NBA Game Notes (April 28, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 28, 2024.

Apr 29, 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 ⭐️

Jalen Brunson set a franchise postseason record with 47 points as the New York Knicks edged the Philadelphia 76ers 97-92 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference First Round series. The Knicks will look to close out the series in Game 5 Tuesday in New York.

Brunson went 18-34 from the floor and 9-11 from the free throw line, also dishing out a game-high 10 assists. He committed just one turnover in 44 minutes of action.

Second ⭐️

Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 40 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves completed a sweep of the Phoenix Suns with a 122-116 victory in Game 4 of their Western Conference First Round series. The Timberwolves now await the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Edwards shot 13-23 from the field — including 7-13 from 3-point range — and made seven of his 10 free throws. He also contributed nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocks in his team-high 41 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

Devin Booker scored a playoff career-high 49 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Suns fell to the Timberwolves. Booker went 13-21 from the floor (3-5 on 3-pointers) and hit 20 of his 21 free throw attempts. He added six assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 45 minutes of playing time.

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Milestones

As mentioned earlier, Brunson set a Knicks record for most points scored in a playoff game with 47. The previous record of 46 points belonged to Bernard King, who actually reached that mark in back-to-back games (April 19 & 22, 1984). Brunson also became the first player in franchise history to record at least 40 points and 10 assists in a playoff game.
Booker became the first player in NBA postseason history to shoot at least 60% from the field and 90% from the free throw line while attempting 20 or more field goals and 20 or more free throws.
Edwards tied the Timberwolves’ record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game with seven. He matched a mark that had previously been shared by Latrell Sprewell (April 21, 2004) and Sam Cassell (May 4, 2004).
The Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner sank seven 3-pointers in a 126-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, tying the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game. He shares the record with Reggie Miller (twice), Chuck Person, Paul George, and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Luka Doncic recorded his fourth career playoff triple-double, scoring 29 points to go with game highs of 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Dallas Mavericks’ 116-111 loss to the LA Clippers. Doncic surpassed 1,000 points for his postseason career, tying Elgin Baylor as the third-fastest player in NBA history to reach that mark (32 games). They trail Michael Jordan (28) and Wilt Chamberlain (29).
The Clippers’ Paul George (33 points, eight assists, six rebounds) and James Harden (33 points, seven assists, six rebounds) became the first duo in franchise history to each record at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the same playoff game.
Harden increased his playoff career total to 1,041 assists, passing Kobe Bryant (1,040) to take over 11th place on the NBA’s all-time postseason list.
Four players scored at least 40 points yesterday: Booker (49), Brunson (47), Edwards (40), and the Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving (40). That’s the most 40-point scorers in a single day in NBA postseason history, breaking the mark of three set four times previously.
The Indiana Pacers set a franchise playoff record by sinking 22 3-pointers in their win over the Bucks. The previous mark of 16 3-pointers made had been achieved on April 20, 2017 and April 23, 2024.
The New York Knicks blocked 11 shots in their victory over the Sixers, breaking the franchise postseason record of 10 set three times previously (blocks have been tracked since the 1973-74 season). Precious Achiuwa was the individual leader with four blocks, while OG Anunoby and Josh Hart swatted three shots apiece.
The LA Clippers led the Mavericks 39-16 at the end of the first quarter, the largest single-period point differential in franchise postseason history. Leaguewide, it’s tied for the fifth-largest margin after the first quarter of an NBA playoff game.

Streaking

Kevin Durant scored 33 points in the Suns’ loss to the Timberwolves, the 170th consecutive playoff game in which he’s scored in double figures. The only players in NBA history with a longer such streak are Michael Jordan (179) and Kobe Bryant (171).
Doncic has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 22 playoff games, the longest such streak in Mavericks history. He’s averaging 32.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 7.7 APG over that span.
Brunson has recorded 15 consecutive 20-point games in the playoffs, one game shy of matching the longest such streak in Knicks history held by Carmelo Anthony. Brunson is averaging 29.2 PPG and 6.5 APG over that stretch.
Brunson also became the first player in franchise history to record back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games in the playoffs. He’s the eighth player in NBA history to record at least 35 points and 10 assists in consecutive playoff games, joining Michael Jordan (twice), Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Kevin Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Damian Lillard, and Trae Young.
George nailed seven 3-pointers in the Clippers’ win over the Mavericks, extending his streak of playoff games with at least one 3-pointer made to 41. It’s the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history, (temporarily?) breaking a tie with CJ McCollum, who plays tonight.
The Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points with three 3-pointers made in a loss to the Knicks. Maxey has made at least one 3-pointer in 22 straight playoff games, tying JJ Redick (April 14, 2018 to May 12, 2019) for the longest such streak in franchise history. It’s the ninth straight playoff game in which Maxey has made multiple 3-pointers, breaking a tie with Redick for the franchise’s longest such streak.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have won four consecutive playoff games for the first time in franchise history. Prior to this postseason, they had never won more than two straight games in the playoffs (once in 1998 and 2003, three times in 2004).
The Indiana Pacers have scored at least 120 points in three straight playoff games for the first time since joining the NBA in 1976. They also achieved this feat once in the ABA (April 17-22, 1969).

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Booker led all scorers yesterday with 49 points, a playoff career high. Six more players scored at least 30 points: Brunson (47, playoff career high), Edwards (40), Irving (40), Durant (33), George (33), and Harden (33).
The Knicks’ Josh Hart was yesterday’s leading board man, hauling in a playoff career-high 17 rebounds. He was followed by teammate OG Anunoby with 14 boards (another playoff career high). Also collecting double-digit rebounds were Doncic, the Sixers’ Joel Embiid, the Bucks’ Khris Middleton, and the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, each with 10.
Brunson and Doncic were the leading playmakers, dishing out 10 assists apiece yesterday. The Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard handed out nine dimes, while teammate T.J. McConnell and George each delivered eight.
Brunson recorded 47 points and 10 assists with just one turnover. Since the NBA began tracking individual turnovers in 1977-78, only two other players have recorded a 45-point, 10-assist playoff game with at most one error: Kevin Johnson (May 20, 1995) and Damian Lillard (June 1, 2021).
Brunson’s teammate, Hart, tallied 17 rebounds and five assists, but went 0-7 from the floor. He’s the only player in the last 60 seasons to record at least 15 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game without making a field goal.