Category: Basketball

After seven days off since beating the Trail Blazers in Game 5 of the first round, the San Antonio Spurs opened Round 2 against an injured but pesky Minnesota Timberwolves squad that gave them trouble in the regular season. It was an old school, defensive slug-fest most of the night, with neither team able to find much offense or build any separation throughout the first three quarters. Unfortunately, behind the surprising return of Anthony Edwards, the Wolves went on a run in the fourth quarter and built just a big enough lead that the Spurs couldn’t quite make it all the way back from, losing on a Dylan Harper miss at the buzzer, 102-104.

Despite seven Spurs scoring in double figures, they got very little offense from their stars. Wemby had an inefficient triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds and Spurs playoff record 12 blocks, while Harper led all Spurs with 18 points off the bench. Julius Randall, who was huge in the fourth quarter, led the Wolves with 21 points, while Edwards had 18 in 25 minutes off the bench.

Observations

• Ant and Wemby are a lot alike: they’re both confident, loud and highly competitive. Just like many were surprised to see Wemby returns from a concussion in just five days in Round 1, there was equal surprise when it was announced Edwards would be ready for Game 1 of Round 2 tonight, albeit off the bench and on a minutes restriction, despite dealing with runners knee in one leg and a hyper extension and bone bruise in the other, suffered just over a week ago. Playing on two bad knees doesn’t seem like the greatest idea, and odds are he wouldn’t be if this were the regular season, but these are the playoffs, and competitive Ant won the argument.
• Neither team faced particularly formidable defenses in the first round, so the opening minutes felt like both a “brushing of the rust” and adjustment period. Both squads tried and found out that challenging Wemby and Gobert at the rim is a fool’s errand, and there wasn’t a whole lot of ball movement from either team.
• One thing the Spurs did have going initially was the three-point shot, as they hit 4 of their first 7 while the Wolves missed their first four to get out to a 17-10 lead, but then they went cold and otherwise kept getting stuffed everywhere on the court when they tried to play iso-ball, and the Wolves responded with a 12-2 run while Edwards was in the game and led 24-23 after the first quarter.
• The scripts flipped to start the second quarter. With Gobert resting and Wemby in, it was his turn to stuff the paint while the Spurs finally had a path to the rim, using a 9-0 to retake the lead. The quarter continued to be a game of runs, often dictated why whether Wemby or Gobert were on the floor, and the defensive-dominant half fittingly ended with things tied at 45 apiece, which actually kind of felt like a win for the Spurs considering Wemby had just 6 points on 3-9 shooting and Fox 0 on 0-5. They largely had Stephon Castle and Harper to thank, who combined for 22 points on 7-13 shooting in the half.
• What Wemby was doing was dominating on defense, with 7 blocks in the half, one off of tying Dwight Howard for the most ever in a half of a playoff game. (He had originally tied it, but one was retroactively taken away during halftime.) He got his 10th in the third quarter to surpass Tim Duncan’s Spurs record of 9 blocks in a playoff game, which he achieved three times between 2002 and 2003. Wemby’s 12 overall blocks was one shy of George Johnson’s franchise record of 13 in 1981.
• The third quarter was more of the same: a defensive slug-fest with neither team able to consistently score, and every time one team created a sliver of daylight (as in a four or five-point lead), the other team would respond. One place the Wolves kept shooting themselves in the foot was the free throw line, where they were 5-13 after three quarters, and the Spurs being in the bonus early ended up being a blessing in disguise as it gave them a chance to breath while the Wolves missed free throws. The Spurs led 72-69 after three.
• After being mostly invisible in his brief stints in the middle two quarters, the offenses opened up and Edwards scored 8 quick points to open the fourth quarter, and while the Spurs had a brief answer, they appeared out of gas while everything opened up for the Wolves. They couldn’t get a kind whistle on either end, were missing easy shots on offense, and even when they did get stops, the Wolves made lemonade off broken plays, stretching the lead to as much as nine at 95-86 with under five minutes to go. The Spurs tried to fight back, getting within two points on a Harper steal with 31 seconds left and a chance to win at the buzzer, but Harper’s three came up just short.
• This was the second game in a row Castle fouled out, this time with just over three minutes left. He’s not afraid to muck it up a bit, but that can get him trouble in games with a tight whistle, and this was one of them. (In fairness to him, he had a couple of bad calls against him, the fifth one of which was Randall pushing him over from behind. No idea how that was perceived as a foul on Castle, but the Spurs didn’t have a challenge after Mitch Johnson had used it on another Castle foul in the first quarter in which he was pushed, but the refs decided he grabbed the defender first, which was iffy.)

Was it a one-game anomaly?

Or the start of a turnaround?

Based on Monday night, it could be the latter.

Bridges was at his best in the opening-round, series-clinching rout of the Hawks, the kind of performance the Knicks would like to see more from the two-way wing, and he built on it in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Bridges attacked, was decisive and was typically strong on the defensive end, helping the Knicks to another blowout victory, a 137-98 mauling of the 76ers in Game 1 of this best-of-seven series.

He had 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting along with five assists and a plus-19 rating in 27 minutes.

He also kept 76ers star Tyrese Maxey under wraps.

“It’s very important. He’s a huge factor for us,” Jalen Brunson said of Bridges. “He’s been playing great.”

It was a down regular season for Bridges.

He attempted his fewest field goals (11.7) since the 2021-22 season, and he averaged only 14.4 points, well down from the 17.6 he tallied in his first season as a Knick.

He struggled over the first five games of the Hawks series before his 24-point, five-rebound, three-assist breakout in Game 6.

There was talk of bringing him off the bench at one point in the series, although coach Mike Brown stuck with the 29-year-old Bridges.

“He’s been our starting two-guard all year, and he’s had a really good season, so for me it was easy,” Brown said.

Bridges’ best is needed against the 76ers.

In Game 1, he spent a lot of time guarding Maxey, Philadelphia’s budding star.

Maxey averaged 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds and shot 41.8 percent from 3-point range in Philadelphia’s opening-round victory over the Celtics.

During the regular season, Maxey had success against the Knicks as well, producing 30 points and 5.3 assists in four contests.

But that player was missing in the series opener, held to 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting along with four turnovers.

Bridges had a lot to do with that.

“He didn’t shut Maxey down. Maxey missed some shots, and our team defense behind him was pretty good,” Brown said. “But the one thing that I give Mikal a lot of credit for is his alertness and his ability to have multiple efforts when guarding Maxey because Maxey is similar to [Stephen Curry], where he’s constantly moving, especially when it comes to the two-man game with [Joel] Embiid.

“You can’t ever relax. And Mikal did as good as he could, trying to stay with him whether he was moving or when he gave up the basketball.”

The Lakers and the Sonics/Thunder have plenty of history between them in the playoffs throughout the decades. LA has had memorable battles in both Seattle and Oklahoma City with title-winning teams picking up wins en route to the Finals.

Let’s look back before moving forward and take a Dip in the Lake with the Sonics/Thunder playoff history.

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1978 Playoffs – First Round

In this best -of-3 series, it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley and Norm Nixon against Dennis Johnson, Jack Sikma and Gus Williams.

Game 1 was a loss for the Lakers with Don Ford starting, so a change was made for Game 2 with Jamaal Wilkes replacing him. Game 2 tied the series and in Game 3, Kareem scored 31 points, but it was not enough.

The Sonics would go on to the Finals, losing to the Washington Bullets, led by Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes, in seven games.

1979 Playoffs – Second Round

In this next matchup, Johnson was a thorn in the Lakers’ side, which would continue later on in his career in Boston.

Games 1 and 2 were pretty similar to last year’s matchup, with the Sonics winning both. The Lakers grabbed Game 3, and in Games 4 and 5, it was the Sonics defense and balanced approach that was too much as the Sonics won the series 4-1 and went on to win the title over the Bullets in a rematch.

1980 Playoffs – Conference Finals

With the arrival of Magic Johnson and the Showtime era, there was a change. Game 1 went down to the wire with the Sonics winning by one after a late Jack Sikma free throw.

In the next four games, the Lakers would handle things and gentleman sweep the Sonics on the way to a title against the 76ers, including the memorable Game 6 with Magic playing center.

1987 Playoffs – Conference Finals

Still firmly in the Showtime Era, the Lakers saw James Worthy dominate the series by averaging 30.5 points per game. The Lakers would go on to sweep the Sonics before eventually beating the Celtics in six games to win another title.

1989 Playoffs – Second Round

As the two-time defending champions, the 1989 semifinals would create a unique challenge with the decline of Kareem. Up to this point in the playoffs, Kareem would play less than 30 minutes per game with Magic and Worthy taking up more prominent roles.

Sound familiar?

It became a balancing act of ensuring Kareem was ready for the latter part of the playoffs. This series would be a sweep once again as the Lakers would eventually face the Bad Boy Pistons at the peak of their powers, who ended any chance of the Lakers getting more rings in the ‘80s.

1995 Playoffs – First Round

In Del Harris’ first season as head coach, he had former Sonic Sedale Threat in tow with a brand new young core of Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Cedric Ceballos and Vlade Divac. But it would be a challenge out of the gate.

Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp would be the main duo for Seattle in the ‘90s. Game 1 did not go according to plan, but the remaining three games went the Lakers’ way.

1998 Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

With the departure of Kemp to the Cavs, there would be no Shaq and Kobe Bryant against Kemp and Payton matchup.

The Sonics won the first game of the series, but that was a flash in the pan as the Lakers took the next four games despite Kobe being limited throughout the series.

2010 Playoffs – First Round

This was the era of the young Thunder in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, and they would turn out to be one of the hardest matchups in the later years of Kobe’s career.

In the first few games, the Lakers couldn’t stop Durant. The two teams split the first four games. Games 5 and 6 would be different as the Lakers blocked off the middle with their twin towers of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

The series is best remembered, though, for Pau’s heroics to win Game 6 late.

The Lakers would go on to win the title in seven games against the Celtics.

2012 Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

An aging Lakers core led by Kobe came up against an ascending Thunder side led by Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. It was a 5-game series with the Lakers were on the tail end of their dynasty.

The Thunder would go on to the Finals to face the Heatles and lose in five games.

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A dip is all it takes to soak yourself in history.

All playoff history is from landofbasketball.com

The Met Gala falls on the first Monday of May every year, which coincides with the NBA playoffs, much to Ben Stiller's dismay. While the New York Knicks superfan rubbed elbows with Hollywood's elite at the Met Gala in New York City, the Knicks tipped off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden.

"If you can't be at Madison Square Garden watching the Knicks ... this is a great second choice," said Stiller, who added the Knicks will win the semifinal series in six games. "This is an incredible event supporting the Costume Institute and the arts in New York. And we've been here a couple of times."

Stiller and his actress wife Christine Taylor, however, paid homage to the Knicks by wearing orange and blue.

"We are representing for the Knicks. We are wearing our Knicks colors," Taylor said during an interview with Vogue.

MET GALA: Angel Reese, Alysa Liu, athletes on red carpet

Timothée Chalamet opts to watch Knicks win

While Stiller was full of regret for missing Game 1 between the Knicks and 76ers, actor Timothée Chalamet was in attendance at Madison Square Garden.

Chalamet was in his customary courtside seats for the Knicks' 137-98 Game 1 rout ... even while girlfriend Kylie Jenner made an appearance at the fashion spectacle across town.

The stars are out at MSG for Sixers/Knicks Game 1!

NBA Playoffs presented by @Googlepic.twitter.com/22IwrwmGEm

— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2026

Jenner is typically a courtside staple alongside Chalamet at Knicks playoff games, but the Met Gala created a scheduling conflict for the couple. There was precedent for Chalamet, meanwhile, as he skipped the Met Gala last year, too, so he could watch the Knicks on TV in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics.

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Timothee Chalamet attends Knicks game while Ben Stiller is at Met Gala

The spotlight was on Joel Embiid from the opening tip.

The first “f–k Embiid” chant came immediately afterward.

Several more followed.

The sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden picked up where it left off two years ago, screaming when the Sixers’ 7-footer flopped and erupting every time Jalen Brunson burned him.

Even as the Knicks put away Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the crowd would not relent, letting Embiid know the fun had just begun.

But unlike the intense first-round matchup in 2024 — when the reigning MVP delivered a series of timely buckets, cheap shots and verbal jabs — the Knicks now may have the most impactful big man in the series.

While Embiid failed to make much of an impact in the series opener — scoring 14 points while shooting 3-for-11 from the field and recording a minus-24 rating — Karl-Anthony Towns continued his incredible all-around postseason, finishing with 17 points (7-for-11 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers), six rebounds, six assists and two blocks in just 20 minutes of the 137-98 win.

In the first-round win over the Hawks, coach Mike Brown helped swing the series when he put the ball in Towns’ hands, asking the 7-footer to facilitate the offense.

He responded with his first pair of playoff triple-doubles, finishing the six-game series averaging 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals while shooting nearly 57 percent from the field and over 44 percent on 3-pointers.

“I just love that I get to get my teammates involved and I get a chance to quarterback the offense and put them in positions where I feel they can succeed,” Towns said. “They’re trusting me more with the ball right now, and I want to continue to repay their trust with the right plays and make the right decisions.”

Towns, a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, never has taken fewer shots and rarely made so much of an impact, helping put the Knicks three wins from another conference finals appearance after helping the team end its 25-year drought last year.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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During the regular season, Towns averaged a career-low 13.8 field goal attempts.

In the first round, he averaged 9.7.

On Monday, he took only one shot in the first quarter — hitting a 3-pointer — before his worst habit emerged.

After stripping Embiid on back-to-back possessions, Towns headed to the bench with two fouls in barely more than five minutes of play.

But when Towns returned in the second quarter, he immediately made noise, attacking Andre Drummond to score inside.

He followed with a beautiful backdoor pass to Jose Alvarado.

By halftime, Towns had 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and one block.

Before the third quarter was done, Towns left the floor for the final time, with the Knicks leading by 27.

“I think we’re doing a good job of executing what we want to do and a better understanding of the new system,” Towns said. “We’re doing a great job of cutting and bringing energy to our cuts and putting ourselves into positions where we can succeed.”

“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins.”

Rotations are always cut a bit shorter as teams get deeper in the NBA playoffs, but depth players have to stay ready in case their number is called. 

For the Knicks, that was Ariel Hukporti in Game 1 on Monday night. 

Hukporti saw the floor just three times in New York’s first round meeting with the Hawks, but they were forced to turn to him early on this time around. 

Karl-Anthony Towns ended up being okay after an early injury scare, but the big man was forced to the benched after picking up two early fouls against Joel Embiid. 

Mitchell Robinson came on, but quickly picked up a foul of his own then Philadelphia turned to the Hack-A-Mitch strategy to try to slow the Knicks down, so he was pulled as well. 

Ariel Hukporti entered into his most meaningful minutes thus far these playoffs.

The youngster was ready for the big moment, though, giving New York the big man they needed and holding his own in the tough matchup with Embiid downlow. 

He went into the half as a +10 across his three minutes of action.

Hukporti saw even more time with the game out of reach down the stretch, and he ended up finishing the blowout victory with five points, a game-high nine rebounds, and a +22. 

“I gotta give Ariel credit,” Mike Brown said. “We were in early foul trouble and Ariel came off the bench and he wasn’t expected to play, obviously, and he did a pretty solid job.

“You’re not going to stop a guy like Embiid or [Tyrese] Maxey, you just hopefully make them work without fouling them, and I thought Ariel did a really good job in that area.”

Hukporti will need to stay ready moving forward, as New York may have to turn to him again as they look to keep Embiid in check during this second round series. 

For Victor Wembanyama, the 2026 NBA Playoffs are a collection of firsts. Add another one to the list.

Playing in the conference semifinal round for the first time in his career, Wembanyama, the Spurs phenom forward-center, swatted away 7 blocks in the first half Monday, May 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, marking the most ever by a San Antonio player in a playoff half since 1997.

That total was just one shy of Dwight Howard’s record for most blocks in any postseason half in the play-by-play era.

Wembanyama's block party didn't stop there. He was up to 10 before the end of the third quarter.

7 SWATS FOR WEMBY IN ONE HALF!

Most blocks in ANY postseason half in the PxP era:

Dwight Howard (8, 4/18/2010)
Victor Wembanyama (7, 5/4/2026) pic.twitter.com/TSIg6AZkrd

— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2026

ANTHONY EDWARDS RETURNS: Highlights from Timberwolves vs. Spurs Game 1

The 7-foot-4 All-Star now has a unique opportunity to reach a rare points-rebounds-blocks triple-double. He has 8 points and 10 rebounds to go along with his 10 blocks with 2:36 remaining in the third.

Wembanyama started the second half much like he did the first; he dashed past Rudy Gobert for a dunk and minutes later blocked an attempted layup from Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama dazzles with blocks against Timberwolves in Game 1

Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 137-98 Game 1 decimation of the 76ers on Monday night at the Garden:  

Hero

Freed from the clutches of Hawks defensive ace Dyson Daniels, Jalen Brunson terrorized the 76ers. He scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half and missed only six shots in 18 attempts. It was reminiscent of Brunson’s postseason brilliance two years ago against the 76ers, when he averaged 35.5 points in the series victory.

Zero

The 76ers need Joel Embiid at his best to pull the upset in this series, and he struggled in the opener at both ends of the floor. Embiid managed only 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting and was minus-24 in 25 minutes. He was also a defensive liability, as the Knicks used him in the pick-and-roll, which led to open looks all evening.

Unsung hero

OG Anunoby is unconscious of late. He was 7-for-8 from the field Monday for 18 points and is 23-for-30 over the past three games. He also has was 8-for-11 from deep in that span. The exceptional two-way wing is playing the best basketball of his career at the right moment.

Key stat

63.1: The Knicks’ field goal percentage, setting a franchise playoff record. The previous mark was 63.0, set in 1995 against the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.

Quote of the day

“Honestly, you got to take this game with a grain of salt. I don’t think we’re going to see that team that we saw in Game 1 in Game 2. They’re going to be ready to go,”

— Jalen Brunson

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 23.5
VJ Edgecombe – 16
Joel Embiid – 14.5
Paul George – 9
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5
Justin Edwards – 4
Andre Drummond – 3
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Porter Martone – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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Bad news — the Sixers lost the first game of their conference semi-final matchup against the Knicks 137-98.

Good news — the Sixers escaped in one piece, and none of the starters played 30 minutes just 48 hours after an exhausting Game 7 dogfight in Boston.

Jalen Brunson led the rested Knicks with an innocuous 35 points on 66% shooting (12-of-18 FG), while Karl Anthony-Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby combined for 52 points on 72% shooting (21-of-29 FG).

The Sixers, however, struggled to produce offense from the head of the snake. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey tallied only 27 points combined on 30% shooting (6-of-20).

The Knicks defensive consistency in the halfcourt will be the Sixers’ biggest hurdle this series. Getting out in transition more would help open things up, but that can only happen if the Sixers force a miss on defense and grab the rebound. Both prerequisites did not happen often on Monday.

Weeding through the mess of this game reveals a couple Bell Ringer-worthy performances.

Paul George: 17 points, 6-of-11 FG, 4-of-6 3PT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

George continues to be a constant presence, and was the one of two Sixers to carry over their offensive efficiency from Game 7 against the Celtics through the quick turnaround. He found his rhythm early, sinking a three off the catch after a Joel Embiid double team. He drilled another in the first off the dribble attacking Mitchell Robinson on a screen, and then opened the second quarter with a deep ball from the left wing.

Paul George with his third 3PT, right when the Sixers desperately needed it. pic.twitter.com/P88R7025yY

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) May 5, 2026

George found Kelly Oubre Jr. multiple times in the first half. Once on a post pass to a cutting Oubre for a dunk, and then kicking out to Oubre after an effective drive for an open three.

Later in the first half, after an extended Knicks run, George found Embiid in the post with a perfect entry pass that lead to a tough finish at the rim. The next possession he would nail a pull-up jumper over Josh Hart after creating space with his dribble.

George was the only Sixer making shots by the time the third quarter started, nailing another three and a floater before Nick Nurse pulled the starters midway through the frame. The Sixers were down 31 points.

Kelly Oubre Jr. 12 points, 5-of-8 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Kelly Oubre Jr. gets one to go from long range off the kick-out from PG pic.twitter.com/eDsrUOh6Cc

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) May 5, 2026

Oubre finally hit a three and played with a high energy level on both ends throughout the game, even starting the contest with a block on Hart. He had a couple frustrating turnovers, but showed he can be a factor offensively as a cutter in this series. Multiple dunks off timely backdoors cuts helped keep the offense afloat through most of the first half. He was the team leader in rebounds, which is an unsustainable gameplan moving forward, but noteworthy in a team-wide effort deprived of energy.

Tonight at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks hosted the 76ers in Game One of their semifinal series. New York had benefited from extra rest by routing Atlanta on Friday, while Philly took the Celtics to seven games before closing their series on Saturday. The visitors played like they had just fought a long battle as the Knicks won the first quarter by eight and clobbered them in the second quarter for a 23-point halftime lead. With New York scoring at will, their advantage reached 34 in the third quarter, and their reserves pushed the lead to 40 in the final frame. Final score: 137-98.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting (3-of-6 from three, 8-of-8 FT) in 31 minutes, chipping in three dimes and two steals with just one turnover. It was his most dominant performance of this postseason. As for the other starters, OG Anunoby scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, plus a steal and a block. Karl-Anthony Towns put up 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, while contributing six rebounds, six assists, and two blocks in just 20 minutes. Josh Hart tallied eight points and rebounds, plus six assists in 26 minutes, while Mikal Bridges scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting (3-of-5 from three) in 27 minutes. Easily Bridges’ best game of the Playoffs, and he seemed to exorcise the ghosts of a rocky Atlanta series.

For Philly, Paul George led the way with 17 points. Joel Embiid scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds in 25 minutes. Tyrese Maxey managed 13 points on 3-of-9 shooting in 27 minutes in Knicks jail.

Opening night jitters? Maybe. Game One began with a botched jump ball, a narrowly avoided shot clock violation by Philly, and an OG Anunoby foul while fighting through an Embiid screen. No one got into rhythm until Josh Hart picked off Maxey and hit Mikal Bridges for a dunk. Then Towns drilled a triple in Embiid’s grill to take a 7-2 lead.

Two misses and a turnover allowed the guests to creep ahead. Towns picked up his second foul (on Embiid) before the six-minute mark. That brought in Mitchell Robinson, whom Embiid baited into a foul, too. The fouls were piling up, and the teams kept trading baskets, with 10 lead changes in the period. Later in the quarter, Brunson and McBride hit back-to-back triples to restore their lead. After a Nick Nurse timeout, Paul George missed from close range, and Nurse had Justin Edwards hack-a-Mitch. After Grimes bricked, Edwards hacked again. Our favorite Cajun missed all four attempts. You can’t knock the strategy; Brown’s hands were tied with Towns in foul trouble, and Mitch’s misses made for two empty possessions.

Hukporti, who logged just 19 minutes in Round One, trotted onto the court at the 2:30 mark. Continuing the theme, Huk fouled Embiid, who attempted (and made) six freebies in the first frame. Aside from free throws, nothing much was going right for Philly, though. After another bad pass by Maxey, OG sank two freebies, and Deuce added a bucket to secure a 33-25 lead at the break.

Brunson had 14 points in the first quarter, while New York’s defense had made life miserable for Tyrese Maxey. He didn’t score his first basket until midway through the second quarter. Philly’s lead guard made a handful from the charity stripe, though, and New York was entering a worrisome foul situation. Mitch committed his third after playing just eight minutes, while Towns and Anunoby had two apiece with almost seven minutes remaining in the half.

Jalen Brunson in 3 quarters

35 points
12-18 FG
3-6 3P
+27 pic.twitter.com/uqMZAft9xp

— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) May 5, 2026

The Knicks scored on all levels, with Towns and Anunoby cooking alongside Brunson, and Hart and Bridges chipping in with relative ease. Our heroes went up by 18 with 3:30 to go, while the visitors missed a number of one-and-dones. Brunson scored the last 11 points for New York and hit a Hail Mary trey with the clock expiring to put New York up 74-51 at intermission.

Through the half, the Knicks had shot 66% overall and 50% from downtown, dished 16 assists, turned the ball over just four times, and doubled Philly’s points in the paint (32-16). The only thing keeping the game from being a total blowout so far was Philadelphia’s perfect 14-for-14 from the line. Brunson led all scorers with 27, the most he’d scored in a half this season, doing so on 10-of-14 shooting. For Philly, Maxey had 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting, while Embiid had 12 on 3-of-10.

MIKAL BRIDGES GREAT DEFENSE ON TYRESE MAXEY 🔒 pic.twitter.com/kJOIEeA9IG

— Fireside Knicks (@FiresideKnicks) May 5, 2026

To start the third quarter, Brunson picked Oubre’s pocket, and Hart cashed in the fast break for a 25-point lead. Thanks to New York’s smothering defense, Philly continued to be plagued by turnovers. Embiid threw the ball directly to Brunson, resulting in an Anunoby dunk at the other end. Then Maxey coughed up the ball, and Anunoby swished from deep. With about nine minutes on the clock, the differential was 27 points, and Nurse was apoplectic.

Philly is begging for a mercy rule at this point pic.twitter.com/xgoeQKostJ

— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) May 5, 2026

Desperate for answers, Philly tried going zone. The Knicks kept scoring. Towns walked in a layup and then hit from deep to give our heroes a 30-point lead with seven minutes left in the frame. Soon after, Bridges drilled from downtown, making it 31. From there, Philly went on a 9-3 run but continued to look lost in the sauce. Nurse gave some extra burn to his reserves (Drummond, Grimes, Barlow, Bona), letting his stars rest in what seemed like a hopeless cause. The hosts closed out the period strong, taking a 109-78 lead into the final frame.

you gotta guard kat from everywhere 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/mtPKbb9Y7E

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 5, 2026

Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet made unusually early appearances in the fourth quarter. The train kept rolling, with Kolek cashing multiple buckets from deep and Dadiet dunking. Mohamed Diawara got in on the action, too, as our heroes pushed the lead to 40. When the cutting was done, New York had won 137-98—meaning that they’d scored 277 points over the last two games. Unbelievable.

Up Next

Miranda’s coming in hot with a recap. Game Two will be played on Wednesday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

The Knicks are the hottest team in the NBA.

Their first-round surge is showing no signs of slowing up.

It’s only growing stronger.

They keep setting new records.

Capturing new accolades.

Providing more and more reason to believe, as they obliterated the 76ers 137-98 Monday night at Madison Square Garden to take an emphatic 1-0 series lead.

Over the past four games — including the last three games of the first round, following back-to-back losses — the Knicks have outscored opponents by a combined 135 points.

Monday was the largest home playoff win in franchise history.

They became the first team in the play-by-play era to lead by 30-plus points in three straight playoff games.

They became the first to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points.

They were one point shy of being the first to win back-to-back playoff games by 40 or more.

Just one team had ever ended a series winning by 30 or more points, then opened a series winning by 30 or more points — the 1986 Celtics.

Now, it’s two.

“I just feel like our focus has been better,” Jalen Brunson said. “Our attention to detail has been better. Honestly, I think those two are very important for us. We gotta continue to do so.

“Yes, it’s turned into big wins. But that attention to detail will help us in the close wins as well.”

As the first half wound down, Josh Hart’s shot had clanked off the rim — a rarity for the Knicks on Monday.

But Mikal Bridges corralled the rebound and kicked it out to Brunson.

And Brunson drilled it, with hardly any time left on the clock.

Of course he did.

Did anyone expect otherwise?

He was doing anything he wanted against the 76ers defense.

The shot gave the Knicks a 23-point lead heading into halftime.

It brought Brunson to a whopping 27 points in that first half, including the Knicks’ last 11 heading into the break.

It got the fans inside Madison Square Garden to their feet and to full voice.

MSG was rocking — in that special way it does this time of year and at a level that felt much more intense than at any point in the first round.

The Knicks were making shots for fun.

They were suffocating the 76ers on the other end.

They were making it look easy.

It didn’t take long for that lead to grow to 31 in the first few minutes of the second half.

The 76ers tried to go to a zone.

It laughably failed.

The 76ers had no counterpunch or fight.

It was party time at MSG.

“I think right now,” Karl-Anthony Towns said, “we’re seeing the culmination of the trials and tribulations that we went through in the regular season.”

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The Knicks ended at 63.1 percent from the field and 51.4 percent from 3-point range. Both teams emptied their benches for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

It was the second straight game no Knicks starters played a single minute in the fourth quarter.

Fans chanted for Tyler Kolek, like they did during regular-season routs.

The Knicks tormented Joel Embiid in the pick-and-roll, which allowed Brunson to get to any spot he wanted.

He finished with a game-high 35 points — on stellar 12-for-18 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range — along with three assists and just one turnover.

VJ Edgecombe primarily guarded him, but he was often made useless by the endless screens.

“They were obviously,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said, “picking us apart.”

Brunson’s supporting cast followed his lead in the second quarter, and that’s where the Knicks took off.

OG Anunoby’s excellent postseason keeps getting better.

He finished with 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field while also drilling both 3s he took.

Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 apiece.

Hart was characteristically everywhere with eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Miles McBride provided a nice punch off the bench.

Foul trouble was perhaps the only area of concern for the Knicks.

Embiid drew a handful on Towns and Mitchell Robinson, forcing Ariel Hukporti to see some rare minutes.

But Embiid was a flailing, nightmarish mess otherwise, recording 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting from the field.

Bridges did a terrific job on Tyrese Maxey, who had just 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting from the field.

He didn’t hit a field goal until midway through the second quarter, when the Knicks were padding their lead.

It was his lowest point total since Jan. 26.

Paul George was a footnote.

It was an all-around bludgeoning.

“Honestly, you gotta take this game with a grain of salt and move forward,” Brunson said. “I don’t think we’re gonna see that team that we saw in Game 1 in Game 2. They’re gonna be ready to go.”

Perhaps the 76ers didn’t have enough time to reset after an emotionally draining seven-game first round.

Or, perhaps, as has been the case for multiple games in a row, this is who the Knicks are.

The Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of their second round matchup on Monday at MSG.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks had a bit of a scare just minutes into this one, as Karl-Anthony Towns went down in significant pain after taking a hard fall coming down from an offensive rebound attempt, but he ended up being okay after staying down for a few moments and remained on the floor following a TV timeout. 

Joel Embiid was also able to get both Towns (two) and Mitchell Robinson (two) into early foul trouble. 

- With Towns sitting, it was Jalen Brunson who carried the load for the Knicks' offense in the early going. It was a mainly back-and-forth opening frame, but the All-Star point guard put together one of his signature barrages scoring nine straight New York points and dishing an assist on a Miles McBride three to make it a four-point game.  

OG Anunoby found his touch late, as well, scoring all of his seven points to close the first quarter up by eight. 

- Finally back on the floor, Towns got into a rhythm for the first time opening the second. The dominant big man was able to take advantage of Embiid resting after playing the entire first quarter, quickly pushing both his point total and the Knicks' lead all the way out to double-digits. 

- New York's defense was tremendous and they continued to get whatever they wanted on the other end. The Garden was rocking and the home team had all of the momentum as they carried their largest lead of the half into the break (23) following Brunson's deep three at the buzzer. 

- The captain was taking advantage of Embiid and Philly's defense in the pick-in-roll, scoring the teams last 11 points to bring his total out to 27, which is the second-most in any playoff half by a Knick in the play-by-play era. 

- It was much of the same for the Knicks coming out of the break, as they continued to put on a defensive clinic and simply could not miss on the other end. This time it was Mikal Bridges' turn to put together a scoring run of his own, as he scored eight straight points at one point in the third to push himself into double-digits, as well. 

- Philadelphia didn't received their first bench points of the game until there was four minutes left in the third. 

- Brunson was relatively quiet in the third with New York's offense clicking on all cylinders, but eight points in the closing minutes of the frame helped him break 30 for the second time these playoffs, and kept the commanding lead above that mark heading into the closing 12 minutes. 

- Both teams emptied their benches with things out of reach to open the fourth. Tyler Kolek took advantage of the opportunity for minutes, knocking down his first three attempts from the field and dishing an assist. Ariel Hukporti chipped in five points, reeled in a game-high nine rebounds, and was a +22 over 17 minutes. 

Hukporti stepped up bug earlier in the contest with both Robinson and Towns in foul trouble.

- As far as the starters, Brunson led all scorers with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Anunoby missed just one of his eight shots as he chipped in 18 points of his own, and both Bridges and Towns finished with 17 each. Josh Hart had just eight points, but also contributed eight rebounds and six assists. 

They shot a whopping 63 percent from the field and 51 from three as a team on the night. 

- The Knicks also did a tremendous locking down Philly's one-two punch, holding Embiid (14) and Tyrese Maxey (13) to a combined 27 points, 15 of which came from the free-throw line. They made just six of their 20 attempts from the field, missed all five of their shots from three, and turned the ball over a total of five times.   

- New York is the first team in NBA history to win three straight playoff games by 25+ points. 

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

The captain set the tone out of the gate for New York with his tremendous first half. 

Highlights

JB SMOOVE.

14 IN THE FIRST QUARTER FOR JALEN BRUNSON! pic.twitter.com/gWtqliX9NW

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026

Hart steal ➡️ Bridges slam pic.twitter.com/oI9ltYqiIZ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026

KAT buries the triple 🎯 pic.twitter.com/0sMOnvTHFM

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026

KAT gets around Embiid to the basket 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hkT0HIA4sG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026

Brunson gets the bounce! pic.twitter.com/Inf7zyB2XJ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026

JALEN BRUNSON FOR THREE TO END THE HALF! pic.twitter.com/NeX4C86OJQ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 5, 2026

What's next

New York will look to build off this tremendous effort in Game 2 on Wednesday night at the Garden.

NEW YORK — No one should have to play so soon after a Game 7 anyway.

The Sixers were throttled 137-98 by the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their second round matchup, falling to another 1-0 series deficit.

Like Game 4 against Boston, Tyrese Maxey was just not aggressive enough. He finished with 13 points, shooting 3-of-9 from the floor with two assists to four turnovers. Joel Embiid again struggled with his jumper, he finished with 14 points on 3-of-11, shooting to go with four rebounds and one assist.

Paul George actually had an alright offensive night. He went for a team-high 17 points shooting 6-of-11 from the field along with three boards and three assists. VJ Edgecombe also looked slightly more ready for this series — he shot 5-of-11 for 12 points with one rebound and two assists.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 35.

Here are some thoughts from MSG.

First Quarter

• The Sixers’ offense definitely looked stuck in the mud to start the game. Between the near turnover that was saved by an incorrect shot clock violation call, the layup Maxey thought he got fouled on, and Karl-Anthony Towns stripping Embiid, not much looked pretty early. Edgecombe started well though making his first two pull-up jumpers of the night.

VJ Edgecombe with the triple over OG Anunoby 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6XDHnsHvly

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) May 5, 2026

• With a lot of stops at the beginning of the game it was hard for either offense to get out of the gates. Brunson also made his first two shots of the night, drawing a foul on Edgecombe on his second. The Sixers had trouble chasing him around screens. Embiid missed his first three shots and got his first points at the line. He was able to again find Kelly Oubre Jr. for a baseline cut while George hit a couple of threes.
• None of Edgecombe, George, Oubre or Quentin Grimes could slow Brunson down early as he put up 14 in the quarter. Whether that was a factor or not, the Sixers resorted to hack-a-Mitch, putting Justin Edwards in the game to use up those fouls. Robinson missed all four attempts before Mike Brown pulled Robinson off the floor for a couple possessions.
• The Sixers ended the quarter doing a better job on Brunson — Oubre had forced him down the baseline nicely for a missed midrange jumper. The Knicks still shot it well as a team going 65% in the first quarter. The Sixers’ offense still looked sloppy with Embiid smoking a fairly open layup. A pair of Maxey free throws pulled the Sixers within eight after the first.

Second Quarter

• The offensive process was a lot better to start the second, but it began with Oubre and Grimes missing wide open threes in the corner. Depending on which big the Knicks had out there Andre Drummond can make sense in this matchup, but asking him to chase KAT around the perimeter was a bit much. George did his best to keep them afloat with Maxey and Embiid both on the bench. He got stripped by Josh Hart, but he also hit a three and assisted to Oubre twice while the two of them were able to cause two turnovers as well.

Paul George with his third 3PT, right when the Sixers desperately needed it. pic.twitter.com/P88R7025yY

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) May 5, 2026

• Maxey didn’t make his first field goal of the game until nearly halfway through the second. The only thing he and Embiid had really done well to that point was draw fouls, and they were able to get three on both Robinson and Towns. On the other end, the Knicks, mainly through pick-and-rolls, continued to torch the Sixers’ deep drop coverage.
• The Sixers may have been better off having Embiid roam off of Hart as opposed to guarding Towns on the perimeter, but Hart could have just as easily put him in space. It’s not like any Sixer could stay in front of anyone as they very much looked like a team that had just gone through a battle of a Game 7 48 hours prior. To make matters worse, Embiid really started to favor his midsection after Mikal Bridges hit him trying to fight through a screen.
• As the Knicks continued to pour on baskets, all the Sixers could manage was trying to keep the lead under 20. Brunson got going again when he was able to take on Embiid in space. He then got a three to bounce in and got Grimes in the air to draw a foul attempting another three. The Knicks only grabbed three offensive rebounds in the half but they all managed to be big, the last getting kicked out to Brunson for another three to put the Knicks up by 23 at the half.

Third Quarter

• Here were the first four possessions for the Sixers to start the second half: Oubre trying to fit a pocket pass to Embiid through three defenders that was easily stolen, an Oubre putback, a fast break Maxey could have found Edgecombe on but went for the layup himself and missed, and an Embiid pass to nowhere that was also easily stolen and taken back the other way. Five minutes into the quarter and the Knicks had pushed their lead to 30.
• Edgecombe was able to pick on Brunson to get to the basket on a couple of possessions, something the Sixers’ backcourt probably should have started doing much earlier in the game. George was able to draw an and-1 on Towns but those were the lone positives.
• Nick Nurse threw the white flag with five minutes left in the quarter. Dominick Barlow checked into the game for the first time and Edwards got his first minutes that weren’t just meant to foul Mitchell Robinson. Barlow might actually be a decent option to guard Towns in future games this series, but KAT was only in for one possession by the time Barlow got in the game, so there wasn’t a chance to see it here. The Sixers trailed by 31 heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

• Well, if Adem Bona’s shift in garbage time was anything to go off of, Drummond probably was the better option at backup five anyways. In his 3:47 minute shift he picked up five fouls, three of which were offensive fouls. The Sixers may need to get experimental with their bigs in this series and Bona will have to be playable to do so.
• A night off early might be better for them in the long run — it may be the only thing that can recharge their legs at this point in the season. If the effort is similar in Game 2 that would be very alarming, to put it mildly.

All Times EDT

Tuesday, May 5

MLB

Baltimore at Miami, 6:40 p.m.

Toronto at Tampa Bay, 6:40 p.m.

Athletics at Philadelphia, 6:40 p.m.

Boston at Detroit, 6:40 p.m.

Minnesota at Washington, 6:45 p.m.

Texas at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m.

Cleveland at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m.

Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, 7:40 p.m.

Milwaukee at St. Louis, 7:45 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers at Houston, 8:10 p.m.

N.Y. Mets at Colorado, 8:40 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at L.A. Angels, 9:38 p.m.

Atlanta at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.

San Diego at San Francisco, 9:45 p.m.

NBA - Playoffs

Eastern Conference Semifinal - Game 1

Cleveland at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Western Conference Semifinal - Game 1

L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.

NHL - Playoffs

Western Conference Second Round - Game 2

Minnesota at Colorado, 8 p.m.

PWHL - Playoffs

Minnesota at Montreal, 7 p.m.

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