NBA Game Notes (May 5, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on May 5, 2025.

May 06, 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 ⭐️

Nikola Jokic scored 42 points and hauled in 22 rebounds, both game-high figures, as the Denver Nuggets upset the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 in Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. Jokic shot 15-29 from the field and 10-13 from the free throw line. He also recorded a team-high six assists (tied with Jamal Murray), a team-high two blocks (tied with Peyton Watson), and one steal in 42 minutes of action.

Second ⭐️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander compiled team highs of 33 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists (also a game high), but it wasn’t enough in the Thunder’s loss to the Nuggets. Gilgeous-Alexander went 12-26 from the floor and 7-9 from the charity stripe. He also swiped two steals and blocked one shot, committing just one turnover in 40 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

OG Anunoby scored a playoff-career-high 29 points to lead the New York Knicks to a stunning 108-105 overtime win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Anunoby shot 10-20 from the field, hitting six of his 11 attempts from 3-point range. He added four rebounds, three assists, and one steal, and was charged with just one personal foul in 46 minutes of court time.

Milestones

Jokic became just the fourth player in NBA history to record at least 40 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game, joining Wilt Chamberlain (twice), Shaquille O’Neal, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jokic and Aaron Gordon (22 points, 14 rebounds) became the first teammates to record a 40-point, 20-rebound game and a 20-point, 10-rebound game, respectively, in the same playoff contest since the San Francisco Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain and Tom Meschery accomplished the feat April 5, 1964.
Jokic matched the Denver Nuggets record for most rebounds in a playoff game since the franchise joined the NBA in 1976. He also grabbed 22 boards in a postseason contest Sep. 15, 2020.
Jokic raised his playoff total to 78 blocks, snapping a tie with Dikembe Mumtombo atop the Denver Nuggets’ career leaderboard.
The Thunder’s Alex Caruso (5-9 on threes, five steals) became the first bench player in NBA history to record at least five 3-pointers made and five steals in a playoff game.
The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (23 points) became the 45th player in NBA history to reach 2,500 career points in the playoffs. At 28 years and 193 days old, he’s the fifth-youngest player to attain that milestone.
Jayson Tatum (4-15 on threes) and Derrick White (5-16 on threes) tied the Boston Celtics record for most 3-pointers missed in a playoff game. Grant Williams also clanked 11 threes in a postseason contest May 15, 2022.
The Celtics’ Al Horford (seven rebounds, one block) moved up the NBA’s career playoff leaderboards for rebounds (1,536, 16th) and blocks (239, tied for 14th). He passed Kevin Garnett in the former category and matched Julius Erving in the latter.
The Boston Celtics (15-60 on threes) broke the NBA record for most 3-pointers attempted in a playoff game, surpassing the previous mark of 58 by the Houston Rockets on Aug. 24, 2020. They also set a league record for most 3-pointers missed in a playoff game, exceeding the 40 misfires by the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 30, 2025.
The New York Knicks (17-37 on threes) tied the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a playoff game. They also hit 17 triples April 25, 1996 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Streaking

Brown has scored at least 10 points in 93 consecutive playoff games, the third-longest such streak in Boston Celtics history and the 14th-longest such streak in NBA history.
Jokic has scored in double figures in each of his 88 career playoff games, the longest such streak in franchise history by 29 games. He’s one of nine players in NBA history to start his playoff career with 88 such games in a row.
Jalen Brunson has scored at least 15 points in each of his 31 playoff games with the New York Knicks, the longest such streak in franchise history by 10 games. He’s averaging 30.5 PPG and 6.9 APG in those contests.

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Jokic led the nightly scoring brigade, pouring in 42 points. Gilgeous-Alexander ranked second with 33 points, while Anunoby and Brunson shared third place with 29 apiece.
Jokic was also the night’s top board man, matching his playoff career high with 22 rebounds. Also collecting double-digit boards were the Celtics’ Tatum (16) and White (11); the Nuggets’ Gordon (14) and Christian Braun (13); the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (13) and Josh Hart (11); and Gilgeous-Alexander (10).
Gilgeous-Alexander paced all players with eight assists last night. The Knicks’ Mikal Bridges was runner-up with seven dimes.