Bryant (six).
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic have each lost five consecutive playoff games. The Lakers’ losing streak dates back to May 16, 2023, while the Magic’s skid started on August 20, 2020.

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Edwards and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey were yesterday’s top scorers, bagging 33 points apiece. They were followed by Davis (32), Jokic (32), Durant (31), Mitchell (30), the Sixers’ Joel Embiid (29), and James (27).
The Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen was the top board man, hauling in 18 rebounds yesterday. Also collecting double-digit boards were the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert (16), Davis (14), the Knicks’ Josh Hart (13), Jokic (12), the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (12), the Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon (11), and the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley (11).
The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray was the only player to hand out double-digit dimes yesterday, recording 10 assists. The Cavaliers’ Darius Garland and James tied for second with eight assists each.
Edwards recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game for the fourth time. All other players in Timberwolves history have combined to produce just two such games: Kevin Garnett (April 22, 2003) and Latrell Sprewell (May 14,. 2004).
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ 25-point win over the Suns was the second-largest margin of victory in a playoff game in franchise history. The record of 28 points was set on April 22, 2003.
The New York Knicks grabbed 23 offensive rebounds in their win over the Sixers, the team’s highest such total in a playoff game since June 5, 1994 (28). New York had almost as many offensive boards as Philadelphia had defensive boards (24).