NBA Game Notes (May 18, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 18, 2025.

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 game-high 35 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in the seventh and deciding game of their Western Conference Semifinals series. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 12-19 from the field (3-4 on 3-pointers) and 8-9 from the free throw line. He added four assists, three rebounds, a game-high three steals (tied with two others), and one block in 36 turnover-free minutes.

Second ⭐️

Alex Caruso posted a game-best rating of plus-40 points in just 26 minutes played in the Thunder’s blowout win over the Nuggets. Caruso scored 11 points on 5-7 shooting from the floor and did not commit a turnover. He also recorded three assists and a game-high three steals (tied with two others).

Third ⭐️

Jalen Williams broke out of a shooting slump, scoring 24 points on 10-17 accuracy from the field in the Thunder’s Game 7 victory over the Nuggets. Williams also contributed a game-high seven assists (tied with Nikola Jokic), five rebounds, and one steal. He committed just one turnover and no personal fouls in 33 minutes of action.

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Milestones

• The Oklahoma City Thunder have won three games by 30 or more points in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, tying the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, the 1996 Utah Jazz, and the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers for the most such wins in a single postseason.