TORONTO — Scottie Barnes set career playoff highs with 33 points and 11 assists, RJ Barrett added a career playoff-high 33 points and the Toronto Raptors beat Cleveland 126-104 on Thursday night, snapping a 12-game playoff losing streak against the Cavaliers.
Collin Murray-Boyles had 22 points, Jamison Battle scored all of his 14 points in the final quarter and Brandon Ingram added 12 as the Raptors cut Cleveland’s lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series to 2-1.
Game 4 is Sunday afternoon in Toronto.
“We knew we needed everybody for this win and you’ve seen some big performances from everybody,” Barnes said. “It just goes to show how resilient, how bad we wanted it. We went out there and tried to do whatever it took.”
Barnes had five rebounds and shot 11 for 17, making 3 of 5 from distance and going 8 for 10 at the line. He had three fouls at halftime but didn’t pick up another the rest of the way.
“He did everything for us tonight,” Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said.
Murray-Boyles is the first Raptors rookie to score 20 or more in a playoff game.
“He’s not afraid of the moment,” Barrett said.
Up 83-81 after three quarters, Toronto pulled away by shooting 8 for 9 from 3–point range in the fourth, outscoring Cleveland 43-23. Battle went 4 for 4 from long range in the final period.
Barrett finished 6 for 8 from distance.
The Cavaliers matched the NBA postseason record for consecutive victories against a single opponent by winning Game 2 on Monday but couldn’t extend that run in Toronto.
James Harden scored 18 points while Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus all had 15.
Harden shot 5 for 13, going 3 for 10 from long range.
“They did a heck of a job,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said of Toronto’s defense on Harden. “They made him work.”
Mitchell shot 7 for 16 and went 1 for 7 from distance, while Mobley shot 4 for 13 and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
Jaylon Tyson scored 13 points and Jarrett Allen had 12.
Toronto scored 23 points off 22 Cleveland turnovers.
Cleveland’s streak of playoff wins against Toronto began in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cavaliers won the final three games. Cleveland swept Toronto in the second round in both 2017 and 2018.
Cleveland also has 12-game postseason winning streaks against Detroit and Atlanta. The Los Angeles Lakers won 12 consecutive playoff games against Seattle from 1980 through 1989.
Toronto guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring) remained out.
ATLANTA — CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round playoff series on Thursday night.
After starring in a Game 2 stunner at Madison Square Garden, McCollum got the ball with his team trailing by a point. He came through again from 15 feet, finishing with 23 points.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder called it “a great shot,” but stressed the effort of his entire team.
“They work, they share,” Snyder said. “That’s the thing about this group that I’ve enjoyed so much.”
The Hawks led nearly the entire game, building an 18-point lead in the first half. But New York rallied for a 108-105 edge on Jalen Brunson’s three-point play with 1:03 remaining.
After Jalen Johnson, who led the Hawks with 24 points, rolled in a shot, Josh Hart missed a 3-pointer for the Knicks. New York got the offensive rebound, but couldn’t get off a shot ahead of the 24-second clock.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better than that,” Knicks coach Mike Brown lamented. “Less than a minute to go in the game and a chance to go up by three.”
The Knicks failed to get off a shot at the end, either, as Brunson turned the ball over and the horn sounded.
Jonathan Kuminga had a huge night for the Hawks off the bench, finishing with 21 points.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29 points, Brunson had 26 and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 21. It wasn’t enough for New York.
Brown griped about the officiating, believing the refs missed some calls at the basket. But he stressed that his team must make better decisions going forward.
Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
“They’re closing out hard,” Brown said of the Hawks. ”It’s a tough game for the officials to officiate, but I know we got fouled on a few of the tries that didn’t get called.”
McCollum picked up where he left off at Madison Square Garden, hitting a step-back jumper beyond the arc for Atlanta’s first points. He had 16 by the halftime break.
McCollum showed off more than his offensive skills. After Hart scooped up a loose ball and drove toward the hoop with only the Atlanta guard to beat, McCollum blocked the shot and sent the ball off Hart’s foot to give possession back to the Hawks.
The Hawks outscored the Knicks 27-12 over the final seven minutes of the opening quarter, turning the game in their favor with an 11-0 spurt and closing the period with three straight 3-pointers. The first was by little-used center Mouhamed Gueye, left wide open by the New York defense, followed by two straight from backup forward Kuminga to send the State Farm Arena crowd into a frenzy.
But, with the Hawks on the verge of blowing the game open late in the first half, New York closed the period on a 12-2 run. Atlanta went to the locker room with a 58-50 lead.
Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie (20) defends Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Can someone explain to me how the Houston Rockets are 9.5-point favorites tonight in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers?
Sure, I get that the game is in Houston. The Rockets are in desperation mode after dropping the first two games in LA. Role players almost always play better at home than on the road in the playoffs. The Lakers have shot exceptionally well while the Rockets have…not.
Yet all of those factors pale in the shadow of truth that the Rockets just aren’t a good basketball team right now. The problems are everywhere, including coaching, effort, basketball intelligence, and ability.
The Lakers come into this game (and Sunday’s) playing with house money. Thanks to a media blitz relieving them of all pressure heading into the postseason, just winning two games in this series has allowed them to have fun and be free. They are feeling the effects of having zero expectations. Meanwhile, Houston is in an embarrassing position after losing two games against an undermanned Lakers squad missing their two best players. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have turned into superstars and the Lakers have collectively decided that missing three pointers is so last year.
So what has actually changed between Games 2 and 3? How is Houston such a heavy favorite when all the evidence says they should be serious underdogs? And that doesn’t include the potential return of Austin Reaves (who is questionable) or the lack of Kevin Durant (also questionable). The Rockets haven’t been swept in a playoff series since 1996. That could change by Sunday.
ATLANTA — The Knicks have a Mitchell Robinson dilemma.
Not with his production, though that also wasn’t strong during the Knicks’ Game 3 loss Thursday at State Farm Arena. But rather with his ability to play well with Karl-Anthony Towns while sharing the court.
And with Towns scoring 21 points and helping carry the Knicks’ offense down the stretch, that meant Robinson finished with just 11 minutes, two points and four rebounds during their 109-108 loss — and didn’t play for the final 9:25.
“We need something from everybody, and the reality of what happened was — we ended up going with KAT. KAT played a significant amount of minutes for us because he was rolling in that second half,” head coach Mike Brown said, when asked specifically about Robinson — who wasn’t available after the game.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) slam the ball for his lone two points of Game 3 on April 23, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It served as a stark contrast to Robinson’s Game 2, when he finished with 12 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting and seven rebounds. That was the blueprint.
That was a blend of rebounding — his strength — and what he could provide on offense, too.
But three nights later, that disappeared. His lone basket occurred with just under four minutes remaining in the first half, when Jalen Brunson hit him on a roll to the basket. Robinson didn’t attempt a free throw the entire game, either.
The Hawks didn’t need to use the hack-a-Mitch strategy when he wasn’t on the court late in the half to begin with.
Brown talked about the lingering issue pregame, too — with how Robinson and Towns have struggled to share the court together — and how one of the only ways for Robinson to play more is to have Towns on the bench.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0). AP
“The combination of the two of them right now hasn’t been great,” Brown said beforehand, “and so I’m choosing to not play them together right now during the series a lot because of the matchups and stuff like that. At the end of the day, it’s a choice.”
Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) puts up a shot as Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) defends.
ATLANTA — Josh Hart delivered his first playoff dud — at least scoring-wise — at the worst time.
For the opening two games, he was consistent for the Knicks. Entering the postseason, his 3-point shooting was something that could make the difference down the stretch — just like it did against the Celtics late in the regular season.
He finished 1-for-9 shooting at State Farm Arena and missed all four of his 3-pointers. Hart still produced nine rebounds, six assists and played strong defense on CJ McCollum after he was switched onto him in the second half, but when his scoring faltered, it left the Knicks too dependent on Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.
Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) puts up a shot as Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) defends on April 23, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I mean, yeah, they just didn’t go,” Hart said. “… I gotta make them.”
This has become a recurring issue for Hart throughout the first-round series, too. He entered Thursday with just one made 3-pointer, despite hitting a career-best 41.3 percent of his shots from beyond the arc during the regular season.
He had a bad turnover in transition late in the first quarter, as he dribbled the ball off his leg and out of bounds, and his only basket occurred with 7:35 remaining — when Towns fed him a pass and he deposited it through the net.
If there was a silver lining for Hart, and a glimmer of hope for the Knicks, too, Mike Brown switched him onto McCollum at the start of the second half, and Hart was effective in limiting the Hawks’ star — who erupted for 32 points in Game 1 and another 16 in the opening half Thursday — when matched up with him.
“I just tried to make it tough for him,” Hart said. “That was the biggest thing, just try to make it tough for him, force him into tough shots.”
But the ineffectiveness on offense will sting. And the 3-point shooting — and his specifically — has quickly become a Knicks problem.
“I feel like we had good shots,” Hart said. “We didn’t knock them down.”
TORONTO, ON - April 23 In second half action, RJ Barrett (9) of the Toronto Raptors gets mixed up with Jarrett Allen (31) of the Cleveland CavaliersThe Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-104 in game 3 of the first round of the playoffs in NBA basketball action at the Scotiabank Arena. April 23 2026 Richard Lautens/Toronto Star (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers got run off the floor in Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
15 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers
Mitchell didn’t do enough tonight. Simple as that.
It’s unusual to see Mitchell so uninvolved in a playoff game. The Raptors aggressively denied him the ball — and neither the Cavs nor Mitchell seemed overly willing to challenge that. They instead allowed Toronto to dictate the terms of engagement, keeping Mitchell off the board with just 15 points on 16 shot attempts.
All the while, he was targeted in the pick-and-roll by Toronto’s offense. He didn’t fare very well there, either.
Grade: F
James Harden
18 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 8 turnovers
You’ve seen this type of game before from Harden.
More turnovers than field goals made is painful. Not hustling back after turning it over is worse. Harden’s defense was bad, and for the first time in Cleveland, his offense didn’t even come close to making up for it.
Mobely was able to feast in Game 2 as a result of Mitchell and Harden breaking down the defense and then feeding him with an advantage.
Tonight, however, Scottie Barnes expertly denied Harden the ball in the backcourt. That forced Mobley to bring the ball up the floor and create for himself more than at any other point in the series.
The results weren’t awful, with Mobley dishing 7 assists and actually finding a brief groove in the second half. But that moment was fleeting — and most of those possessions ended in a drained shot clock with nothing to show for.
Worse, I think this was one of the least impactful defensive games of Mobley’s career. He was shockingly absent while the Raptors scored 60 points in the paint.
Grade: D
Jarrett Allen
12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks
The Cavs can’t afford for Allen to slip now. He’s been crucial to their success all season, but is once again looking like an afterthought as the team jacks three-pointers and stretches him too thin defensively by asking him to cover for an unreasonable amount of breakdowns.
It didn’t help that Allen himself seemed lethargic tonight, too. A recipe for yuck.
Grade: F
Dean Wade
5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
Finally, something decent to talk about.
Wade’s still a non-threat on offense. And that has constricted their ability to generate clean looks as the Raptors are starting to ignore him in favor of packing the paint. Those drive-and-kicks to Wade almost always end in a swing pass before resetting the offense. The guy just doesn’t want to shoot.
That said, Wade remains a bright spot defensively and was crushing the Raptors with his offensive rebounding. Wade’s ceiling is clearly defined, but he did all of the floor-raising things tonight to justify his minutes.
Grade: C+
Max Strus
15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Strus could sense trouble in the water. He entered the game and immediately began firing away, briefly swinging the momentum and finishing with 15 points on 4-8 three-point shooting.
I really don’t have anything bad to say. Strus unloaded the clip and did so efficiently. This one wasn’t on him.
Grade: B+
Keon Ellis
0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover
Ellis has only made one shot so far in this series. He didn’t even attempt one tonight. The margin for error is getting too thin to keep him on the floor. Not to mention, his defense continues to fall by the wayside. Ellis takes some extremely questionable angles when navigating screens — and the Raptors have figured that out.
Grade: D–
Jaylon Tyson
13 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds,
Tyson was one of the only other bright spots. He’s finally dispatched those ‘first playoff’ jitters and is playing like the version of himself that we saw in the regular season. Tyson shot 3-6 from downtown and had a few shots rattle in and out. The Cavs would love for him to continue playing like this.
Grade: B
Sam Merrill
3 points, 3 rebounds
Toronto has totally taken Merrill off the board. He just can’t find any daylight. And trust me, this is a player who doesn’t need much room to get a shot off. The fact that he only attempted two three-pointers in 18 minutes tells you everything you need to know about the Raptors’ defensive game plan.
Grade: D+
Dennis Schroder
3 points, 1 rebound, 3 turnovers
Yeesh.
Three turnovers in five minutes is enough to stay on the bench for the rest of the game series.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 23: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Playoff basketball has returned to Toronto! After losing the first two games of the series in Cleveland, the Raptors returned to Scotiabank Arena to try to get a game on the board and keep their playoff hopes alive. It’s been a little bit of a rough series for Toronto — turnovers, offensive droughts, injury — but bringing the series home always shakes things up a little bit. That’s what the Raptors were banking on, anyway.
After a little bit of a rough start — a few early fouls for Scottie Barnes, another quiet night from Brandon Ingram, some turnovers — the Raptors finally seemed to settle into the game. In a fourth-quarter push fuelled by Jamison Battle’s impressive shooting, RJ Barrett’s love for the city of Toronto, and Barnes being a menace, the Raptors made Bay Street rock as they secured their first big lead of the series.
Ultimately, the Raptors got the win 126-104 over the Cavaliers to win game three, bringing the series to 2-1 and avoiding putting themselves in an elimination situation.
There were so many impressive things from this game.
Scottie Barnes plays most impactful game of his career
Barnes was everywhere for the Raptors in their win in game three, cementing likely his most important game since coming into the NBA. Wherever the team needed him, he was there. He scored 33 points and had 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block while shooting 11-for-17 from the field.
“Nothing surprised me,” Darko Rajakovic said about Scottie’s night. “I know he’s going to put everything out there for his team to win a game.”
Games like this are why Barnes has been given the keys to lead this team. When he plays like this, he’s an unstoppable force that can shift the energy of a series. He puts the team on his back and leads by example.
When it came to what was in Barnes’s mind through that game he mentioned they were trying to “focus on one possession at a time, we were playing so hard… control what we can control and live with the results.”
That energy will be needed on Sunday if the Raptors want to even out their series on Sunday.
“We got a lot more, we need to keep making adjuments,” Barnes said, “We have so much we can improve, we still have a lot of work to do.”
RJ Barrett represents for the home team
First playoff game in Toronto for the kid from Mississauga, and did he ever show out for it. He joined Barnes in scoring 33 points in the game, along with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 block while shooting 12-for-19 from the field.
“I know he was very exited to play a game in front of home crowd,” Rajakovic said about Barrett after the game. “I know he gave it all, all his preparation — he did extra work to put himself in a position to help the team win.”
The crowd was giving him the support he needed in the second half as he went nuclear to help the Raptors expand the lead and take a 10+ point lead.
“That was great, energy in the building was crazy,” Barrett said after the fact, “they definitely helped us out.”
With Ingram struggling to find his rhythm in this series, Barrett absolutely needed to step up in order for the Raptors to have any chance of winning this game. This game and how he handled the moment might change the trajectory of his career as he becomes extension eligible this summer.
Jamison Battle loves playing the Cavaliers
Jamison Battle checked into this game in the second half and just went off, shooting 100% from three and 100% from the field. He was a huge part of the momentum shift in the second half that sent the Raptors on a run that would ultimately win them the game.
The funny part is, he did something very similar when the Raptors played the Cavaliers back near the beginning of the season.
“Ultimate professional, always keeps himself ready, always putting in the work,” Rajakovic said of Battle’s contributions to the team.
“He’s been ready whenever his name is called, we are not surpised but happy to have him on out side,” RJ Barrett added.
The work is far from over though, as the Raptors are still down 2-1 in the series. They have another home game on Sunday before heading back to Cleveland for game five. If they are able to win Sunday’s game and even the series 2-2, that will also guarantee another game in Toronto for game six. If the Raptors keep playing like they did in the final stretch of tonight’s game, there is definitely a chance for that to happen.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 23: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a blow in their first game on the road against the Toronto Raptors.
Let’s go over today’s losers, because there are no winners. Except the Tyson family, who deserve an honorary shout-out.
LOSER – Turnovers
Let’s start by setting the table. Or, like the Cavs, by spilling things all over the place and causing a mess.
Cleveland opened this game with nine turnovers in the first quarter. That’s enough to break your back in the NBA Playoffs. The Cavs somehow managed to weather the storm and stay within two possessions at the end of the quarter — but it set the stage for how poorly things would go.
Every potential run from the Cavaliers was met by these self-inflicted errors. That’s not to take anything away from the Raptors, whose length and athleticism contributed directly to those turnovers, but throwing the ball into the third row (like James Harden did in the second half) is something most NBA players can avoid.
“I didn’t think our spacing was great,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game. “Crowding the paint on our drives… they decided they really want to pack it, and I felt like we were trying to thread the needle too much trying to pass it in there.”
Dennis Schroder played five minutes in the first half. He turned it over three times in that stint and didn’t play the rest of the game.
Harden finished with a game-high 8 turnovers. That was his first playoff game with as many turnovers since 2019, when he was with the Houston Rockets. Some of his more careless giveaways were tough to watch. Though again, Toronto deserves credit for swarming him and making life a living hell.
The Raptors forced Cleveland into 20 turnovers overall. They took those for 23 points off turnovers. That was more than enough to erase any marginal advantage the Cavs had gained on the offensive glass (16-11). The truth is, if you give up that many possessions, you lose the game more often than not.
LOSER – The Paint
Much will be made of the Cavaliers’ three-point defense in this game. Trust me, anyone who has read FTS this season has heard plenty of complaints about how this team has defended the perimeter.
But while Toronto shot 14-23 (60%) from downtown in Game 3, the Cavs matched them in lockstep with 14 makes of their own. What truly buried the Cavs was Toronto’s dominance in the paint, outscoring Cleveland 60-40 in the restricted area.
Scottie Barnes bruised them for 33 points on 8-12 shooting from two-point range. RJ Barrett and Collin Murray Boyles joined in on the fun, combining for 55 points while shooting 17-26 inside the arc.
Meanwhile, the Cavs relied almost entirely on their outside shot. Cleveland took 45 three-point attempts and only 36 shots inside the arc. Harden, Mitchell, and Mobley took a combined 42 shot attempts, half coming from the three-point line, where they shot 4-21.
That’s the difference.
“He [Boyles] is a warrior, to be honest with you,” said Raptors’ coach Darko Rajakovic after the game. “I thought he had a high-level performance tonight and I contribute that to the power of his will.”
Toronto’s hot shooting obviously opened the floor for them to dominate the paint. Cleveland’s bigs, especially, started to drift further out to the three-point line at the cost of giving easier drives to the basket for the Raptors. I’d say they should have stuck to the game plan and walled off the interior — but the Raptors simply couldn’t miss, so I can’t fully blame the Cavs for overreacting and trying to stay within range of three-point shooters.
Nonetheless, Cleveland should be winning the battle of the paint. You can’t always control whether your opponent will catch fire from downtown. But you can control the paint. Mobley and Allen weren’t impactful enough tonight, even with their four blocks. Harden and Mitchell were also tested, routinely being put into Toronto’s actions and failing to meet the moment.
The Raptors won’t replicate their 60% three-point shooting again. At least, I wouldn’t expect them to. But I have no reason to believe they can’t replicate what they did in the paint.
The Cavs have to work harder in this regard or risk going back home with a tied series.
LOSER – 4th Quarter Battle
After (somehow) keeping this game close for 40 minutes, everything I mentioned finally came back to bite the Cavs in the fourth quarter.
Jamison Battle jumped off the bench and nailed four-of-four three-point attempts. Barrett doused more gasoline on the fire while Barnes and CMB repeatedly forced the Cavaliers to launch their own three-point shots to no avail. Controlling the paint, nailing three-pointers, and forcing turnovers was the path to victory for Toronto.
What followed was a 43-23 thrashing in the fourth quarter.
I think it’s worth reiterating that the Cavs did have this game within range before that final blow. It was a two-point game going into the final frame — and genuinely, nothing about the style of the previous 36 minutes was dramatically different from the closing 12.
In other words, you could look at this game from two different perspectives. Glass half full? The Cavs played poorly, Toronto was red-hot, and yet the game was still within reach for most of the night.
Half empty? The Raptors showed they can dictate the terms of engagement for 48 minutes and have a spark going into Game 4.
“We’ll bounce back,” said Aktinson. “This is part of the playoffs, it’s part of the process.”
ATLANTA (AP) — CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round playoff series on Thursday night.
After starring in a Game 2 stunner at Madison Square Garden, McCollum got the ball with his team trailing by a point. He came through again from 15 feet, finishing with 23 points.
The Hawks led nearly the entire game, building an 18-point lead in the first half. But New York rallied for a 108-105 edge on Jalen Brunson’s three-point play with 1:03 remaining.
After Jalen Johnson, who led the Hawks with 24 points, rolled in a shot, Josh Hart missed a 3-pointer for the Knicks. New York got the offensive rebound, but couldn’t get off a shot ahead of the 24-second clock.
Kuminga had a huge night for the Hawks off the bench, finishing with 21 points.
OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29 points, Brunson had 26 and Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 21. It wasn’t enough for New York.
Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
RAPTORS 126, CAVALIERS 104
TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes set career playoff highs with 33 points and 11 assists, RJ Barrett added a career playoff-high 33 points and Toronto beat Cleveland, snapping a 12-game playoff losing streak against the Cavaliers.
Collin Murray-Boyles had 22 points, Jamison Battle scored all of his 14 points in the final quarter and Brandon Ingram added 12 as the Raptors cut Cleveland’s lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series to 2-1.
Game 4 is Sunday afternoon in Toronto.
Murray-Boyles is the first Raptors rookie to score 20 or more in a playoff game.
The Cavaliers matched the NBA postseason record for consecutive victories against a single opponent by winning Game 2 on Monday but couldn’t extend that run in Toronto.
James Harden scored 18 points while Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus all had 15.
TIMBERWOLVES 113, NUGGETS 96
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaden McDaniels and Minnesota flexed even more of their defensive muscle against flagging Denver, seizing a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night.
McDaniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu added 25 points and nine assists off the bench, and Donte DiVincenzo had 15 points and four steals for the surging Timberwolves.
Rudy Gobert followed his inspired Game 2 effort against Nikola Jokic by stifling the three-time MVP again on an ugly 7-for-26 shooting night, and the Timberwolves established a postseason franchise record by allowing the Nuggets just 11 points in the tone-setting first quarter.
Jokic finished with a too-little-too-late 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who were missing Aaron Gordon to a calf injury and all of the energy he provides from his starting power forward spot. Jamal Murray had 16 points on just 5-for-17 shooting.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 20: Ayo Dosunmu #13 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 20, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Brad Underwood is hitting the road this week with two of his staffers.
But it’s not a recruiting trip.
Illinois’ head coach visited Minnesota on Thursday ahead of Game 3 of the NBA playoffs between the Timberwolves and Nuggets.
Underwood posted a photo of him with former Illini star Ayo Dosunmu and two Illini staffers (Tyler Underwood and Zach Hamer).
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 23: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers fought hard for three quarters, but got run off the floor in the final frame. Their inability to control the ball and rough games from their star backcourt came back to bite them. As did the Toronto Raptors‘ inability to miss in the final frame. This all added up to a 126-104 loss in Game 3.
The Cavs still maintain a 2-1 lead in the series, but we could be heading for a much longer opening.
The first away game of a series is always a difficult test. If you’re going to win on the road, you have to be able to take punches and deliver counters at every turn. The Cavs did that throughout the first three quarters before finally giving in.
The Raptors went 12-17 from the floor and converted all five of their triples in the first quarter. That strong of a first quarter should’ve resulted in a double-digit lead after one, but six turnovers and an inability to keep the Cavs from going to the line kept Cleveland in the game as the Raptors were only up six after one.
Toronto pushed its advantage to 10 at the start of the second quarter before the Cavs rallied.
Max Strus jump-started what was a lifeless offense in the second quarter. He poured in 12 points on 3-5 shooting from deep in that frame to help turn the momentum. That hot shooting allowed the Cavs to momentarily reclaim the lead before both teams went into the break tied at 54.
Toronto once again threw the first punch in the second half. They used a 13-6 run to get a seven-point lead, but the Cavs once again clawed their way back. They forced a tie in the closing moments of the third before Scottie Barnes hit a contested jumper at the buzzer to give Toronto a slim 83-81 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The Raptors made their first five threes of the game, and then canned six straight in the final quarter to turn what was a tight game into what quickly became a double-digit affair.
The Cavs folded from there.
The offense couldn’t buy a basket, and they weren’t able to provide any resistance on the other end. What was once a back-and-forth game quickly snowballed into a stress-free win for Toronto.
Toronto won the final quarter 43-23. They went 8-9 from three (88.9%) and 17-23 (73.9%) from the field overall. RJ Barrett was the catalyst in the final frame. He scored 16 of his 33 points on 6-6 shooting in the fourth quarter.
James Harden played his worst game in a Cavaliers uniform on Thursday evening. He struggled with Toronto’s rangy defense as he turned it over eight times.
Turnovers weren’t an issue for just Harden. The Cavs as a team gave it away 20 times, which led to 23 points going the other way.
Harden finished the game with 18 points on 5-13 shooting with four assists.
Donovan Mitchell couldn’t establish a scoring rhythm. He had 15 points on 7-16 shooting with three assists and three giveaways of his own.
Evan Mobley had a good game at the charity stripe (7-8) but struggled with his efficiency from the floor. He had 15 points on 4-13 shooting to go along with seven assists, six rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Strus added 15 bench points in the loss.
The Cavs executed their game plan against Barnes. They kept him from getting to the rim and forced him to settle for jumpers. The problem for the Cavs was that he made those shots.
Barnes went 7-8 from the midrange and 3-5 from three. This added up to an efficient 33 points on 11-17 shooting.
The Raptors didn’t shoot a high volume of threes, but they canned the ones they took. They went 14-23 (60.9%) from beyond the arc in the victory.
Toronto will look to tie the series at two apiece as they host the Cavs for Game 4 on Sunday. Tip-off is at 1 PM.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 23: Og Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks reacts after dunking against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter of game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Maybe the Knicks (1-2) had no business winning this game against the Hawks (2-1). After sleepwalking through a miserable first quarter and falling behind by 18 in the second, they entered halftime down by eight, matched Atlanta’s thirty points in the third quarter, and finally seemed interested in victory late in the fourth quarter. Too little, too late. They finally managed to grab a three-point lead with a minute left, but they were fittingly outdone by CJ McCollum and yet another turnover during the final possession. Final score: 109-108.
In Game Three of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Knicks won the paint (56 points to 40) and held their own on the glass (46-45), but it didn’t matter—they lost the game on efficiency. Atlanta shot better (45%-43%), hit threes at a much higher clip (39% to 29%), and turned New York’s 18 turnovers into easy points. Karl-Anthony Towns did his part, scoring 21 points and 17 rebounds, with a team-high +22 plus-minus; and Brunson logged 26 points on 11-of-23 shooting.
But there are plenty of candidates for scapegoat of the game, from the coach (once again taking too long to get Brunson and KAT working together effectively); Mikal Bridges tried three shots and scored zero points; Mitchell Robinson was a -18 in his 11 minutes, grabbing just four boards; and Josh Hart scored just two points on 1-of-9 shooting. Look at all this red:
Funky, clunky start. Through the first six minutes of this contest, the Birds made four of ten field goal attempts, while the Bockers made four of 12. The Knicks briefly held the lead, but promptly fell behind 13-9 by the midway point. Miles McBride (15 PTS, 5-10 3PT, 31 MIN) and Mitchell Robinson were the first substitutions. There was no improvement to report.
The visitors looked clueless—nay, feckless—shooting around 25% while watching the home team pad their lead. Only two of their players (Anunoby and Brunson) scored in the period (seriously); Karl-Anthony Towns had attempted one shot (and missed); and the team had committed five turnovers already. They attempted zero free throws until around 1:30, when Jalen Brunson stepped to the line. Not only did they appear unable to work together, but they seemed rather apathetic about it, too.
Meanwhile, the Hawks clicked into the next gear. They pushed their lead to 11 with around two minutes on the clock and finished the quarter with a 24-9 run. They were beating New York on the boards and moving the ball expertly, assisting on 10 of their 12 made field goals. Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga (21 PTS, 28 MIN) was a perfect 4-of-4 with 10 points at the quarter’s end. On the other hand, New York couldn’t buy a three-pointer, missing 10 of their 12 attempts. Our heroes scored only 15 points in the final 12 minutes on Monday. Picking up where they left off—which is, in the mud—they managed just 21 in the first quarter. When the bell rang, the good guys were trailing 33-21.
Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson (8 PTS, 4-11 FG, 17 MIN) reported for duty to start the second quarter, but New York’s bench continued to be outscored by Atlanta’s. Encouraging sign: with Brunson taking a blow, Towns finally got on the board with a driving dunk, and after he cashed in two more close-range buckets, the deficit had been cut from 15 to 10 around the middle period. The big fella had made 4-of-5 from the field, while Brunson had shot 5-of-11.
Out of a timeout, McCollum hit a 15-foot turnaround jumper, then Onyeka Okongwu (9 PTS, 7 RBS) stole a Bridges pass for a pick-six, and so much for the momentum. Stan Van Gundy’s yapped about how he would just run pick-and-roll with Towns and Brunson, and we hoped he was sitting close enough for Mike Brown to hear him. With New York shooting 13% (2-of-15) from deep and CJ McCollum (23 PTS, 8-19 FG) operating at another level, the hole reached an ugly 18 points. Edkamlive said it after the game, but it’s just as apt to insert here: “This team is not serious people.”
From there, Towns, Clarkson, and McBride all combined for a 9-0 run, while the Hawks missed five shots. Thanks to their efforts—especially Clarkson—New York was only trailing 58-50 heading into intermission.
After a lackluster first quarter, New York finished the half with better interior numbers. They had won the points in the paint, 32-16, and the glass 24-22. The problem was all in the shooting. Atlanta shot nearly twice as well from three (44% to 21%) and lived at the line (16 attempts to New York’s 5). McCollum, shooting a tidy 6-of-10, led all scorers with 16. Brunson had 13 for the visitors, while Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges had combined to shoot 0-of-6 for no points.
The Knicks scored first out of halftime (a driving dunk by KAT), but then allowed Atlanta to rattled off an 11-2 run. Barely two minutes had passed and Brown needed a timeout to discuss all the things they probably should have discussed in the locker room. The coach replaced Bridges (a team-worst -22) with McBride, and unusual early substitution but the desperate situation called for a touch of inventiveness.
Deuce wasn’t the answer, though, and it came as no great surprise, given that the guy’s only shot 22% in the series so far. Van Gundy was right. The path to taking command of this match-up would be forged by Brunson and Towns. To wit: With Towns and Brunson stepping forward into prominent roles, an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to four.
Quin Snyder’s response was to dial up plays for Nickeil Alexander-Walker (14 PTS, 4-12 FG) and Jalen Johnson (24 PTS, 10 RBS, 8 AST), who pushed the lead to nine again with a triple and drives to the cupl, respectively. Brown decided to go small, subbing in Hart for Towns and going small, making Anunoby the tallest Knick in the fray.
Back-to-back turnovers by Brunson and McBride cost them. Down by 13 again, Brown sent Towns back in for Clarkson around the two minute mark. Since only KAT, Brunson, and Anunoby scored anything in the third period, it was a no-brainer to get Karl back in there. When the quarter finished, both teams had scored 30 points. Hawks up, 88-80.
Into the final frame, the Knicks continued to have opportunities, but blew them with one-and-dones and turnovers. Rather than uniting to mount a rally, their disjointed play continued, and they sat 10 points down with a scant nine minutes left. Brown prefers to let Brunson rest early in the quarter, but sent Captain Clutch back in, hoping to ignite something. McBride hit a triple, Johnson did the same, and the two teams continued to cancel each other out.
Brown also elected to glue Bridges to the bench in the fourth, putting his chips on McBride instead. When McBride swished his second trey of the quarter, our heroes were finally within four points again. Seven minutes left.
The clouds were parting in Georgia, and a sliver of sunlight was peeking through. With four minutes left, Towns was stuffed by Johnson, but Anunoby chased down the loose ball and heaved from the corner to make it 101-99.
Yet again, CJ McCollum hit a midrange dagger, but OG responded with another triple, then McBride hit one, and it was tied at 105 with a little over a minute left. Towns blocked a McCollum reverse drive, and Cap cooked at the other end with an and-one drive. Knicks finally lead, 108-105, with under one minute left.
Towns blocked Johnson at the other end, but the Hawk managed a put-back to make it a one-point game with 53 seconds to go. Coming out of Quin Snyder’s time out, McCollum burned just three seconds to sink a 15-footer. The Peaches were ahead again by one. 12.5 seconds.
For the final possession, Bridges was back in to inbound the ball, but he couldn’t reach Brunson. When it finally did, he drove into a double-team along the baseline. Cap tried to pass the rock to Hart trailing in the paint, but it caught Josh off-guard, Kuminga chased it down, and that was the ballgame, 109-108.
For the second straight game the Knicks choke on the final possession and lose.
For the second time in three nights, the Atlanta Hawks upset New York in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs, and now the Knicks have fallen behind in the series, 2-1. In Game 2, it was a historic blown lead in the fourth quarter. With New York’s 109-108 loss Thursday, April 23, it was an inability to complete an attempted comeback after trailing most of the game.
So, as for the question above. In short, the answer is yes.
And, if we’re just playing the odds, history shows the massive importance of Game 3s. In the history of Best-of-7 series, the winner of Game 3 following a 1-1 tie has gone on to win the series 74% of the time.
New York’s offense has been something of a mess. Similar to last season, the Knicks rely far too much on Jalen Brunson, particularly in the clutch. Brunson is New York’s best closer, so this does make some practical sense. But the issue is the operation and the way a lot of these shots are created.
The ball often stagnates, which leads to other players standing around, waiting for Brunson to make his move.
Thursday night, when New York couldn’t inbound the ball to Brunson successfully on the last play of the game, the entire play broke down, forcing Brunson to try to play hero ball.
“I like the way we fought back, but there’s a lot of things throughout the game that myself, I can be better at,” Brunson said after the game. “Missed opportunity, for sure.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, who did score 21 points Thursday night, has had inconsistent quarters, and coach Mike Brown often doesn’t do a good enough job of incorporating him as the clear No. 2 option.
And, rather inexplicably, Brown seemingly didn’t correct for an issue in Game 2 that helped spark the Atlanta avalanche that overwhelmed New York: once again, he began the fourth quarter with both Brunson and Towns on the bench at the same time.
Though Brown adjusted and inserted them both back in with 9:25 left to play in the period, it took the beginnings of a Hawks run for him to abandon that strategy.
And while OG Anunoby did bail out New York Thursday with 29 points, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, a pair of starters, combined to score just 2 points on 1-of-12 shooting.
▶ WATCH: Knicks vs. Hawks Game 3 highlights
On defense, the Knicks have a glaring problem; throughout the entire series, Atlanta has been hunting Brunson, seeking him out in matchups. Hawks guard McCollum made that abundantly clear when a reporter asked him after Game 2 if he liked that matchup.
“What do you think?” McCollum asked the reporter, who shrugged his shoulders and responded in the affirmative.
“Yeah,” McCollum said, with a little extra emphasis.
This continued Thursday night; McCollum, who scored 16 points in the first half, many of them after targeting Brunson.
This is not all to say that the Knicks are going to lose this series; there’s plenty of runway left here for New York to course correct and solve their issues.
But time is running out, and the margin for error has become tenuously thin.
Game 4 Saturday, April 25, also in Atlanta, suddenly is as close to a must-win as it gets.
“The reality is it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Brown told reporters after the game. “Stuff’s going to happen. There are plenty of teams have been down 1-2. I even think Oklahoma City was down 1-2 and they ended up winning (the NBA Finals). I’m not saying we’re going to win it or anything like that, but the reality is it’s seven games and you take one game at a time. Each game is its own entity and that’s what I told the group.
“Now, this should sting because we gave ourselves a chance knowing we didn’t play our best basketball. So it should sting. But we need to feel it and get ready to be locked in for the next game, which we will be.”
I do not think anyone is surprised by this, but it is worth noting. Following the Phoenix Suns’ loss in Game 2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Devin Booker spoke out about the officiating. It was a physical game, and there were some egregious calls that stood out. You could feel his frustration after the final buzzer.
“In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James [Williams] was terrible tonight,” Booker stated after the game. “Through and through. It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as a WWE, you know, if they’re not held responsible.”
Based on those comments, you know the fines would come. Because how dare he question the almighty celestial entity that is NBA officiating?
In a statement by the league, where they announced that Booker would be fined $35,000 for his comments, they stated, “Following an investigation including multiple interviews and video review, the league found no basis of bias or misconduct by game officials.” But they also added that they, “determined Booker’s technical foul at 2:05 in the third quarter was improperly assessed and therefore it has been rescinded.”
Umm, there was no misconduct by the officials, but they still improperly assessed a technical foul, which, if you’re being honest, lives in the same neighborhood as misconduct. Did James Jones proofread that statement before it went out? Because it reads like nonsense. The league is fining Booker for reacting to them being right, which somehow makes the whole thing feel even more ridiculous.
Technical fouls that were assessed to both Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort were rescinded as well.
The technical fouls on Dillon Brooks (PHX) and Luguentz Dort (OKC) issued with 8:15 remaining in the 3rd quarter on April 22 have been rescinded upon league office review.
Essentially, “we didn’t do anything wrong, but also, let’s rescind everything we got wrong”. Moronic.
I think Booker speaking up has a purpose. This is a series where expectations are low, but that does not mean you accept how the game is being called. As things shift back to Phoenix for Game 3, there is a good chance the whistle tightens up. Officials tend to respond in these spots. That can cut both ways. Oklahoma City plays with a lot of physicality, and that could be limited. At the same time, Phoenix may not get every call either. What it does do is create a more balanced environment, one where the Suns can lean into their own physical style.
Booker knew what he was doing. He took the fine, made his point, and put something on the record. Considering he has not called out officials in his 11-year career, it carries some weight.
We will see how much on Saturday at 12:30 in Phoenix.
The Knicks were defeated by the Hawks 109-108 in Game 3 of their first-round matchup on Thursday night.
Atlanta now leads the series, 2-1.
Here are some takeaways...
- The Knicks' offensive struggles from the fourth quarter of Game 2 carried over to the opening quarter of Game 3. New York started slow and never quite found their footing, shooting just 35 percent from the field, including 1-for-10 from three, while turning the ball over six times to put themselves behind early.
Jalen Brunson (11) and OG Anunoby (10) were the only Knicks to score, combining for all 21 of the team's points.
Atlanta started slow as well, but quickly found their footing, shooting 60 percent from the field and 75 percent from three as a team to open up an 11-point advantage after the opening 12 minutes. The Hawks received early contributions from up and down their bench, outscoring New York's reserves 18-0.
- Unlike Game 2, Mike Brown had Karl-Anthony Towns open the second quarter with the second unit. The big man was able to get going, recording his first three buckets of the night and pulling in four boards to help keep the Knicks within striking distance after Atlanta pushed the lead all the way out to 15.
Just when it looked like the Hawks recaptured the momentum led by CJ McCollum's 11 second-quarter points, they missed their final five shots of the half, and the Knicks put together a late run highlighted by back-to-back Miles McBride threes to cut the deficit down to eight at the break.
Both Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were held without a point in the first half.
- The third was another stretch of back-and-forth runs. Atlanta pushed the advantage out to 15 coming out of the locker room before the Knicks came surging back to cut it all the way back down to a two-possession game, but the Hawks countered once again and got it back to eight heading into the fourth.
Brown switched Hart onto McCollum for the first time, and he held him to just two third-quarter points.
- New York went without Brunson and Towns to open the fourth, and while they were able to keep the deficit to just 10 points, that lineup struggled once again. The first four possessions of the final frame featured three consecutive misses from three-point land and the team's 14th turnover of the night before the dynamic duo came back in.
The Knicks refused to go down quietly, using a late surge to help cut the deficit back down to just one possession. After struggling early, they were able to find their touch from behind the arc, as Anunoby and McBride knocked down clutch threes down the stretch of regulation.
Brunson's lay-in plus the foul gave New York a three-point lead with just over a minute left. Atlanta answered with a bucket, then came up with a massive stop on the other end, before McCollum knocked down a fadeaway jumper to put them back in front with 12.5 remaining.
Brunson turned the ball over on a sloppy possession, as New York suffered its second straight loss.
- The captain finished with 26 points on 11-of-23 from the field, Anunoby led the team with 29, and Towns had 21 points and 17 rebounds, while Hart and Bridges combined for just two points. McBride took advantage of his opportunity, knocking down five threes off the bench.
Game MVP: CJ McCollum
McCollum was once again a thorn in the Knicks' side, knocking down the late winner.
