NBA Game Notes (May 3, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 3, 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 ⭐️

Aaron Gordon scored a game-high 22 points (tied with Kawhi Leonard) as the Denver Nuggets routed the LA Clippers 120-101 in Game 7 of their Western Conference First Round series. Gordon shot 9-16 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line. He added five assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block, committing just one turnover in 36 minutes of action.

Second ⭐️

Christian Braun scored a playoff-career-high 21 points in the Nuggets’ win over the Clippers. Braun went 8-15 from the floor, hitting three of his five 3-point attempts. He also contributed five rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 38 turnover-free minutes.

Third ⭐️

Russell Westbrook came off the bench to compile 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists as the Nuggets defeated the Clippers. Westbrook shot 5-9 from the field (2-4 on threes) and 4-6 from the charity stripe. He also swiped a game-high five steals in 27 minutes of court time.

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Milestones

• The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (24.0 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 10.1 APG) became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a seven-game playoff series.

• The Denver Nuggets had six players score at least 15 points, the most by a team in a Game 7 in NBA history: Gordon (22), Braun (21), Jokic (16), Jamal Murray (16), Westbrook (16), and Michael Porter Jr. (15). The previous record of five such players had been achieved 13 times previously.