NBA Game Notes (May 23, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 23, 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 ⭐️

Pascal Siakam scored a playoff-career-high 39 points as the Indiana Pacers topped the New York Knicks 114-109 to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Siakam shot 15-23 from the field (3-5 on threes) and 6-8 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds, three assists, and one steal, committing just one turnover in 33 minutes of action.

Second ⭐️

Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 36 points to go with a game-high 11 assists (tied with Tyrese Haliburton) in the Knicks’ loss to the Pacers. Brunson went 13-27 from the floor (5-12 on 3-pointers) and a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed three rebounds and swiped one steal in 39 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

Tyrese Haliburton recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing out a game-high 11 assists (tied with Brunson) as the Pacers knocked off the Knicks. Haliburton also contributed a team-high eight rebounds and a game-high two steals (tied with two others), and was charged with just one turnover in 35 minutes of court time. On the downside, he shot just 5-16 from the field, going 3-10 from 3-point range.

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Milestones

• Brunson recorded his fifth career 35-point, 10-assist game in the playoffs, becoming just the fifth player in NBA history to reach that mark. He joins LeBron James (12 such games), Jerry West (10), Michael Jordan (eight), and Oscar Robertson (six).