NBA Game Notes (April 26, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 26, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Victor Wembanyama scored 27 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in the San Antonio Spurs’ 114-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, giving San Antonio a 3-1 series lead in their Western Conference First Round series. Wembanyama shot 9-17 from the field and 8-8 from the free throw line. He also recorded game highs of seven blocks and four steals in 34 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Payton Pritchard came off the bench to drop a playoff career-high 32 points as the Boston Celtics routed the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference First Round series. Pritchard went 12-21 from the floor, sinking six of his 12 attempts from 3-point range. He added five assists, four rebounds, and one steal in 35 turnover-free minutes.
Third ⭐️
Tari Eason scored 20 points and swiped a game-high five steals to lead the Houston Rockets to a 115-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, giving Houston its first win in Game 5 of their Western Conference First Round series. Eason shot an efficient 7-10 from the field, including two 3-pointers made. He also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds (tied with Jabari Smith Jr.) and blocked one shot, posting a game-high rating of plus-31 points in 30 minutes of action.
Milestones
The Lakers’ LeBron James made just two field goals, but that was enough to become the first player in NBA postseason history to reach 3,000 career field goals made. He’s connected on 644 more field goals than the next-closest player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
James Harden delivered a game-high eight dimes to break a tie with Tony Parker for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard for playoff assists, but the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Toronto Raptors 93-89 to knot their Eastern Conference First Round series at two games apiece. Harden has 1,151 career assists in the postseason.
The Boston Celtics broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game with 24. The previous mark of 22 triples had been achieved three times, most recently on May 14, 2025 versus the New York Knicks.
The Celtics tied the NBA record for most 30-point wins in a single playoff series with two. Nine other teams have posted two such wins in a playoff series, most recently the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Denver Nuggets in the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals.
On the flip side, the Philadelphia 76ers tied the NBA record for most 30-point losses in a single playoff series with two. It’s the first time in franchise history the Sixers have suffered two such defeats in a single postseason.
The Toronto Raptors set franchise records for most offensive rebounds and most total rebounds in a playoff game with 21 and 59, respectively. They surpassed the previous single-game marks of 20 offensive rebounds (three times) and 57 total rebounds (Aug. 23, 2020).
The Houston Rockets tied the franchise record for most steals in a playoff game with 17. They also recorded 17 thefts on April 21, 1981 versus the Kansas City Kings.
Streaking
James was held to just 10 points, but that was enough to extend his streak of playoff games with double-digit scoring to 144. It’s the fifth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown had 20 points, his 102nd straight playoff game scoring in double figures. Only 12 players in NBA history have produced a longer such streak in the postseason.
The Sixers’ Paul George made all three of his attempts from 3-point range, the 47th consecutive playoff game in which he’s hit at least one triple. It’s the fourth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
The Celtics became just the fifth team in NBA history to make 20 or more 3-pointers in back-to-back playoff games. They join the Cleveland Cavaliers (May 4 and 6, 2016), the Utah Jazz (June 16 and 18, 2021), the LA Clippers (June 18 and 20, 2021), and the Golden State Warriors (May 2 and 4, 2023).
Miscellany
Pritchard was the day’s leading scorer, dropping 32 points. He was followed by the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (30 points), the Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox (28), Wembanyama (27), the Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija (26), and the Sixers’ Joel Embid (26).
The Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen was the chairman of the boards, pulling down 15 rebounds yesterday. Also collecting double-digit boards were Wembanyama (11 rebounds), the Lakers’ Deandre Ayton (10), Embiid (10), and the Raptors’ Collin Murray-Boyles (10).
Tatum was the daily leader in assists, delivering 11 dimes. James was runner-up with nine assists, while the Spurs’ Stephon Castle and Harden shared third place with eight apiece.
Pritchard is just the second bench player to record a 30-point, 5-assist playoff game with zero turnovers since the NBA began tracking individual errors in 1977-78. The first bench player to accomplish the feat in a postseason game was Walter Davis on April 24, 1982.
The Raptors recorded a field goal percentage of 32.0%, the lowest such figure in a playoff win since the Boston Celtics shot 31.6% from the floor in Game 4 of the 1969 NBA Finals.