Atlanta Hawks Upset New York Knicks While Houston Rockets Narrowly Defeat Golden State Warriors In NBA Cup Semifinals

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The Atlanta Hawks secured a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals by defeating the New York Knicks 108-100. Trae Young contributed significantly with 22 points and 11 assists. De'Andre Hunter and Jalen Johnson excelled against the Knicks' frontcourt, scoring 24 and 21 points respectively. Johnson also added 15 rebounds and seven assists, helping the Hawks advance to face the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Knicks had a strong start, leading by 12 points early on. Josh Hart scored 21 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. However, their shooting faltered as they made only 11 of their 42 attempts from beyond the arc. The third quarter proved challenging for them, being outscored 34-18 by Atlanta.

Jalen Brunson struggled to find his rhythm, managing just 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting. The Knicks' bench also underperformed, contributing only 14 points overall. Despite leading at halftime, New York couldn't maintain their advantage as Young's eight consecutive points shifted momentum in favour of Atlanta.

The Houston Rockets narrowly defeated the Golden State Warriors with a score of 91-90 to reach the semifinals. Jalen Green's two free throws with just over three seconds remaining sealed the victory for Houston. This win ended a long losing streak against Golden State that dated back to February 2020.

Alperen Sengun led Houston with an impressive performance, scoring 26 points and securing 11 rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. contributed an additional 15 points. Despite holding a significant lead earlier in the game, Houston found themselves trailing late but managed to rally back for a thrilling finish.

The Rockets will now face Oklahoma City in the semifinals after they defeated Dallas in another quarterfinal matchup. Fred VanVleet's crucial three-pointer and Sengun's layup brought Houston within one point before Green's decisive free throws clinched their victory.

Stephen Curry missed a potential game-winning three-pointer for Golden State with seconds left on the clock. Gary Payton II secured the rebound but turned it over to Green, who was fouled by Jonathan Kuminga, setting up Green's winning shots from the line.

The Warriors had one last chance at victory when Brandin Podziemski attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer; however, Jabari Smith Jr.'s block ensured Houston's advancement to Las Vegas for their semifinal clash.