NBA Game Notes (May 11, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 11, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Donovan Mitchell scored a record-tying 39 of his 43 points in the second half as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 112-103 to knot their Eastern Conference Semifinals series at two games apiece. Mitchell shot 13-26 from the field (4-12 on threes) and 13-15 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds and one steal, committing just one turnover and one personal foul in 37 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 35 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-sweeping 115-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their Western Conference Semifinals matchup. Gilgeous-Alexander went 11-22 from the floor and 12-15 from the charity stripe. He also dished out a game-high eight assists and swiped one steal in 39 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Ajay Mitchell scored a playoff career-high 28 points in the Thunder’s win over the Lakers. Mitchell was efficient, hitting 12 of his 19 attempts from the field. He added four assists and a game-high four steals, and was charged with just one turnover in 33 minutes played.
Milestones
As alluded to earlier, Donovan Mitchell tied the NBA postseason record for most points scored in a half with 39. The Golden State Warriors’ Sleepy Floyd also scored 39 points in the second half of playoff game on May 10, 1987 versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Cavaliers’ James Harden posted 24 points and 11 assists for his 25th career 20-point, 10-assist playoff game. He’s the sixth player in NBA postseason history to reach that mark, joining Magic Johnson (60 games), LeBron James (47), Chris Paul (31), Kevin Johnson (30), and Russell Westbrook (26).
Harden moved up several of the NBA’s postseason career leaderboards: he ranks 15th in games played with 184 (tying Robert Parish); eighth in free throws made with 1,177 (breaking a tie with Shaquille O’Neal); and seventh in steals with 303 (passing Jason Kidd).
The Lakers’ LeBron James tallied 24 points and 12 rebounds for his 112th career 20-point, 10-rebound playoff game, tying Karl Malone for second place on the NBA’s all-time postseason list. Shaquille O’Neal is the leader with 118 such games.
Streaking
James has scored in double figures in each of his last 150 playoff games. He’s the fourth player in NBA postseason history to record at least 150 such games in a row, joining Michael Jordan (179 games), Kobe Bryant (171), and Kevin Durant (171).
The Oklahoma City Thunder have won nine straight playoff games dating back to last year’s NBA Finals, breaking a tie for the longest postseason winning streak in franchise history. They won eight playoff games in a row from April 30 to May 20, 1996, when the franchise was known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Thunder became the 11th team in NBA history to start a postseason 8-0. Six of the previous 10 teams reached the Finals, with four of them winning a championship.
Miscellany
Donovan Mitchell was the night’s leading scorer, dropping 43 points. He was followed by Gilgeous-Alexander (35 points); Ajay Mitchell (28); and the Lakers’ Austin Reaves (27) and Rui Hachimura (25).
James was the top board man last night, pulling down 12 rebounds. The only other player to collect double-digit boards was the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein with 10.
Harden took home nightly honors in assists, delivering 11 dimes. Gilgeous-Alexander was runner-up with eight assists, while the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and Reaves shared third place with six apiece.