NBA Game Notes (May 25, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 25, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Karl-Anthony Towns led a balanced attack with 19 points as the New York Knicks destroyed the Cleveland Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals to complete the series sweep. Towns shot an efficient 8-11 from the field, sinking all three of his 3-point attempts. He also contributed a game-high 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a game-high two blocks (tied with Jarrett Allen) in just 26 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 31 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough in the Cavaliers’ loss to the Knicks. Mitchell went 9-18 from the floor (5-9 on threes) and 8-10 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed four rebounds and swiped one steal in 32 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
OG Anunoby scored 17 points as the Knicks routed the Cavaliers. Anunoby shot 6-13 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. He added seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, committing just one turnover in 27 minutes played.
Milestones
The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson won the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He averaged 25.5 PPG and 7.8 APG in four games, shooting 48.7% from the field and 78.6% from the free throw line.
The Cavaliers’ James Harden appeared in his 191st career playoff game, breaking a tie with Magic Johnson for 14th place on the NBA’s postseason leaderboard. He made eight free throws to increase his playoff career total to 1,128, passing Tim Duncan to take over sixth place on the league’s all-time list.
The New York Knicks have won four games by 30 or more points in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, tying the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder for the most such wins in a single postseason.
The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to record three series-clinching wins by 30 or more points in a single postseason. They shared the previous mark of two such wins with the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, the 2008 Boston Celtics, and the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Knicks have outscored their opponents by 262 points over the last 11 games, the highest such figure in NBA history over any 11-game span, regular season or postseason. The previous mark of 243 points was set by the Boston Celtics from Feb. 4 to March 3, 2024.
The Knicks have an average point differential of plus-19.4 PPG in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the highest such figure in league history by a team prior to the Finals. The previous mark of plus-16.3 PPG was held by the 2017 Golden State Warriors.
Streaking
Mitchell has made at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 38 playoff games, tying Damian Lillard (April 22, 2017 to April 25, 2025) for the seventh-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
Brunson scored 15 points to extend his streak of playoff games with 15 or more points to 56. That ties Wilt Chamberlain (March 20, 1960 to April 14, 1967) for the 11th-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
The Knicks have won 11 straight playoff games, becoming just the fifth team in NBA history to reach that mark in a single postseason. They join the 2017 Golden State Warriors (15 in a row), the 1999 San Antonio Spurs (12), the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers (11), and the 2001 Lakers (11).
The Knicks have posted six consecutive wins by 10 or more points, tying the 2004 Indiana Pacers for the second-longest such streak in NBA postseason history. The record of eight double-digit wins in a row is held by the 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks have won each of their last six road playoff games by double figures, breaking a tie with the 2013 Miami Heat and the 2027 Golden State Warriors for the longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
The Knicks have scored at least 100 points in each of their last 23 playoff games, tying the Boston Celtics (June 8, 1986 to June 11, 1987) for the eighth-longest such streak in NBA postseason history.
Miscellany
Mitchell took home nightly scoring honors with 31 points. He was followed by Towns (19 points), Anunoby (17), and the Knicks’ Landry Shamet (16).
Towns was the chairman of the boards, snagging 14 rebounds last night. Teammates Josh Hart (11 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (10) also collected double-digit boards.
Hart was the night’s top playmaker, handing out six assists. The Knicks’ Mikal Bridges and Brunson were runners-up with five dimes each.
Shamet made 11 of his 12 shots from beyond the arc in the Eastern Conference Finals, a 3-point field goal percentage of 91.7%. That’s the highest such figure in a postseason series in NBA history by a player who hit at least five triples.