NBA Game Notes (May 1, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 1, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Scottie Barnes scored a team-high 25 points and dished out a game-high 14 assists to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 112-110 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series, forcing a deciding Game 7 on Sunday. Barnes made 11 of his 21 attempts from the field. He also contributed seven rebounds, a game-high three steals (tied with Ja’Kobe Walter) and a game-high three blocks (tied with Collin Murray-Boyles) in 48 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Cade Cunningham scored 19 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter as the Detroit Pistons staved off elimination with a 93-79 comeback win in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series, forcing a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday. Cunningham shot 10-23 from the floor (2-4 on threes) and 10-12 from the charity stripe. He added a game-high 10 rebounds (tied with three others), a game-high four steals, and one block in 42 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
LeBron James scored a game-high 28 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ series-clinching 98-78 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of their Western Conference First Round series. James shot 10-25 from the field (2-5 on threes) and 6-8 from the free throw line. He also recorded a game-high eight assists and seven rebounds in 37 minutes played.
Milestones
Barnes tied a Toronto Raptors record for most assists in a playoff game with 14. Chris Childs previously delivered 14 dimes on April 24, 2002.
The Cavaliers’ James Harden recorded two steals to give him 294 for his playoff career, breaking a tie with Manu Ginobili for 10th place on the NBA’s postseason leaderboard.
The Detroit Pistons became just the second team in NBA postseason history to win a playoff game by double digits after trailing by 20 or more points at halftime. The LA Clippers were the first team to achieve this feat on June 18, 2021 versus the Utah Jazz.
The Orlando Magic scored just 19 points in the second half, the lowest point total in any half of a playoff game since the NBA introduced the shot clock in 1954-55. The previous record of 23 points was shared by the Utah Jazz (June 7, 1998), the Phoenix Suns (May 16, 2000), the Cleveland Cavaliers (May 21, 2006), and the Boston Celtics (April 23, 2013).
Streaking
Cunningham has recorded 12 straight 20-point games and six straight 25-point games in the playoffs, both of which are the longest such streaks in Detroit Pistons postseason history. He’s averaged 28.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.0 BPG over the former span.
James has scored in double figures in each of his last 146 playoff games, the fifth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
The Magic’s Desmond Bane hit three triples, extending his streak of playoff games with at least one 3-pointer made to 33. He tied Fred VanVleet (May 17, 2019 to May 4, 2025) and Cameron Johnson (June 9, 2021 to April 20, 2026) for the 10th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
Miscellany
Cunningham was the night’s leading scorer, tallying 32 points. He was followed by James (28), the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley (26), Barnes (25), the Raptors’ RJ Barrett (24), the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell (24), and the Raptors’ Ja’Kobe Walter (24).
The Lakers’ Deandre Ayton was the chairman of the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds last night. Mobley was runner-up with 14 rebounds, while the Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. placed third with 12 boards.
Barnes took home nightly honors in assists, handing out 14 helpers. Next in line were Harden (nine assists), James (eight), and the Magic’s Jalen Suggs (seven).