NBA Game Notes (May 19, 2024)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 19, 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 ⭐️
Tyrese Haliburton scored a team-high 26 points as the Indiana Pacers routed the New York Knicks 130-109 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. The Pacers will travel to Boston to square off against the Celtics in Game 1 of the conference finals Tuesday.
Haliburton shot 10-17 from the field, sinking six of his 12 attempts from 3-point range. He also dished out six assists and posted a game-high rating of plus-21 points (tied with T.J. McConnell) in 33 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Karl-Anthony Towns produced team highs of 23 points (tied with Jaden McDaniels) and 12 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to defeat the Denver Nuggets 98-90 in Game 7 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. Minnesota will head home to face the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the conference finals Wednesday night.
Towns went 8-14 from the floor (7-8 on 2-pointers) and hit all six of his free throw attempts. He also recorded a game-high two steals (tied with four others) in his 39 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Nikola Jokic compiled 34 points, a game-high 19 rebounds, and a game-high seven assists (tied with Anthony Edwards) in the Nuggets’ loss to the Timberwolves. Jokic shot 13-28 from the floor (but just 2-10 on 3-pointers) and 6-7 from the free throw line. He played nearly the entire game, resting for just a one-minute, 24-second span in the second quarter.
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Milestones
Donte DiVincenzo scored a playoff career-high 39 points in the Knicks’ loss to the Pacers, going 9-15 from 3-point range. He broke the franchise records for most 3-pointers made and attempted in a playoff game. DiVincenzo also set an NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a Game 7, surpassing the previous mark of seven shared by Stephen Curry (three times), Marcus Morris Sr., and Grant Williams.
The Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith went a perfect 8-8 from the floor, tying the NBA record for most field goals made without a miss in a Game 7. He matched Tom Kozelko, who achieved the feat on April 12, 1974 (as a rookie, no less).
The Nuggets’ Jamal Murray (35 points) and Jokic (34) each scored at least 30 points in the same playoff game for the sixth time, tying LeBron James and Kyrie Irving for the fourth-most such games in NBA history by a duo. The record of 24 dual 30-point playoff games is held by Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.
The Indiana Pacers shot a blistering 53-79 from the floor (67.1%), breaking the NBA record for highest field goal percentage recorded in a playoff game. The previous mark of 67.0% was set by the Boston Celtics on April 28, 1990.
The Pacers’ 53 field goals made are the most in franchise history in a playoff game since joining the NBA in 1976. The previous mark of 50 had been achieved three times previously, most recently on May 12, 2024.
The Pacers scored 130 points, matching the franchise’s highest such total in a playoff game since entering the NBA in 1976. They also scored 130 points in a postseason contest on April 28, 1991 versus the Boston Celtics.
The Pacers erupted for 39 first-quarter points, breaking the NBA record for most points scored in the opening period of a Game 7. The previous mark of 38 points was shared by the New York Knicks (May 8, 1970) and the Dallas Mavericks (June 6, 2021).
The Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat the Nuggets, the largest such comeback in a Game 7 in NBA history. They surpassed the previous record of 11 points held by the Golden State Warriors, who achieved the feat on May 14, 1975 and again on May 28, 2018.
Both the Pacers and the Timberwolves closed out their series away from home. It’s the first time in NBA history two road teams won a Game 7 on the same day.
Streaking
The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson produced 17 points and nine assists before departing the game in the second half with a broken hand. It’s the 24th consecutive playoff game in which Brunson has scored at least 15 points, and the 13th straight playoff game in which he’s recorded at least 15 points and five assists. Both are the longest such streaks in franchise history.
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Miscellany
DiVincenzo led all players yesterday with his playoff career-high 39 points. Four more players scored at least 25 points: Murray (35), Jokic (34), the Knicks’ Alec Burks (26), and Haliburton (26).
Jokic was the leading board man, hauling in 19 rebounds yesterday. The only other player to pull down double-digit boards was Towns with 12.
Brunson was yesterday’s top playmaker, handing out nine assists. He was followed by the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Jokic, and the Pacers’ T.J. McConnell with seven dimes apiece.
The Denver Nuggets became the fifth consecutive defending champion to fail to reach the conference finals. The last returning champion to reach the conference finals was the Golden State Warriors in 2019, who eventually lost in the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors.
With Denver’s loss, the NBA is guaranteed to crown its sixth different champion in the last six seasons. The only other time there have been six different Finals winners in a six-year span was 1975 to 1980 (Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets, Seattle SuperSonics, and Los Angeles Lakers).