Home BASKETBALL NBA NBA Playoffs: Minnesota Eliminates Denver, New York Sets Record, Philly Ties Series

NBA Playoffs: Minnesota Eliminates Denver, New York Sets Record, Philly Ties Series

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Timberwolves eliminate Nuggets


Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points to lead Philadelphia past Boston 106-93, forcing a Game 7 in Boston. The series is the 23rd playoff meeting between the rivals.


OG Anunoby had 26 first-half points in New York’s record rout, and Karl-Anthony Towns posted a triple-double in the 4-2 series win...

 
The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked out Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, and the New York Knicks delivered one of the most lopsided performances in NBA playoff history to dismantle Atlanta and move on Thursday.


The sixth-seeded Timberwolves closed out the series 4-2 with a 110-98 win over third-seeded Denver, setting up a Western Conference semifinal matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.


Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led Denver with 28 points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off a resilient Timberwolves team playing without injured star Anthony Edwards.


The game in Minneapolis stayed close all the way, and neither side led by double digits until the final minutes.


 

Minnesota held a slim edge at halftime, going up 57-50.


Jokic came alive in the third, pouring in 14 points in the quarter to set up a tense finish.


Jokic, who had been ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct in Game 4 following a shoving incident, sparked another altercation with Jaylen Clark and drew the ire of the Minneapolis crowd.


Up five with 90 seconds left, Jaden McDaniels hit a long jumper to extend Minnesota’s lead, ignite the home crowd, and force Denver to call timeout.




Denver turned it over again when play resumed. McDaniels sealed the win with two free throws, finishing with a career-high 32 points to lead all scorers.


“It's a great night. It's a great victory for us. Hopefully... we've got 12 more to go,” said Minnesota coach Chris Finch.


“We came into these playoffs not trying to beat Denver, but trying to win a championship.”


A dejected Jokic, whose team won the NBA title only three years ago, said Denver “just didn’t do a good job.”


“I needed to be better. I have to play better,” he said.


Edwards, sidelined with a bone bruise and hyperextended left knee, may be back for Minnesota’s series against the surging Spurs.


Knicks Crush Hawks in Record-Breaking Rout

New York wrapped up a 4-2 series win in dominant fashion, leading Atlanta by as many as 61 points before pulling starters for the fourth quarter.


The 61-point margin marked the Knicks’ biggest playoff victory ever, setting up an Eastern Conference semifinal against either Boston or Philadelphia, who are tied 3-3 after the 76ers’ win.



  
New York’s 83-36 halftime advantage was the largest in NBA postseason history.


OG Anunoby scored 29 points, 26 of them in the first half, before sitting out the second half. No Knicks starter logged more than 29 minutes.


“We can’t just meet the moment, we’ve got to exceed it, and I thought we did that tonight,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after posting a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

  
The third-seeded Knicks entered the playoffs as favorites but fell behind 2-1 early before mounting a comeback.


New York is the first team through to the Eastern Conference semifinals, marking their fourth consecutive appearance at that stage.

 
Atlanta opened with a brief 11-9 lead, but things unraveled quickly after that.



 
The Hawks were down 40-15 after one quarter, and frustration set in as the stunned home crowd watched on.


Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels got into a scuffle, and players from both sides joined in.


With the outcome decided, the second half passed without further incident.


The 51-point loss fell short of the playoff record margin of 58 points.


“Obviously you hate losing, and losing like that, especially with the energy and support from the crowd in this building, is disappointing on a lot of levels,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.


76ers Force Game 7 With Home Win Over Celtics

The Celtics-76ers series will go to a decisive Game 7 in Boston after Philadelphia took Game 6 106-93.

 
Boston led 3-1, but the 76ers dominated on home court to level the series at 3-3.

  


Tyrese Maxey paced Philadelphia with 30 points, while Paul George added 23 and Joel Embiid posted 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.


The matchup marks the 23rd postseason series between the two rivals, the most in NBA history.




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