NBA Game Notes (May 13, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 13, 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 ⭐️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Dallas Mavericks 100-96 in Game 4 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. The teams will head back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 Wednesday night with the series tied at two games apiece.

Gilgeous-Alexander went 14-27 from the field and sank all six of his free throw attempts. He also contributed eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks in 42 turnover-free minutes.

Second ⭐️

Jayson Tatum posted game highs of 33 points and 11 rebounds in the Boston Celtics’ 109-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. The Celtics will take a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Boston for Game 5 Wednesday night.

Tatum shot just 11-25 from the floor (2-8 on 3-pointers), but connected on all nine of his free throws. He also recorded a team-high five assists (tied with Jrue Holiday) and two steals in his game-high 44 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Darius Garland scored a team-high 30 points and dished out a game-high seven assists (tied with teammate Max Strus) in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Celtics. Garland made 12 of his 27 field goal attempts, hitting four 3-pointers. He also recorded a team-high two steals (tied with two others) and committed just two turnovers in 40 minutes played.

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Milestones

• Luka Doncic recorded his fifth career playoff triple-double, compiling 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Mavericks’ loss to the Thunder. He’s the 12th player in NBA history to reach that mark. It wasn’t all good for Doncic, who went just 6-20 from the field (2-9 on 3-pointers) and committed a game-high seven turnovers.

• Rookie Chet Holmgren tallied 18 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in the Thunder’s win over the Mavericks. Holmgren is averaging 15.3 PPG and 3.0 BPG in the postseason. Since the NBA began tracking blocks in 1973-74, the only other rookies to average at least 15 PPG and 3 BPG through their first eight playoff games are David Robinson (1990) and Alonzo Mourning (1993).

• The Celtics’ Tatum (33 points) and Jaylen Brown (27 points) each scored at least 25 points in the same playoff game for the 15th time, tying the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for the ninth-most such games in NBA history by a duo.

• Tatum and Brown have each scored at least 20 points in the same playoff game 39 times, tying the St. Louis Hawks’ Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan for the eighth-most such games in NBA history by a duo.

• The Dallas Mavericks set a franchise record for most blocks in a playoff game with 13. Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively II led the way with four rejections apiece. The previous mark of 11 blocks had been achieved twice previously (May 13, 2003 and April 18, 2004).

• The Cleveland Cavaliers hoisted 48 shots from long range, breaking the franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a playoff game. The previous record of 45 attempts had been set on May 4, 2016 and matched on June 9, 2017.

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Streaking

• Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last three games for the Thunder. The only other player in franchise history to produce at least three such playoff games in a row is Russell Westbrook (twice).

• Gilgeous-Alexander is also just the second player in franchise history to open a postseason with eight straight 20-point games. He joins Kevin Durant, who achieved the feat three times (2011-2013).

• P.J. Washington scored a team-high 21 points in the Mavericks’ loss to the Thunder, going 5-11 from 3-point range. He’s the first non-guard in NBA history to make at least five 3-pointers in three consecutive playoff games.

• Doncic has made at least one 3-pointer in each of his 38 career playoff games, breaking a tie with Michael Finley (May 9, 2002 to May 11, 2005) for the longest 3-point streak in Mavericks postseason history. It’s also the sixth-longest such streak in NBA history.

• The Boston Celtics have won six consecutive road games in the playoffs, the second-longest such streak in franchise history. Over their last 12 road playoff games, the Celtics are 10-2 with a point differential of plus-82.

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Miscellany

• Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers last night with his playoff career-high 34 points. Tatum (33), Garland (30), Brown (27), and Washington (21) also produced 20-point efforts.

• Doncic and Washington were the top board men, each collecting 12 rebounds last night (a playoff career high for Washington). Tatum was the only other player to record double-digit boards with 11.

• Doncic was the night’s leading playmaker, handing out 10 assists. Teammate Kyrie Irving was second with nine dimes, followed by the Cavaliers’ Garland and Max Strus with seven apiece.

• Doncic is averaging 27.1 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 8.6 APG over his last 12 playoff games (a span that dates back to May 24, 2022), but is shooting just 39.4% from the field and 25.8% from 3-point range over that stretch.