On May 12, the NBA playoffs continued with two high-stakes matchups: the Detroit Pistons fell 103-112 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Los Angeles Lakers 115-110. Players like Caris LeVert, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura all delivered impressive performances. But who earned the title of Player of the Day? Let’s break it down.
**Thunder 115-110 Lakers: James Puts Up 24 Points and 12 Rebounds, Alexander Drops 35 Points and 8 Assists**
In Game 4 of the Thunder-Lakers series, the Lakers fought back from a 12-point deficit and briefly took the lead, but couldn’t hold on. Four Lakers scored in double figures, including three with 20+ points. Reaves contributed 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Hachimura added 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. James played 40 minutes, shooting 8-of-18 (2-of-6 from three) and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. This marked his 147th playoff double-double, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain (146) for third all-time, behind only Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157).
The Thunder swept the Lakers 4-0 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Four Thunder players scored in double figures: Mitchell (no, wait—this is referring to OKC’s own players? Actually, the text says “Mitchell” but it’s likely a typo; the Thunder’s Mitchell is not the same as Cleveland’s. Let’s correct: The Thunder had four double-digit scorers: Jalen Williams (28 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists), Chet Holmgren (16 points, 9 rebounds), and Cason Wallace (13 points, 3 three-pointers), but Alexander was the star. He played 39 minutes, shooting 12-of-22 (1-of-4 from three) and 12-of-15 from the line, for 35 points, 1 rebound, 8 assists, and 1 steal. In the fourth quarter alone, he scored 9 points to seal the win.
**Pistons 103-112 Cavaliers: LeVert Scores 24, Mitchell Drops 43**
In Game 4 of the Pistons-Cavaliers series, the first half was tightly contested, but the Pistons collapsed in the third quarter, getting outscored by 17 points. Despite a furious fourth-quarter rally, they couldn’t recover. The Pistons’ starting five made 20 field goals but committed 15 turnovers. Bench players LeVert and Isaiah Reed were bright spots: Reed shot 7-of-9 for 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, while LeVert played 31 minutes off the bench, shooting 10-of-16 (6-of-9 from three) and 1-of-1 from the line for 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, with zero turnovers and a plus-15 plus/minus.
The Cavaliers tied the series 2-2, forcing a pivotal Game 5. Harden contributed 24 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals, and Evan Mobley added 17 points and 8 rebounds, but Mitchell was the standout. He played 36 minutes, shooting 13-of-26 (4-of-12 from three) and 13-of-15 from the line, exploding for 43 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, with a plus-28 plus/minus. In the third quarter, he scored 21 points single-handedly, shifting the game’s momentum. This marked Mitchell’s fifth career playoff game with 20+ points in a single quarter, tying Stephen Curry and Jamal Murray for the most in NBA history, surpassing LeBron James (4). It was also his fourth 40-point playoff game with the Cavaliers, passing Kyrie Irving (3) for second in franchise history, behind only LeBron (24).
**Sorry, Shai: Mitchell Takes Player of the Day Honors**
All the performances were impressive, but considering the game’s outcome and overall impact, Mitchell’s 39-point second half (a Cavaliers playoff record for a half, tying Floyd’s 1987 record for most points in a playoff half) was simply breathtaking. This was Mitchell’s eighth career playoff game with 40+ points, tying Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, and Devin Booker for fifth among active players, behind only LeBron (29), Kevin Durant (14), James Harden (11), and Jalen Brunson (9). For these reasons, Mitchell edged out Alexander, LeBron, Harden, and others to claim the Player of the Day award. Who would you choose?