NBA Game Notes (May 4, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 4, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Jalen Brunson dropped a game-high 35 points as the New York Knicks walloped the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Brunson was incredibly efficient, going 12-18 from the field (3-6 on threes) and 8-8 from the free throw line. He also swiped two steals and committed just one turnover, posting a game-best rating of plus-27 points in 31 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Mike Conley scored 12 points and dished out a game-high six assists (tied with De’Aaron Fox) to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 104-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. Conley shot 4-8 from the floor, with all of his makes coming from 3-point range. He was charged with just one turnover and no personal fouls in 24 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 17 points in the Knicks’ rout of the Sixers. Towns went 7-11 from the field, sinking three of his five 3-point attempts. He added six rebounds, a game-high six assists (tied with Josh Hart), and a game-high two blocks (tied with Ariel Hukporti) in just 20 minutes played.
Milestones
The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama broke the NBA record for most blocks in a playoff game with 12 (a statistic that has been tracked since the 1973-74 season). The previous mark of 10 blocks was shared by Mark Eaton (April 26, 1985), Hakeem Olajuwon (April 29, 1990), and Andrew Bynum (April 29, 2012).
Wembanyama also tallied 11 points and 15 rebounds, becoming just the third player to record a triple-double including blocks since the NBA began tracking the statistic in 1973-74. The others to achieve the feat are Olajuwon and Bynum (see above).
It wasn’t all good for Wembanyama, who went 0-8 from beyond the 3-point arc. He tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers missed in a playoff game previously shared by Jaren Jackson (twice) and Patty Mills.
The Sixers’ Paul George hit four triples to become only the 11th player in NBA postseason history to reach 300 career 3-pointers made.
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards appeared in his 47th career playoff game, tying Kevin Garnett for the most games played in franchise postseason history.
The Philadelphia 76ers are just the second team in NBA history to suffer three 30-point losses in a single postseason. The Denver Nuggets also recorded three such losses in last year’s playoffs.
The New York Knicks set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game with 19. The previous mark of 17 makes was established on April 25, 1996 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers and tied on May 5, 2025 versus the Boston Celtics.
The San Antonio Spurs broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a playoff game with 36, surpassing the previous mark of 35 attempts set on May 31, 2014 versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers missed in a playoff game with 26, equaling their total on April 19, 2018 versus the Golden State Warriors.
Led by Wembanyama’s 12 rejections, the Spurs tied the franchise record for most blocks in a playoff game with 14. They also blocked 14 shots on April 8, 1981 versus the Houston Rockets.
Streaking
George has made at least one 3-pointer in each of his last 51 playoff games, the third-longest such streak in NBA postseason history behind Stephen Curry (132 games) and Klay Thompson (54).
The Knicks became the first team in NBA postseason history to win three straight playoff games by 25 or more points. New York has outscored its opponents by 119 points over that stretch, easily the highest such figure over a three-game playoff span in NBA history.
The Knicks are just the sixth team in NBA postseason history to win at least four straight playoff games by 15 or more points. Their cumulative margin of victory over that stretch is 135 points, the largest such figure in NBA history over a four-game playoff span.
The Knicks scored at least 100 points for the 16th consecutive playoff game, matching the longest such streak in franchise history (April 19, 1970 to April 9, 1971). They’ve also recorded three straight 120-point games and back-to-back 130-point games, both of which are franchise firsts in the playoffs.
Miscellany
Brunson led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 35 points. He was followed by the Timberwolves’ Julius Randle (21 points), the Knicks’ OG Anunoby (18), Edwards (18), and the Spurs’ Dylan Harper (18).
Wembanyama was the night’s top board man, pulling down 15 rebounds. Also collecting double-digit boards were the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and Randle with 10 each.
Four players shared the nightly lead in assists with six apiece: Conley, the Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox, the Knicks’ Josh Hart, and Towns.