NBA Game Notes (April 22, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 22, 2024.

Apr 23, 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 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets rallied from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99. The win gives the Nuggets a 2-0 lead as this Western Conference First Round series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.

Jokic shot 9-16 from the field (2-4 on 3-pointers) and made all seven of his free throws. He also tied two others for the team lead in steals with two in his game-high 41 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Tyrese Maxey fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, compiling 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 104-101 loss to the New York Knicks. The Knicks will head to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 holding a 2-0 lead in this Eastern Conference First round series.

Maxey shot 12-22 from the floor — including 5-11 from 3-point range — and made all six of his free throw attempts. He played a team-high 44 minutes, committing just one personal foul.

Third ⭐️

Jarrett Allen scored 16 points and hauled in a game-high 20 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 96-86. The teams will now move to Orlando for Games 3 and 4, with the Cavaliers holding a 2-0 lead in this Eastern Conference First Round series.

Allen shot 6-10 from the field, adding a game-high three blocks and two steals in his team-high 39 minutes of action. He’s just the third player in franchise history to record a 20-rebound game in the playoffs, joining Brad Daugherty (May 9, 1993) and Kevin Love (June 1, 2017).

This newsletter is produced by a team of one, but provides more “NBA statistical goodness” (Marc Stein) than most, if not all, major media outlets. Sign up using the “Spring Special” link below and you’ll get 25% off your first 12 months.

Get 25% off for 1 year

Milestones

Jokic recorded his fourth career playoff game with at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the most such games in NBA history. No other player has produced more than one such game.
D’Angelo Russell scored 23 points with seven 3-pointers made in the Lakers’ loss to the Nuggets, tying the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game. Russell shares the mark with Nick Van Exel (May 4, 1995) and Robert Horry (May 6, 1997).
The Lakers’ Anthony Davis (32 points, 11 rebounds) and LeBron James (26 points, 12 assists) each recorded a 20-point double-double in the same playoff game for the 10th time. They are just the seventh duo in NBA playoff history to reach that mark. James has been a part of two of those duos, also achieving the feat with Kevin Love.

Streaking

Jokic has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 21 playoff games. He’s averaging 30.8 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 9.6 APG with 56/46/81 shooting splits over that span.
Despite making just eight of his 29 field goal attempts, Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 24 points in the Knicks’ win over the Sixers. Brunson has scored at least 20 points in 13 straight playoff games, the second-longest such streak in franchise history. The record of 16 consecutive 20-point playoff games is held by Carmelo Anthony (April 30, 2012 to May 18, 2013).
James has also recorded 13 straight 20-point playoff games, the longest such streak in NBA history by a player age 36 years or older. He’s averaging 25.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 7.6 APG with a field goal percentage of 52.1% over that stretch.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic have each lost six consecutive playoff games. The Lakers’ losing streak dates back to May 16, 2023, while the Magic’s skid started on August 20, 2020. All of the Lakers’ losses have come against the Nuggets.

Do you have a friend or family member who loves the NBA as much as you do? Please consider sharing this free post with them.

Maxey led all scorers last night with 35 points. He was followed by teammate Joel Embiid (34), Davis (32), Jokic (27), and James (26).
Allen and Jokic were the night’s top glass cleaners, snagging 20 rebounds apiece (a playoff career high for Allen). The Knicks’ Josh Hart (playoff career-high 15), Davis (11), and Embiid (10) also secured double-digit boards.
James was the leading playmaker, dishing out 12 assists last night. Jokic and Maxey also recorded double-digit dimes, each with 10.
Jokic has posted 11 triple-doubles in his last 20 playoff games. Other than Jokic, no player in NBA history has recorded more than eight triple-doubles over a 20-game playoff span (Magic Johnson).
Maxey (35 points, 10 assists) and Embiid (34 points, 10 rebounds) are the first Sixers duo to each record a 30-point double-double in the same playoff game since Hal Greer and Wali Jones on April 14, 1967.
The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson is shooting just 16-55 from the field (29.1%) through the first two games of the playoffs. Over the last 60 seasons, no player with at least 50 attempts has recorded a lower field goal percentage over the the first two games of a playoff series.
The Denver Nuggets came back from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat the Lakers. It’s tied for the second-largest such deficit overcome to win a playoff game in franchise history. On Sep. 13, 2022, the Nuggets climbed out of a 16-point halftime hole to beat the LA Clippers 111-98.
On the flip side, the Lakers’ blown 15-point halftime lead matched the second-largest such collapse in franchise playoff history. On June 12, 2008, the Lakers led the Boston Celtics by 18 points at halftime before falling 97-91.
The Magic shot just 8-37 and 9-35 from 3-point range in Games 1 and 2, respectively, of their first-round series with the Cavaliers. They are only the third team in NBA history to attempt 35 or more 3-pointers with fewer than 10 makes in back-to-back playoff games, joining the 2019 Celtics (May 6 & 8) and the 2023 Celtics (May 27 & 29).