ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 21: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks smiles during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 21, 2026 at State Farm Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Let’s be real. The moment Jonathan Kuminga’s Atlanta Hawks drew the New York Knicks in the first round, Dub Nation collectively pulled up a lawn chair, cracked open something cold, and started taking notes like this was a scouting combine. And honestly? Fair. That’s what we do. That’s what we’ve always done with the ones who got away, or got traded, or got complicated.
The Hawks are out. The Knicks closed them out 140-89 tonight, and that final score is less a basketball game and more a statement. Atlanta shot 37.8% from the field as a team. They turned the ball over 19 times. They gave up 35 fast break points. They were down 47 at halftime, the largest halftime deficit in NBA playoff history.
Kuminga finished with 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes. It was the game summary you’d write for someone who showed up but had nowhere to go. And that, right there, is the whole series in miniature.
Because here’s what actually happened across six games if you’re being honest about it. In Game 1, eight points on 3-of-7 in a loss. In Game 2 at MSG, 19 points on 7-of-12, two steals, a block, the kind of performance that made Atlanta feel like they’d actually gotten something real at the deadline. In Game 3, 21 points on 9-of-14, 64.3% from the field, the Hawks won again, and every “Kerr was holding him back” account on X was posting highlights with the fire emoji.
Jonathan Kuminga’s last 2 games in the PLAYOFFS vs the Knicks:
Former Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has helped the youthful Hawks compete with the favored Knicks in their playoff series: “He’s really taken our team to another level.” https://t.co/3AEgP0xw6M
Then Game 4 arrived and Kuminga went 3-of-10, 0-of-6 from three, 10 points. Game 5, 17 minutes, 13 points, another blowout loss. Game 6, tonight, 11 points and the season over.
The series totals read fine on the surface: 13.7 points per game, 49.1% from the field, 3.3 rebounds in 25.8 minutes. Those are serviceable numbers for a bench piece on a team that made the playoffs as a six seed. But the three-point shooting was 19% on the series. Four-of-21. That number matters because it kept defenses from having to fully commit to stopping him, and every time Atlanta needed him to be the tiebreaker in a close game, the results were volatile in exactly the ways they were in Golden State.
Warriors fans already know this pattern by heart. The Kuminga experience has always been: two or three games where the ceiling shows itself so clearly you start doing the math on what a max extension would look like, followed by two or three games where the floor reminds you why the math was always complicated. He’s a very young man, the athleticism is still a genuine weapon, and his transition game and paint pressure gave the Knicks real problems in the wins. None of that goes away. The talent is not in question.
What this series confirmed is that the debate Warriors fans have been having for two years is not one that six playoff games just resolved. Both sides got their evidence. The people who thought he was misused got Games 2 and 3. The people who thought the inconsistency was the real story got Games 4, 5, and 6. Everyone walks away from this exactly as convinced as they walked in.
Jonathan Kuminga was -44 in 22 minutes.
The lowest plus/minus off the bench in a playoff game in the play-by-play era. pic.twitter.com/JGvYsxIxOY
That’s the most Kuminga outcome possible. A series that answered nothing cleanly because the player and the situation hasn’t answered it yet. The Warriors moved on. Kuminga moved on. The Knicks won. And Dub Nation will keep glancing over the fence, because that’s just what fans do with lottery picks they spent years watching grow up in their building.
The verdict on Jonathan Kuminga isn’t written yet. But six games against New York told us exactly who he still is: a player you just gotta tune in to see, even if you’re not sure what’s gonna happen next.
Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, got into it with the Timberwolves' Jaylen Clark, who was called for a personal foul with 9:47 to go. Clark shoved Jokic, and Jokic shoved Clark back. Clark pulled at Jokic as he fell, and things escalated from there.
Naz Reid also got involved, shoving Jokic in the back.
Cooler heads eventually prevailed and the players were all separated. After review, Jokic, Clark and Reid were all hit with technical fouls. That resulted in one free throw for the Nuggets.
OG Anunoby helped the Knicks defeat the Hawks in Game 6 on Thursday.
ATLANTA — OG Anunoby entered this postseason as one of the league’s most invaluable supporting players.
He left the first round with the look of a leading man.
In a first-round matchup featuring multiple All-Stars on both sides, Anunoby emerged as the series’ standout player.
In the Game 6 clincher, the 28-year-old elevated his game again, leading the Knicks with 29 points, seven rebounds, two assists and four steals while shooting 11-of-14 from the field (4-of-6 from 3) in 29 minutes of the 140-89 win at State Farm Arena.
Anunoby — who had 26 points, four steals and seven rebounds while helping the Knicks set a playoff record by amassing a 47-point halftime lead — finished the series averaging 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals while shooting over 61 percent from the field and better than 60 percent on 3-pointers (17 of 28).
“[He was] just doing everything — scoring, defense, rebounding, making plays,” said Mikal Bridges, who was nearly as phenomenal, adding 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. “He’s doing everything out there and that’s what we need. And I think he’s gonna continue to do that for us.”
OG Anunoby dunks the ball during the Knicks’ 140-89 Game 6 series-clinching win over the Hawks on April 30, 2026 in Atlanta. Charles Wenzelberg
It is impossible to overstate Anunoby’s importance since he arrived from Toronto less than three years ago in a deal that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley north of the border.
His impact was obvious immediately: The Knicks won 20 of their first 23 games with one of the league’s best defenders, then blew a 2-0 lead in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals after Anunoby suffered a hamstring injury.
Last season, he was an integral part of the Knicks’ first conference finals run in a quarter-century, averaging 16.3 points, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks during the playoffs while helping slow Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the second-round upset of the Celtics.
This season, Anunoby gives the Knicks legitimate reason to believe they might make the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
After putting up a total of 39 points, 20 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the Knicks’ previous two wins, the 6-foot-7 wing came out swinging, ensuring Atlanta’s home court provided no advantage.
It is hard to believe — and harder to remember — but the Hawks led 11-9 four minutes into the game.
OG Anunoby celebrates after the Knicks’ Game 6 series-clinching win over the Hawks on April 30. Charles Wenzelberg
Anunoby then hit back-to-back 3s, and quickly followed with back-to-back steals, giving the Knicks a lead that would soon balloon into the unimaginable.
“OG was phenomenal,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “And he rebounded his behind off.”
Anunoby finished the first quarter with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, making all but one of his seven shots from the field.
In the second quarter, Anunoby continued leading the charge, inspiring Garden-like “O-G” chants from the countless Knicks fans in attendance.
“We just came out with intensity,” said Anunoby, who posted a team-best plus-42 rating. “We were ready to play from the very jump … We know what we’re capable of. We know we’re a great team. We just need to continue to do it.”
Anunoby took just three shots in the second half, leaving with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter — the Knicks held a 103-52 lead — while leaving the nine-year veteran wondering when was the last time he’d been part of such a blowout.
“I don’t know,” Anunoby said. “Maybe high school or something.”
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 28: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second half of Game Five of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoff at TD Garden on April 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA — Jayson Tatum never checked back into the game after subbing out with four minutes to play in the third quarter in the Celtics’ 106-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
He appeared to have ice and a wrap on his left calf on the bench, and was on the bike in the tunnel for most of the fourth quarter.
But at the postgame podium on Thursday night, Tatum downplayed the significance of that scene.
“You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike, my leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter,” Tatum said. “But just kind of assessing the moment, the game was a little out of reach.”
Jayson Tatum on his leg:
“You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike, my leg just was a little stiff when I came out third quarter.”
“But just kind of assessing the moment, the game was a little out of reach.”
The rest of the Celtics starters subbed out of the game two minutes into the fourth quarter, joining Tatum on the sidelines. That bench unit, headlined by Payton Pritchard, Ron Harper, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza, shaved 9 points off the deficit.
Tatum said he does not expect his leg stiffness to impact his availability in Saturday’s must-win Game 7.
“I expect to play,” Tatum said. “It was my other leg, not the one I injured last year. I mean, I wasn’t like overly concerned. Shit, I came out at four minutes, like I was supposed to. Just kind of assessed the game — he took the starters out fairly early in the fourth quarter.”
The Knicks' 140 points are the most in a postseason game in franchise history, but the dominating performance goes beyond that. New York built the largest halftime lead in NBA Playoff history (47) and then had the biggest lead in a playoff game in the play-by-play era (61).
And the coaches and players of the Knicks would tell you, it happened on both ends of the floor.
"We had to keep them off the glass and keep them off transition," coach Mike Brown said of the game. "Our guys did a good job of that tonight. Eight fastbreak points, 11 offensive rebounds…14 second chance points. It’s a good night for the two key areas we’ve been talking about the whole series."
"Most importantly, it shows us what we're capable of defensively," Jalen Brunson said of the performance. "I think that's really important. We still have a long road to travel and staying locked in, and knowing what we’re capable of is important."
The Knicks defense held Atlanta to 38 percent shooting (26 percent from three) for the game, collecting 16 steals, six blocks and forcing 19 turnovers in the process.
What got the Knicks started was a terrific first quarter. They outscored the Hawks 40-15, shooting 70 percent from the field compared to Atlanta's 38 percent, but that defensive intensity shone. They forced eight turnovers and stole seven passes.
It was a type of play you see from a team that is trying to stave off elimination, not look to clinch a series. But that's what made Thursday night effective for the Knicks, they utilized that "desperate" mindset early on.
"Our mindset is to go out there and play desperate," Mikal Bridges said. "They’re a really good team, good coach and couldn't let them get confidence, especially at home. Go out there and play desperate."
"Everybody was locked in on the task at hand," Josh Hart said of the start. "We were locked in, man...we were focused on having a great attention to detail, coming out and closing the game out. That’s how we approached the game from the start and set the tone.”
The Knicks' first quarter was tremendous, but it bled into the second frame. New York went out to a 63-11 run from 8:10 in the first quarter to 4:39 in the second quarter.
That helped them go into halftime with a 47-point lead and build that to 61 points in the third quarter.
"It’s hard to replicate, duplicate. However, you want to say it. But our guys, their connectiveness right now is off the charts," Brown said. "When you lock in to the detail and you’re connected like that, when you’re as talented and versatile as that group, you have a chance to do that."
"It speaks volumes about our team," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who posted his second triple-double of the series on Thursday. "When we’re locked in, playing close to our vest, we’re really really good. It’s about finding that version of us consistently in a seven-game series. Tapping into that version of us more often than not."
The Knicks will hope to take this momentum into the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they'll meet either the Celtics or 76ers for another seven-game series.
Whoever they wind up facing, the Knicks know what they are capable of and are now looking forward to the next round.
"It shows the kind of team that we are, what we can be," Hart said of the dominant win. "We knew we kinda gave two games away, so we wanted to come out and close out the series today. And build off of it."
As time wound down in the play-in round and it was clear Philadelphia was about to advance to the playoffs, the 76ers faithful chanted "We Want Boston." Celtics fans were ready. As Boston celebrated its Game 4 win in this series, its fans mocked Philadelphia fans chanting "We Want Boston."
Be careful messing with the basketball gods, they are fickle.
There will be a Game 7 in Boston on Sunday — and the 76ers fans returned the favor, again changing "We Want Boston" at the end of their Game 6 win Thursday.
For the second game in a row, the 76ers played strong perimeter defense (holding Boston to 12-of-41, 29.3%, from 3-point range), plus got 30 points from an aggressive Tyrese Maxey, and had another strong outing from Joel Embiid in just his third game back from an appendectomy.
Philadelphia picked up a comfortable Game 6 win, 106-93, forcing a Game 7 on Saturday back in Boston.
For a couple of games now, the 76ers have done a good job of playing classic playoff basketball — they hunted mismatches for their stars in Maxey, Embiid and Paul George. The result was George scoring 23 on Thursday night, including going 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while Embiid finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
On the flip side, Boston is playing slower than they want (or need to), missing their 3s, and their stars — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — have not been able to take advantage of mismatches, or when Embiid is in drop coverage. The ball has stuck for them for the last couple of games. Brown finished the night with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, while Tatum had a more efficient 17 points on 13 shots, with 11 rebounds. Payton Pritchard had 14 off the bench for Boston. Boston led after one quarter, 23-20, behind nine points and nine boards from Tatum. Then, in the second quarter, Maxey woke up. Philadelphia led by nine at the half, 58-49, thanks to Maxey, who scored 13 in the second quarter and 21 in the half. He was doing it from everywhere, shooting 4-of-7 in the paint and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the first half. Also in the second quarter, VJ Edgecombe did this.
However, the real difference in the first half was the 76ers' active perimeter defense, which chased the Celtics off the line — Boston went 6-of-15 from 3, but were 12-of-23 inside the arc and had nine turnovers.
In the face of that pressure, Jaylen Brown dominated the ball and it ground things down. He had five turnovers, wasn't consistently finding teammates, and on the other end he got back-cut multiple times.
In the third quarter, it was more of the same, and the 76ers started to pull away, leading by as many as 21.
Down 23 with 10 minutes left in the game, a frustrated Joe Mazzulla rolled out a Ron Harper Jr., Scheierman, Luka Garza, Jordan Walsh, and Pritchard lineup — and it worked. At first. They went on a 9-0 run and cut the lead down to 14 because the bench unit played fast and moved the ball, something the starters were not doing.
However, Maxey and the starters restored order and that was the ballgame.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors dunks against Justin Champagnie #9 of the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Chase Center on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Some nights don’t belong to the team. They belong to the moment a player steps into a new role and stops looking like a newcomer.
The Golden State Warriors spent this season searching for versions of themselves that could hold, and every now and then, someone gave them one. This series is about those nights where something clicked just long enough to show what it could be. Kristaps Porzingis’ balling out against his former team the Washington Wizards was such a night back in March. How apropos that it happened on 3:16 Day, as KP stormed into that old building like Stone Cold Steve Austin to kick some butt.
Nobody was going to call this one a classic. The Wizards were operating in full tank mode, starting players who weren’t alive when Anchorman came out while keeping one eye fixed on the draft lottery. The Warriors were missing players up and down their roster, running on whatever combination of desperation and muscle memory gets a team through a skid with the play-in slipping away. This was exactly the kind of game Golden State couldn’t afford to lose and looked entirely capable of losing anyway.
And then Porzingis walked into his old hood and remembered who he was.
Thirty points on 8-of-13 shooting, 13-of-14 from the free throw line, five rebounds, four assists, three blocks, two steals in 26 minutes. Against the franchise that couldn’t figure out what to do with him. There is something deeply satisfying about that specific combination of things, a player returning to his former building carrying a roster down to its bones and being so completely dominant that the box score reads like a personal statement rather than a basketball game.
The way he got there was the real story. He worked every angle the Wizards gave him, using his size to put smaller defenders in impossible situations and making every free throw Washington sent his way. The Wizards eventually concluded the only way to slow him was to foul him relentlessly, treating him like he was Bam Adebayo and sending him to the line on every Warriors possession down the stretch. He went 13-of-14 from the charity stripe. By the Warriors’ standards that week, this was a masterpiece of organizational functionality, the kind of night where a depleted team shows exactly enough to remind you what they could be when the right pieces are healthy and present.
That last part is the wound underneath the performance. Because what Porzingis showed in Washington wasn’t just a good game against a bad team. It was a demonstration of everything the Warriors thought they were getting when they made the deal, a 7-foot-2 second option who could close games, space the floor, protect the rim, and carry a half-broken roster through a stretch where everyone above him on the depth chart was in the training room. The version that showed up at Capital One Arena that Monday night was exactly the player the front office envisioned, the player who was supposed to make life easier for the best shooter in basketball history if only the basketball gods would cooperate.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points, a resurgent Paul George had 23 points and a Philadelphia 76ers’ team that lost by 32 points twice in this first-round playoff series played their most complete game of the season and forced Game 7 with a 106-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
The decisive game is Saturday in Boston.
Uplifted by Joel Embiid’s early return from an appendectomy, the Sixers rebounded from two blowout losses to win Game 5 in Boston and were buoyed by a throwback effort from George to keep a comfortable lead in Game 6.
Embiid did his part in Game 6 with 19 points.
Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers smiles during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images
The play of the game — and maybe the series — came in the third when Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen Brown, Maxey scooped the loose ball and fed to George on the break who then dazzled with a behind-the-back pass to VJ Edgecombe who finished with a thunderous dunk for a 69-54 lead.
A night after the Flyers won in overtime to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs, Sixers fans cut loose after that slam.
The 76ers will only go as far as Embiid can take them on his injury-prone 7-foot frame and Maxey is a bona fide All-Star. Edgecombe’s youthful exuberance made a fan favorite in Philly and an NBA Rookie of the Year finalist.
Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form. George hit a team-high five 3s that all stretched the lead and the offense ran through him when Embiid — still recovering from his early April surgery — was on the bench.
Paul George and Justin Edwards of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrate during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images
George signed with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 on a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract and was expected to form a 1-2 championship punch with Embiid. George was instead derailed by injuries, personal issues and the suspension that had him forgotten at times by fans and in the offense.
Not against Boston. He keyed Philadelphia’s game of the season, a stunner given how the Celtics toyed with them in their three wins this series. The Celtics never led in Game 6.
Brown was hampered by three fouls in the first half and finished with 18 points. Jayson Tatum had 17 for the Celtics and left in third quarter with an apparent calf injury.
The Celtics went more than 4 minutes without a point to close the third and the Sixers stormed into the final quarter with an 82-63 lead.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 30: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a three point basket in front of Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey and Paul George sliced up the Boston Celtics defense in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 106-93 win on Thursday night, sending the series to a decisive Game 7 back in Boston.
The game will determine whether Boston or Philadelphia will move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to face the New York Knicks, who crushed the Atlanta Hawks to clinch their series earlier the same night.
The Celtics once again sported a clean injury report and started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
Embiid, who was listed as probable before the game, was available and started next to Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr.
The game started off shaky on both sides, but the Sixers came out with the slightly steadier hand. Boston shot 3 of 10 from the floor to begin the game, with a few easy misses — including two painful misses from White and a missed layup and free throw from Tatum — and no three-point makes. On the other hand, Philly went 4 of 10, with a pair of three-pointers from George and Maxey. About halfway through the first quarter, the Sixers led the Celtics 11-8.
Brown led the C’s early offensive efforts, but it was not pretty. He had a bad turnover and a couple of fouls, as well as missed a free throw while going 1 of 4 from the field.
Tatum hit Boston’s first three-pointer of the game with about 5 minutes to go in the first quarter, and Payton Pritchard got a transition layup to get the team’s first lead of the game. He and Tatum helped build some offensive momentum toward the end of the quarter, as Pritchard hit a midrange fadeaway and Tatum hit a second three-pointer and a couple free throws to tie the game at 20.
Hauser, who opened the game with a slick finger roll layup, hit an open three-pointer from the wing to put the Celtics up 23-20 before the first quarter came to a close.
The second quarter opened up with a continued effort from Brown to get going, but his rocky first quarter performance carried over into the second frame. He hit a tough midrange shot to start the quarter and drew a shooting foul on another play, but missed both free throws and lost another ugly turnover. He was only 2 of 6 from the free throw line about halfway through the quarter.
At the same time, Embiid was struggling a bit. He started off only 3 of 9 from the floor and missed a couple open midrange shots, where he usually feasts. While he hit a wide open three-pointer that Luka Garza didn’t even try to contest, Philly’s offense was largely driven by Maxey and George.
Brown hit his first three-pointer and led the team in scoring with 13 by the time he was called for his third foul on a push-off. Queta followed that with another offensive foul, this time an illegal screen, allowing the Sixers to take a 44-36 lead with less than 5 minutes to go in the half.
With Brown off the floor, Tatum took over on offense and did a decent job, but the Celtics simply couldn’t stop the Sixers on defense. Behind Maxey’s slashes to the basket and a 3 of 5 start from three-point range from George, Philly outpaced Boston to a 51-42 lead with about 3 minutes to go in the half.
White, whose struggles throughout the series continued into the first quarter, hit a pair a free throws and his second three-pointer of the night, but a 13-point quarter from Maxey kept the Sixers’ lead at 9 points, 58-49, heading into halftime.
Maxey led the game in scoring at the half, with 21 points, 2 assists and 2 steals on 53.3% shooting from the floor and 3 of 3 shooting from three-point range.
Tatum was the game’s second leading scorer at the half, with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists on 50% shooting from the field and three-point range.
Brown had 13 points on 55.6% shooting from the field and 50% on three-pointers, but also had 3 fouls and 3 turnovers.
While both team’s shooting percentages were similar at the half, the Sixers put up 9 more field goal attempts and 4 more three-point attempts. Boston also had almost twice the number of turnovers, 9-5, as Philly.
The second half started rough for the Celtics, with an early turnover leading to a George three-pointer, then an offensive foul call against Brown — his fourth foul of the game, only 30 seconds into the third quarter. Soon after, Philly got back-to-back plays where behind-the-back passes skewered Boston’s defense for easy buckets, and took a 69-54 lead less than four minutes into the half.
White hit his third three-pointer of the night coming out of the timeout, but nothing else was falling for them. On the other hand, the Sixers kept up the pressure with a fifth three-point make from George, who got hot and had 10 points over the period. Philly went up 74-59 with about 5 minutes to go in the third quarter.
While the Celtics had a few good looks to cut into the Sixers’ lead over the rest of the quarter, they failed to capitalize on each opportunity and went 3 minutes without scoring a point. While many of the C’s offensive possessions boiled down to tough shots, even the open shots didn’t fall.
Philly went on an 8-2 run and took an 82-63 lead to end the quarter — and it could have been even worse, as Andre Drummond hit a corner 3 just after the buzzer sounded.
The Sixers’ onslaught only continued as the fourth quarter began. Pritchard got the first bucket of the frame, but Philly hit the next three shots and took an 88-65 lead with about 10 minutes to go in the game.
Coach Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench early, deploying a lineup of Pritchard, Ron Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Garza. They brought some new energy to the court and cut the Sixers’ lead to 88-74 with a pair of three-pointers from Garza and Harper. The group went on an 11-0 run over their first 3 minutes on the court together and cut the lead to 12.
Nevertheless, the Sixers’ offense got back in gear and hit four straight free throws and a three-pointer to extend the lead to 20 points with about 5 minutes to go, putting the game out of reach for the Celtics.
Tatum finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, while shooting 46.2% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.
Brown shot 41.2% from the floor and 33.3% from three-point range in an 18-point and 2-assist performance lowlighted by 5 turnovers and 4 fouls.
Pritchard and White were Boston’s only other players to finish with double-digit points, as they scored 14 and 11, respectively.
Maxey ended the game with 27 points, 5 assists and 2 steals, on 50% shooting from the field and 50% from three-point range.
Embiid racked up 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, while George scored 23 points on 55.6% shooting from deep in his best showing of the series.
Game 7 will be on Saturday, May 2, at TD Garden, but its time and broadcast had yet to be determined as of Thursday night.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Maybe we do want Boston?
The Sixers smoked the Celtics 106-93 in Game 6 in a contest that was not as close as the score would indicate. There will a Game 7 in Boston Saturday.
Tyrese Maxey was brilliant from start to finish, leading all scorers with 30 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor along with five assists. Joel Embiid didn’t shoot well but still had the offense humming with his gravity. He finished with 19 points, going 6-of-18 from the floor.
Paul George was the flamethrower the Sixers needed, scoring 23 points, shooting 8-of-17 from the field and 5-of-9 from three.VJ Edgecombe was very complementary in transition, finishing with 14 points on 11 shots along with eight rebounds. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
It didn’t take as long for Embiid to find his jumper as he nailed a turnaround from the midrange on his first touch of the game. He and Edgecombe went on to miss open threes as both offenses started off slow. Embiid and Jayson Tatum had dueling and-1s off of drives, but Tatum even missed the free throw. George hit the first three of the game and Maxey shook Derrick White on the following possession to do the same.
Embiid was operating a lot from the three-point line again, and again did miss his first two shots from behind the arc. The offense stalled out for a couple minutes after that second three before Maxey got to the basket. Quentin Grimes checked in around the same time for Edgecombe, so he wasn’t taking any of Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s minutes. The two of them worked to strip Brown on Grimes’ first possession of the game.
It became very clear that the Sixers were happy with whatever shot Boston took as long as it came from inside the arc. While the Celtics made three of them, they only attempted seven in the quarter. The Sixers generated the looks they wanted to on the other end as well, playing out of Embiid and Maxey’s two-man game. Like a lot of other moments in this series, they could not get them to go. The fast break layup Grimes smoked doesn’t count towards this category, but the three wide open jumpers from inside the foul line Embiid missed did. The Celtics took a three-point lead as the Sixers missed their last seven shots of the first.
Second Quarter
The Sixers’ field goal drought lasted a couple minutes into the quarter, but Edgecombe and Embiid getting to the line while keeping Boston off the board. Embiid nailed a three to end two droughts. Brown answered with a bucket and Edgecombe threw down a big transition dunk with Brown in the area as the teams spent a few minutes on the seesaw.
White and Oubre have struggled more than anyone to shoot the ball in this series and they both knocked down threes in the quarter as the shotmaking picked up. The Sixers were still getting good looks on the majority of their touches. Maxey was the most consistent. He would use up the entirety of the half court getting to the basket and was able to weave his way through. George got hot as well, but that was from behind the arc.
The Sixers had some weird, potentially momentum killing plays, like Oubre turning it over right after grabbing a rebound and a reckless Embiid foul on a defender after Maxey had made a layup. For every one, the Sixers, mainly Maxey, had an answer in the first half. He was able to drill a three despite selling out to draw a foul, and he got to the rim again to put the Sixers up by nine at the break.
Third Quarter
The second half couldn’t have started better for the Sixers as Oubre stole an errant pass in the lane and found George for another three on the break. On the ensuing possession, Brown was called for a moving screen to pick up his fourth of the night before Embiid hit a midrange J. As the Celtics were reeling, Brown made a tough step-back three in Oubre’s face, but the Sixers responded with two beautiful behind-the-back passes. Embiid hit Oubre in the dunker passing out of a double while George was able to thread the needle to Edgecombe in transition.
White was easily having his best game of the series as he made another three coming out of the Celtics’ timeout. George was able to answer that right after Oubre caught an Embiid airball and popped it right back in.
Once the Sixers had gotten their lead to 15, their offense would stall again. Maxey was able to get to the basket again and George nailed a couple tough pull-ups to answer Boston’s nibbling. A couple stops later and Maxey extended the lead with an amazingly acrobatic layup. Andre Drummond appeared to drill a three from the corner, but he just didn’t get up in time and the Sixers had to settle for a 19-point lead after three.
Fourth Quarter
The offense kept rolling for the first two minutes of the quarter with Embiid and Justin Edwards able to get easy baskets in the midrange. Embiid looked to do it again before hitting a cutting George on the baseline for a reverse layup. After a timeout, Joe Mazzulla put in an all-bench lineup, a move that felt like a message to his own team more than anything. Those guys were able to rip off an 11-0 run to remind everyone that the game wasn’t over yet.
That run was ended by a much needed friendly roll on an Embiid jumper. Maxey making another winding layup did a lot to settle things. The crowd really felt back in it when Oubre drew a foul and Embiid mimicked Oubre’s push-ups getting back up. Embiid then found Edgecombe out of the post for a big corner three.
This is the blend the Sixers can hit. Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid pick and roll. Maxey gets two on the ball, Embiid pops. Celtics help but that puts Baylor on him. Embiid posts and the Celtics help. Opens a 3 for VJ Edgecombe. pic.twitter.com/mdWMe5pJdx
The Celtics never put their starters back in the game. Something worth monitoring is that Tatum appeared to leave with an injury. Embiid and George finally checked out for the night with two minutes left up by 14, soon to be 15 after an impressive and-1 from Edgecombe.
OG Anunoby solidified his standing as the star of the series, saving his best for last.
The 28-year-old was a two-way force, sparking the Knicks early — with 26 points and four steals in the first half — and finishing with 29 points, seven rebounds and two assists, while shooting 11-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers.
OG Anunoby, who scored 29 points, goes after a loose ball during the Knicks’ Game 6 series-clinching win over the Hawks on April 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Zero
C.J. McCollum was right. He was no villain after all.
The Hawks guard started the series as its most dominant player — as well as one of the best stories in the postseason — but the 34-year-old had a forgettable finish to his first season in Atlanta.
After being held to six points in Game 5 in New York, McCollum disappeared with the rest of his teammates in the must-win Game 6, failing to score in the first 10 minutes, then finishing with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, along with two turnovers and zero assists.
CJ McCollum, who was held to 11 points, is double-teamed by Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby during the Knicks’ 140-89 Game 6 series-clinching win over the Hawks on April 30, 2026 in Atlanta. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Unsung hero
Welcome back, Mikal Bridges. One week earlier, the Knicks’ much-maligned wing was benched in Atlanta and held without a point in Game 3.
He followed with two more single-digit scoring efforts.
But Bridges revived his confidence in Game 6, nearly scoring as many points as he had in the previous four games combined, finishing with 24 points (10-of-12 from the field), five rebounds, three assists and one block.
Key stat
63-11 — The extended run by the Knicks from four minutes into the first quarter and into the second quarter after the Hawks took an early 11-9 lead, giving the Knicks an unfathomable 50-point lead in the second quarter.
Quote
“It shows the kind of team that we are, what we can be. We knew we kind of gave two games away, so we wanted to come out and close out the series today.”
During ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” halftime show on Thursday, O’Neal pulled out a mini plushie of Atlanta’s mascot, Harry the Hawk, and performed CPR compressions on it.
“Shaq’s working out some resuscitation techniques. I don’t think that’s gonna work,” host Ernie Johnson said on the broadcast.
Shaq was trying to revive the Atlanta Hawks
They're down 83-36 in Game 6, the largest halftime deficit in NBA playoffs history
OG Anunoby led the way for the Knicks during the first half, scoring 26 points — adding three more in the second half — while shooting an efficient 10-of-12 from the field. He finished with 29.
Anunoby, who came into Game 6 averaging 20 points during the series on 54.2 percent from beyond the arc, proved to be one of the catalysts in the opening round of the playoffs.
“I think he’s one of a kind. Getting to see his work ethic, the person he is, what he has just been able to do in his time as a Knick, he’s been great,” Jalen Brunson said of Anunoby on Wednesday. “I’m so happy to have him.
“I’m gonna miss you, Harry,” O’Neal joked. DraftKings on X
“I’m happy I don’t have to see him on that side of the ball — he just creates havoc. I think his game’s growing, and that’s what happens when you work hard.”
Despite coming out competitive in the game’s first minutes, the Knicks quickly pulled away, establishing a 40-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Atlanta attempted to show some fire midway through the second quarter with a scuffle between guard Dyson Daniels and Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson.
Josh Hart (3) reacts as he is greeted by Mikal Bridges (25) during the second quarter of the Knicks’ 140-89 Game 6 series-clinching win over the Hawks on April 30, 2026 in Atlanta. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Both Daniels and Robinson were ejected from the game after the fight poured onto the sidelines.
The Knicks did not let up, however, outscoring Atlanta 43-21 in the second before the domination continued in the second to end the Hawks’ season.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game Five on April 29, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The series between the Lakers and Rockets heads back to Houston where Game 6 will be held on Friday. This will be L.A.’s third attempt to close the series.
Over the last two games, the Rockets have controlled the series in a vast array of ways. Whether that’s simply playing like the more desperate team or being the better team on both ends of the court, Houston has put the pressure on the purple and gold and it’s only about to get more intense in Game 6.
A lot of what the Lakers were doing right in the first three games of the series has gone the other way. The Rockets certainly deserve credit for that, but now it’ll be up to the Lakers to rediscover what brought them success in this series. That’s what will dictate whether or not Los Angeles can close this series out.
Can the Lakers regain their shooting?
Over the last two games, the Lakers have only converted 12 of their 49 attempts from the 3-point arc. That’s a huge disparity from the first three games. A lot of this has to do with Luke Kennard regressing to the mean and, of course, the Rockets stepping up their perimeter defense.
But still, L.A. is a better shooting team than what they’ve shown in Games 4 and 5 and it’s important that they regain that. Otherwise, their offensive struggles will help the Rockets force a Game 7.
Where will L.A. get its spark?
In Games 1 and 2, it was Kennard and Marcus Smart. In Game 3, it was those two and Rui Hachimura. But in the last two, it feels as if the Rockets’ role players have outplayed the Lakers as a whole.
Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and co., have all stepped up in helping Alperen Şengün, which is why it feels like the Rockets are a step ahead of the Lakers in dictating the game’s pace and momentum. This has to change for the purple and gold, who badly need another spark plug alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Can the Lakers handle pressure?
Coming off a game they should’ve absolutely won at home, the Lakers have made things harder for themselves by now having to win on the road. They know what’s at stake if they don’t and that’s being an inch closer to potentially being on the wrong side of NBA history as the first team to blow a 3-0 lead.
Fortunately, the team is filled with veterans, and they’ve dealt with enough adversity all season to know how to handle this type of pressure. In fact, they’ve shown on multiple occasions this season that they can rise to the occasion, and that’s what they have to do once again. The team has been built and trained for moments like this.
That’s why this is a must win game for the Lakers who have to go all out in Game 6. Let’s see if third time’s indeed the charm for the purple and gold on Friday.
For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) is out.
As for the Rockets, Fred VanVleet (ACL surgery) and Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) are noted as out while Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is doubtful.
ATLANTA — OG Anunoby scored 29 points in 27 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns had his second triple-double of the series and the New York Knicks had their biggest playoff victory in franchise history, overwhelming and eliminating the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Knicks broke several NBA records by halftime. Their 40-15 lead at the end of the first quarter marked the largest of the shot clock era. Their 47-point halftime lead was the biggest in playoff history.
New York’s 51-point win tied for the sixth-largest margin of victory in NBA postseason history.
Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson were ejected after fighting following a pair of free throws from Anunoby that gave the Knicks a 50-point lead in the second quarter.
The Knicks exceeded 100 points with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter. New York’s starters were done for the night with 2:45 remaining in the third.
Anunoby scored 26 of his points in the first half. Mikal Bridges finished with 24. Towns, five days after becoming the fourth Knicks player with a playoff triple-double, had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Hawks were 12 for 39 from the field in the first half and 4 for 18 from 3-point range. Atlanta had 14 turnovers in the first half.
Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga each had 11 points.
The Knicks will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 30: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates after a basket during the first half of a game against the Atlanta Hawks in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 30, 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
For nearly two weeks, the Knicks toyed with our emotions. Game One of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series with the Hawks was a mostly by-the-books win. Then our rosy dreams of championship glory were dashed by a choke job, a one-point loss in Game Two, and an even worse one-point stinker in Game Three. A disconsolate portion of the fanbase wondered: If they struggle against the sixth-seeded Hawks, how could they possibly clear the next two hurdles to reach the Finals? To which the Knickerbockers replied, Not so fast, you fickle fans!
Game Four was a reassuring 16-point win, and Game Five was a 29-point blowout. As they took the floor at State Farm Arena for a closeout game, we wondered which version of the Knicks would show up. We cautiously hoped they’d continue their momentum from the previous two contests. We did not expect the largest halftime lead in playoff history (83-36), or the largest lead after three quarters in playoff history (117-64), or the most points scored in Knicks playoff history. When the final buzzer granted mercy to the Hawks, New York had completed perhaps the most dominant playoff game in NBA history with a 140-89 win. Bring on the Celtics or Sixers!
Clearly, the Hawks were intimidated by the moment. In the first minute and a half, they committed two turnovers and watched the Knicks jump to a 5-0 lead. After that, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who received the NBA’s Most Improved Player trophy before the game) led his cohort on a 9-0 run, but then OG Anunoby said Nahhh. OG sizzled, making all of his field goal attempts to score eight of the next 10 points for New York. Overall, he capped an amazing series with 29 points, seven boards, four steals, and +42 while shooting 11-14 in his 27 minutes.
Atlanta coach Quin Snyder needed a timeout at 6:40, with his team trailing 15-11. Whatever he doodled on his whiteboard didn’t help. From there, the guests scored eight straight, capped by their captain going into his bag of tricks and finishing high off the glass for a contested layup. About three minutes after his first timeout, Atlanta’s skipper took another, hoping to inspire his team out of a 12-point hole.
Josh Hart (14 PTS, 5 RBS, 27 MIN) was a game-time decision with a sore back, but as expected, he suited up for the chance to close out the Birds. Early on, he and Mikal Bridges took turns bringing the ball up the court and letting Jalen Brunson play off-ball. Cap finished his night with 17 points on 12 shots and eight assists in 29 minutes.
The Knicks closed the frame ahead 40-15, thanks to a 31-4 run that featured buckets by Anunoby, Brunson, and Bridges, another triple by Brunson, and a Mitchell Robinson alley-oop (plus a wicked block of a driving CJ McCollum). Unfortunately, Mitch seemed to injure his ankle when fighting for rebounding position and left the game late in the quarter, heading for the locker room. That was the only complaint in a brutal first frame for the Birds, who coughed up the ball eight times, missed five of six three-point attempts, and scored just four points in the last six minutes of the period.
Continuing the good vibes, Jose Alvarado picked off an Alexander-Walker pass to start the second quarter. From there, New York scored eight straight on their way to a 22-4 run that gave New York a 43-point lead at the 6:42 mark. Not only were our heroes raining buckets (68% FG, 55% 3PT), but they played their feistiest defense of the season. Even Jordan Clarkson played clamp-down defense! New York had 11 steals and had forced 13 giveaways, and there were still seven minutes left to play in the half. The score reached 72-22 when Anunoby scored on an and-one drive.
Rest easy, employees. Jim “Eye in the Sky” Dolan was impressed.
Knicks owner James Dolan can’t believe what he’s seeing 😭
While OG made the free throw, things got spicier than Magic City wings. Mitch, having returned from the locker room, tangled with Dyson Daniels, who was rightfully sore with his team trailing by 50 points. After benches cleared, the players were separated, and the two main offenders were ejected. Watch it below, Joe, and say a prayer that it doesn’t result in a suspension for Mitch.
The rest of the quarter was as much of a laugher. New York was outscored 14-12, but managed to finish the half ahead, 83-36. That’s right: the Knicks scored 40 points in the first quarter and 43 in the second, while the Hawks scored 15 and 21, respectively. What happened in that half was positively X-rated.
Fun Fact: playing 28 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns attempted four field goals tonight, making one—but he shot a perfect-10 from the charity stripe, on the way to his second career postseason triple-double: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and one block. A weird statline, certainly, and one that doesn’t quite indicate what a monster game the big man had. Atlanta was hopeless against him.
Through the half, the good guys had outshot the villains (65%-31% FG, 44%-22% 3PT), outrebounded them 24-15, stole the ball 12 times, forced 14 turnovers, won the paint 36-12, and beat them on fast breaks, 18-3. Anunoby led all scorers with a playoff career-high of 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting (plus seven boards and four steals, for Pete’s sake). Second-highest scorer? Mikal Bridges with 16—and he’d finish 24! Nice rebound game after what’s been a rough series for Bridges. For the home team, Jalen Johnson had 11 points and finished with 21.
NY started the second half with a 12-2 run. The lead reached 61 points, the largest lead in playoff history. Here’s the proof—and remember, Atlanta is a professional basketball team and playing an elimination game. Simply stunning:
From there, Atlanta managed a 16-8 stretch, but New York had no reason to sweat. Coach Mike Brown kept all the starters in until 5:24, when he swapped Clarkson and Miles McBride for Anunoby and Bridges. His counterpart, Snyder, said defense be damned and sent in Buddy Hield to launch some shots. At the 2:45 mark, Brown subbed in Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Ariel Hukporti. With three quarters in the books, New York was ahead 117-64.
In the fourth, Brown emptied his bench, giving postseason minutes to Tyler Kolek, Shamet, Pacome Dadiet, Jeremy Sochan, and Mohamed Diawara. Snyder went with Corey Kispert, Jonathan Kuminga, Zaccharie Risacher, Tony Bradley, and Keaton Wallace—and the reserve Knicks had still outscored Atlanta by the midway mark. While the more expensive players enjoyed the game with grins all around, the back-ups brought it home with ease.
Congratulations to the Hawks for an impressive run through the last leg of the season, for giving the Knicks a challenge for three games, and, most of all, for ridding themselves of that deadbeat Trae Young. Especially that last one. Eff that guy.
Up Next
Sir Matthew Miranda is sharpening his pen to treat you lot to a ripe recap. The Knicks will face whoever survives the Celtics-Sixers series—at this moment, Philly leads by 15 in the third quarter and is trying to force a Game Seven. Me? I’m going to bed with a big dumb smile on my face. Thanks, Knickerbockers.
: ESPN) 
