NBA Playoffs Roundup: Timberwolves, Knicks Advance As 76ers Force Game 7

The NBA playoffs delivered three very different Game 6 stories, with the New York Knicks cruising into the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Minnesota Timberwolves advancing in the West, and the Philadelphia 76ers dragging the Boston Celtics into a decisive Game 7 at TD Garden.

The Knicks dominated the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 at home, securing the biggest playoff win in franchise history. In the West, Minnesota knocked out the defending champion Denver Nuggets 110-98, while Philadelphia, lifted by Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, beat Boston 106-93 to keep the series alive.

New York’s victory over Atlanta was decided early, as the Knicks raced to a 40-15 lead after the first quarter, the largest first-quarter advantage of the shot-clock era. Their margin swelled to 47 points by halftime, which set the record for the biggest halftime lead in NBA playoff history.

OG Anunoby scored 29 points in 27 minutes, collecting 26 before the break, while Mikal Bridges added 24. Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, his second triple-double of the series and another balanced performance that allowed New York’s starters to rest late.

The Knicks crossed the 100-point mark with 8:21 left in the third quarter, and coach Tom Thibodeau removed the starters with 2:45 remaining in the period. New York’s 51-point victory tied for the sixth-largest winning margin in NBA playoff history, underlining Atlanta’s struggles on both ends.

The Hawks managed only 12-for-39 shooting in the first half and were 4-for-18 from three-point range. Atlanta also committed 14 turnovers before the break, helping fuel transition chances for the Knicks. A scuffle in the second quarter led to the ejections of Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson after free throws from Anunoby pushed the lead to 50 points.

Minnesota’s 110-98 win over Denver came with an unexpected twist to the starting lineup, as Terrence Shannon Jr. stepped in and scored 24 points for an injury-hit Timberwolves side that was missing guards Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu.

Jaden McDaniels played the leading role, finishing with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while also taking on the main defensive job against Jamal Murray. The Timberwolves’ size proved decisive, with Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid helping deliver a 64-40 scoring edge in the paint.

The rebounding numbers also favoured Minnesota, which finished with a 50-33 advantage on the glass. That interior control allowed the Timberwolves, seeded sixth in the Western Conference, to close the series and earn a second-round meeting with the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, who beat Portland in five games.

Nikola Jokic produced 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Denver, falling just shy of a triple-double. Cameron Johnson added 27 points and hit from outside as the Nuggets went 10-for-27 from three-point distance, but Denver could not match Minnesota’s work inside or the defensive attention on Murray, who shot 4-for-17 and finished with 12 points.

NBA playoffs: 76ers extend Celtics series to Game 7

Earlier in the night, the 76ers responded to two heavy defeats in the series by delivering their most complete performance of the season, beating the Celtics 106-93 in Philadelphia to level the matchup at 3-3 and force a Game 7 in Boston on Saturday.

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 30 points, while Paul George supplied 23 points and a team-high five three-pointers in what the 76ers viewed as a vintage display. Joel Embiid, back sooner than expected from an appendectomy in early April, added 19 points and occupied Boston’s defence in key stretches.

The highlight play arrived in the third quarter when Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen Brown, Maxey gathered the loose ball and started the break, then George swung a behind-the-back pass to VJ Edgecombe for a powerful dunk that pushed the lead to 69-54.

George guided the offence whenever Embiid rested, using his shooting to maintain cushion on the scoreboard. Brown, limited by three early fouls, closed with 18 points, while Jayson Tatum scored 17 before leaving in the third quarter with an apparent calf injury, adding to Boston’s concerns before Saturday.

New York now waits for the winner of the Boston–Philadelphia matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while Minnesota prepares for San Antonio in the West. With records falling at Madison Square Garden, a defending champion exiting, and a Game 7 ahead, the NBA playoffs continue to offer varied tests for every contender.