The NBA playoff plays from May 9, 2026, leaned heavily on individual brilliance. Victor Wembanyama delivered his best postseason performance yet for the San Antonio Spurs. His effort powered a 115-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson controlled the Philadelphia 76ers in the New York Knicks’ 108-94 Game 3 win. In addition, Landry Shamet came off the bench to shoot 83.3% from the field. Together, the two games produced five plays that defined the night.
Stephon Castle’s 12-assist orchestration runs the Spurs offense at will
The play that set the tone for San Antonio’s night was not the most spectacular. It was the most consistent. Stephon Castle ran the Spurs offense with 12 assists against just 4 turnovers. That works out to a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio in a playoff game. He also hit 5 fast-break points and created open looks for Wembanyama all night. Furthermore, his double-double (13 points, 12 assists) showed a point guard operating like a veteran in only his second postseason. As a result, San Antonio’s offense converted 26 assists on 39 made field goals. That was the best assist ratio either team posted in this series.
Landry Shamet shoots 83% off the bench and swings the Knicks game
The most unexpected performance of the night came from Landry Shamet. He entered Game 3 off the bench and shot 5 of 6 from the field. He also hit 2 of 3 from three and scored 15 points on a true shooting percentage of 96.6%. In addition, he grabbed 3 rebounds, drew 3 fouls, and finished with a plus-20 in 20 minutes. His back-to-back buckets in the fourth quarter — both at the rim — closed out any lingering 76ers threat. Consequently, the lead pushed to double digits for good. For a player averaging single digits this postseason, the timing of his performance mattered as much as the numbers.
Jalen Brunson drops 33 with 9 assists and drags the Knicks into the driver’s seat
Jalen Brunson led both teams in scoring on May 9. He scored 33 points on 50% shooting, hit 3 threes, and dished out 9 assists against only 3 turnovers. His 16 points in the paint showed he was not settling for pull-ups — he was attacking. Moreover, his assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.0 matched Castle’s for best on the night. The Knicks now lead their second-round series against Philadelphia 3-0. In contrast, the Sixers shot just 28.1% from three on 32 attempts and were outrebounded 57 to 41. Brunson’s 33 points came despite Philly rotating three different defenders at him across four quarters.
Anthony Edwards fights through a double-double night but Ant vs Wemby goes one way
Anthony Edwards was everything Minnesota needed and still came up short. He scored 32 points on 46.2% shooting and pulled down 14 rebounds. He also dished out 6 assists a double-double that would anchor a win on most nights. However, the Timberwolves still lost by 7. That gap reflects the difference Wembanyama created at both ends. Edwards shot well, but his supporting cast did not. As a team, the Wolves shot just 38.4% from the field. Meanwhile, Jaden McDaniels went 5 of 22 from the floor and left Edwards to carry too much weight down the stretch. As a result, Minnesota now trails the series 1-3 and faces elimination in Game 4.
Victor Wembanyama’s 39-point, 5-block masterclass is the play of the night
The No. 1 play of May 9 belongs entirely to Victor Wembanyama. He scored 39 points on 72.2% shooting, hitting 13 of 18 field goal attempts. He also added 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, and a steal. He went 10 of 12 from two-point range and hit 3 of 5 from three. In addition, he converted 10 of 12 free throws after drawing 11 fouls. His true shooting percentage was 83.8%.
Furthermore, his efficiency game score of 37.9 was the highest posted by any player across all postseason games in May so far. He scored 20 points in the paint. He blocked shots at the rim, at the elbow, and in transition. Every time Minnesota ran a set designed to free up Edwards, Wembanyama rotated, communicated, and challenged it. Ultimately, the result was the most dominant individual postseason performance of the 2026 playoffs and a clear reminder that the NBA’s future has already arrived.
Source: NBA official stats
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