Category: Basketball

Celtics become first NBA team to achieve this incredible playoff feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics eliminated the Orlando Magic from the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs Tuesday, and they did it with an emphatic statement.

After a back-and-forth, physical first half in Game 5 at TD Garden, the Celtics offense finally got rolling in the second half and cruised to a 120-89 series-clinching win.

Jayson Tatum again led the Celtics with 35 points, along with 10 assists and eight rebounds in 34 minutes. He has scored 35-plus points in three consecutive games since missing Game 2 of the series due to a bone bruise in his right wrist.

Jaylen Brown chipped in 23 points and Boston’s bench scored 39 points.

The Celtics made some impressive history, too. They became the first team ever to trail at halftime in a playoff game and win by 30-plus points.

Boston trailed 49-47 and ended up winning by 31 points, highlighted by a 36-13 scoring advantage in the third quarter.

Even though the Celtics lost only one game in this series, it was a pretty hard-fought matchup. It was a very physical series, and the Magic’s defense gave the Celtics problems throughout.

The good news for the Celtics is that they got the job done in quick fashion and bought themselves some valuable time to rest and recover before starting their Eastern Conference semifinals series.

The C’s will play the winner of the New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons first-round matchup. The Knicks lead that series 3-2 with Game 6 in Detroit scheduled for Thursday.

Giannis to Warriors? Eight potential suitors after Bucks eliminated originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Greek Freak has an uncertain future.

After a third straight first-round exit in the NBA playoffs, many are beginning to speculate about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s next steps with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Could the team really trade away the two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star? Antetokounmpo, who ended a 50-year title drought for the Bucks in 2021, has delivered season after season since being drafted in 2013. But the team around him has slowly deteriorated, a fact that was punctuated when his co-star Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday.

With that in mind, it’s time to start looking ahead. If the Bucks are going to trade Antetokounmpo, this is the offseason to do it. He still has two years left on his contract before he can opt for free agency, which should maximize the potential return for newly extended GM Jon Horst.

Here are eight teams that could trade for Antetokounmpo, plus a look at what the package could include:

Houston Rockets

Trade assets: Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks via Phoenix, 2027 first-round pick swap with Brooklyn, 2029 first-round pick swaps with Phoenix and Dallas, 2028/2030/2031 own first-round picks

The Rockets surprised a lot of people this season by earning the No. 2 seed in a competitive Western Conference. But, through four playoff games, their inexperience has shown against the veteran Golden State Warriors. Antetokounmpo would bring them to another level, and they certainly have the players and picks to make this happen while keeping franchise cornerstone Amen Thompson.

San Antonio Spurs

Trade assets: Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, 2026 first-round pick swap with Atlanta, 2027 first-round pick via Atlanta, 2028 first-round pick swap with Boston, 2030 first-round pick swap with Dallas or Minnesota, 2031 first-round pick swap with Sacramento, 2025/2029 own first-round picks

If Victor Wembanyama returns to full strength, this could be devastating for the rest of the league. The Spurs were battling for a play-in spot before Wemby was ruled out for the season, and expectations will only be higher next season with De’Aaron Fox now in hand. It would be tough to part with the recently crowned Rookie of the Year in Castle, but it would be worth paying for Antetokounmpo to join Wemby in San Antonio.

Brooklyn Nets

Trade assets: Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Keon Johnson, 2025 first-round picks via Houston/Milwaukee/New York, 2027 first round pick via Philaedelphia (1-8 protection), 2027 first-round pick via New York, 2029 first-round pick via New York, 2031 first-round pick via New York, 2025/2026/2027/2028/2030/2031 own first-round picks

Brooklyn doesn’t have the young talent to offer like Houston and San Antonio, but it has plenty of draft picks. Plus, it has the allure of being in New York City — which could be intriguing for Antetokounmpo. He would be brought in as the first piece, with the expectation that more star power could be added around him.

New York Knicks

Trade assets: Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, 2026 first-round pick via Washington (1-10 protection), 2026 own first-round pick (can only trade after this year’s draft)

If the Nets are included, you have to throw in the Knicks. They surrendered five first-round picks to their cross-borough rivals in the Mikal Bridges trade, but the Knicks still have pieces to make this trade work. It could be enticing for the Bucks if they want to stay competitive — it just wouldn’t help them much if they’re looking to rebuild through the draft. Jalen Brunson is likely the only Knicks player who isn’t available in this trade.

Golden State Warriors

Trade assets: Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Quinten Post, 2026-31 own first-round picks

Compared to the other teams listed, the Warriors don’t have nearly enough assets to pull this off. But we’ve seen that anything can happen in the NBA trade market. Golden State has long-coveted Antetokounmpo, and he would be an ideal piece alongside the aging Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. It’s tricky to make the salary work, but it’s an exciting hypothetical.

Chicago Bulls

Trade assets: Coby White, Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams, 2026 first-round pick via Portland (1-14 protection), 2025-31 own first-round picks

Another big-market team that has long been linked to Antetokounmpo but probably doesn’t have the pieces to make a trade happen. Some of the Bulls’ young players took steps forward this season, but the lack of picks makes this less intriguing — unless, of course, Chicago has some lottery luck this year.

Miami Heat

Trade assets: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic, 2025 first-round pick via Golden State, 2026/2028/2029/2030/2031 own first-round picks

It’s time for a major pivot in South Beach following the Jimmy Butler trade and historic first-round loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Any and all assets should be on the table for Antetokounmpo, including All-Stars Adebayo and Herro. No one is untouchable if it means acquiring a player of this stature. Much like the Knicks, this could be a package Milwaukee pursues if it wants to remain somewhat competitive.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Trade assets: Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, 15 first-round picks through 2031 from various franchises

Why break up a potential championship team? This only works if the Thunder end up falling short in the playoffs. Even if they win the title, though, it’s an idea worth exploring. GM Sam Presti has more draft picks than he knows what to do with, and this would be a way to cash them all in. It’s a move that he hasn’t made up to this point, but perhaps a player like Antetokounmpo changes his mindset.

What Draymond told ‘confused' Eason after Warriors-Rockets skirmish originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Neither the Warriors nor the Houston Rockets have been big fans of the officiating in their NBA Western Conference first-round playoff series.

While both teams have expressed their frustrations about certain calls, there was one play in Golden State’s 109-106 Game 4 win over Houston on Monday that left Rockets forward Tari Eason confused.

With the Rockets leading the Warriors 47-46 near the end of the second quarter, Eason stripped the ball from Warriors forward Draymond Green near the top of Houston’s key before Eason fell over Green after Green appeared to tug the back of his jersey after the strip.

Green then rolled over Eason and had his foot near his head as the Rockets forward stood up and shoved him, which led to both teams’ benches clearing.

Another scuffle ensues involving Draymond and Tari Eason 😬 pic.twitter.com/U9Ci1MyqfN

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 29, 2025

Both Green and Eason were assessed technical fouls, and in speaking to reporters after Rockets practice on Wednesday, Eason shared his thoughts about the incident with Green.

Tari Eason on a chippy Game 4 of Rockets-Warriors:

“I was surprised I got a technical, just because when somebody’s leg is on the back of your head, I don’t understand exactly what they wanted me to do in that situation. He (Draymond Green) then grabbed me. So, I’m confused.” pic.twitter.com/UygRupQBNo

— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) April 30, 2025

“I was surprised I got a technical, because when somebody’s leg is on the back of your head, I don’t understand what they want me to do in that situation besides getting his leg off the back of my head,” Eason told reporters. “And once I got his leg off the back of my head, he then grabbed me. So I’m confused why I got a technical. But at the same time I’m not, they’ve been calling the game kind of like that the whole series, so it is what it is.”

Green and Eason were seen talking on the court later in the game, and Eason was asked if Green apologized to him for the incident.

“We talked, he was like, ‘If I was going to kick you in the head, I would have done it on purpose,’ I guess,” Eason said of his conversation with Green. “There’s no apologies in this situation, I’m not looking for no apology.”

Green has had his fair share of on-court incidents with opposing players over the years, some resulting in suspensions, and has been at the center of multiple altercations already in this series.

And it’s fair to assume it won’t be the last, even as the Warriors look to close out the series in Game 5 on Wednesday at Toyota Center.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo has criticized Tyrese Haliburton’s father as the aftermath of Bucks-Pacers playoff series descended into a heated confrontation.

Haliburton sealed the Pacers’ 4-1 series victory with a lay-up in overtime that gave them a 119-118 victory on Tuesday night. In the ensuing celebrations, Antetokounmpo says Haliburton’s father, John, approached him and waved a towel while shouting “this is what we fucking do.”

“I believe in being humble in victory,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “A lot of people out there that are like, no, when you win the game, you talk shit and it’s a green light for you to be disrespectful towards somebody else. I disagree.”

Haliburton was unhappy with his father too.

“I don’t agree with what transpired there from him,” Haliburton said. “Basketball is basketball and let’s keep it on the court. I think he just got excited, saw his son make a game winner and came on the court, but we had a conversation.

“He needs to just allow me to play basketball and stay over there and I’ll come to him to celebrate. But the emotions of the game got excited there. I talked with him. I’ll talk with Giannis. I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there.”

Antetokounmpo had a 30-point, 20-rebound and 13-assist triple-double as the Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row, and for a second time in succession against the Pacers.

John Haliburton, who has been a basketball referee, later apologized on social media for the incident.

“I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game,” he wrote. “This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”

Antetokounmpo was also involved in a fracas with the Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin after the game. The two initially embraced before Antetokounmpo put his hand on Mathurin’s neck and the two started shoving each other.

In Tuesday night’s other games, Jamal Murray erupted for 43 points and Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 in his return from injury, sparking the Nuggets’ 131-115 win over the Los Angeles Clippers that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in their series. The Nuggets also got 23 from Game 4 hero Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić’s 21st career playoff triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.

Elsewhere, Cade Cunningham had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Detroit stayed alive in their first postseason appearance since 2019 by beating New York in Game 5 of their first-round series. Ausar Thompson added 22 points and Tobias Harris had 17 for the Pistons, who will have a chance to even things up Thursday night at home in Game 6. If they win that, the deciding game would be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum had 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and Boston pulled away after Magic star Paolo Banchero went to the bench with five fouls, beating Orlando in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The defending NBA champions will play either the Knicks or Pistons in the second round. Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Banchero had 19 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who have not won a playoff series since Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and coach Stan Van Gundy led them to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010.

Why Parsons believes Warriors' Butler trade better than Luka-to-Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Both the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off stunning blockbuster deals at this year’s NBA trade deadline.

Jimmy Butler left behind a messy situation in Miami and landed in Golden State, while Luka Dončić, unbeknownst to him, was shipped to Southern California in a move that sent shockwaves throughout the entire sports world.

Each star made an instant impact on their respective teams, guiding them to a trip to the postseason and securing a first-round playoff series. Now with a bit more time to digest the original news of each trade, FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” crew evaluated the moves and chose which team made the better trade.

“It’s the Warriors and Jimmy Butler,” former NBA forward Chandler Parsons said. “The impact he made. This team was dead in the water. The window was closing. … Then we bring in Jimmy Butler. This team has just taken off to a whole new level. And I think we can judge Luka’s impact further down the road. The guy’s 25, 26 years old. I think his impact will come. The Lakers were already good with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Do I think they got better with Luka? 100 percent. But there’s no denying the impact that Jimmy Butler has had on [the Warriors].

“They went from a team that was on the fringe of even making the playoffs. I think they were the 11th seed when they made the trade all the way up to the seventh seed, where they could’ve been even higher than that. And now they’re a team that’s a real contender. Once they get past this round, they got a chance to win next round, too. Jimmy Butler’s impact is 100 percent more valuable than anybody right now at the deadline.”

The numbers don’t lie.

The Warriors are 25-8 with Butler in their lineup and 26-27 without. The Lakers are 19-13 with Dončić and 32-22 without.

And currently, Golden State holds a 3-1 playoff series lead over the Houston Rockets and is one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is on the brink of a first-round exit down 3-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In 28 regular-season games with the Lakers, Dončić averaged 28.2 points on 43.8 percent shooting, with 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.1 minutes.

Butler averaged 17.9 points on 47.6 percent shooting in 30 regular-season contests with the Warriors, adding 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes.

Maybe only time will tell the true impact each player will have on their teams, but as of now, Parsons is pretty confident the Warriors have the edge.

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Mosley's reaction to Banchero foul highlights difference between C's, Magic originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jamahl Mosley and Paolo Banchero both knew the stakes.

When Banchero was called for his fifth foul just three minutes into the second half of the Orlando Magic’s Game 5 first-round playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics, it meant Mosley would have to send his star player to the bench for an extended period during a crucial stretch, or keep him on the floor and risk him fouling out of an elimination game.

So, Banchero and Mosley both shared choice words for referee Tony Brothers, while Mosley disgustedly signaled for a challenge to try to get the call overturned. But Banchero’s foul on Jaylen Brown stood, and what happened next was inevitable.

The Celtics ripped off a 30-9 run with Banchero on the bench, turning a 53-53 tie into a 21-point lead and transforming a close game into a series-ending, 120-89 blowout.

Mosley didn’t mince words when asked about Banchero’s fifth foul, in which Banchero got into Brown’s airspace and took an inadvertent elbow to the face as Brown went up for a layup.

“It definitely swung the series. It definitely swung the game. I have no idea what the explanation was,” Mosley told reporters. “He came into his path. All I saw is Paolo getting an elbow to the face or back into the face – and he got the foul.

“That was a game-changer right there. Your best player picks up his fifth foul in the third quarter. It’s tough to come back from that moment, but our guys continued to fight.”

Mosley is right, of course. It’s tough to come back from losing your star player — especially when he’s your entire offense.

Banchero averaged 29.4 points per game over the five-game series, accounting for nearly one-third (31.4 percent) of Orlando’s total points. Banchero (147 total points) and sidekick Franz Wagner (129 points) scored 276 of the Magic’s 468 points over five games, generating nearly 60 percent of their offense.

No other Orlando player scored more than 51 total points in the series.

Banchero is the engine that drives the Magic offense. But he and Wagner are essentially the entire car, as Orlando’s supporting cast was essentially non-existent in this series. Magic players not named Banchero or Wagner shot just 39.9 percent collectively in the series and a putrid 23.9 percent from 3-point range (22 for 92).

The Celtics have their own star duo in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who also did a bulk of Boston’s scoring in this series (31.3 points per game for Tatum; 23 per game for Brown). But they have the luxury of a much deeper supporting cast, from Derrick White (30 points in Game 1; 17.2 points per game in the series), to Kristaps Porzingis (20 points in Game 2; 19 points in Game 4), to Jrue Holiday (20 points and 11 assists combined in Games 1 and 2), to Payton Pritchard (33 combined points in Games 1 and 2).

And that’s not to mention Al Horford’s five blocks in Game 4 or Sam Hauser’s 10 points off the bench in Game 5.

Depth was a difference-maker for the Celtics during their 2024 championship run, and it helped them overcome a feisty Magic team in the first round. The path gets more challenging going forward — the C’s await the winner of the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons in the second round — but the more contributions they can get outside Tatum and Brown, the better chances they’ll have at repeating.

Jalen Duren was probably one of the happiest people in Manhattan on Tuesday night.

“This is amazing. Being here, in this atmosphere, playing against this team, there’s nothing like it,” Duren said late Tuesday in the visitor’s locker room at MSG. “This is what you dream of as a basketball player.”

Duren’s dream was obviously a nightmare for the Knicks. New York let a chance to close out this series slip through their fingers on Tuesday night.

What went wrong? New York’s top two options on offense didn’t shoot the ball well. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns missed a combined 21 shots on 30 attempts. The other Knick starters shot a combined 22-for-42 from the field.

The Knicks also seemed to botch a late-game situation.

Brunson (leg) and Josh Hart (wrist) both had left the game late in the fourth quarter due to injury. The Knicks traded water with Hart and Brunson. But both were ready to return, standing at the scorer’s table with under a minute to play and the Knicks down four. New York could have called timeout to get Hart and Brunson in the game (they had one timeout to use). The club also could have stopped the clock with a foul. But Tom Thibodeau decided against both options. He let play continue with Hart and Brunson standing at the scorer’s table. Cade Cunningham found Ausar Thompson for a layup on the ensuing possession, expanding the Pistons’ lead to six with 27 seconds to play.

“Just coach’s decision,” Thibodeau said after the game when asked about the sequence.

What factors go into the decision?

“You look at the time, score, penalty, timeouts, all of the above,” Thibodeau said. “What’s happening in the game. The next possession, we’re weighing — there’s a lot that goes into it.”

Hindsight is 20/20 but the coach’s decision late in Game 5 turned out to be the wrong one.

Detroit finished the Knicks off with two Cade Cunningham free throws.

Now, New York faces a Pistons team that’s loose and brimming with confidence entering Game 6 on Thursday. This is a Pistons team that doesn’t shrink in tough moments.

“When you’re back is against the wall, you might be stuck in the corner, the only way to get out is to keep swinging,” Duren said. “That’s what we did, just kept swinging. Got out that corner.”

The Knicks aren’t quite on the ropes entering Game 6 on Thursday. But a loss would put all of the pressure on the Knicks in Game 7. The Pistons are playing with house money; New York needs to win the series.

Will the Knicks be able to close it out on Thursday?

Cade Cunningham doesn’t think so. He plans to return to the Garden for Game 7.

“We’ll be back,” he said.

For the Clippers, Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets meant being one more win away from advancing in the playoffs or one more loss away from going home.

From the start, the Clippers walked a tightrope that had them teetering all game, falling behind from the very beginning, putting stress on their defense. They were unable to contain Jamal Murray in falling behind by 22 points in the fourth quarter and unable to muster enough energy in losing 131-115 on Tuesday night at Ball Arena.

“I don’t think [it’s] sense of urgency. I think they kicked our butt,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They played well. Game 4, like I said, I didn’t think we came out with a sense of urgency. But tonight I thought we had the right intent and they just took it to us.”

With Murray cooking the Clippers for a series-high 43 points, they trail the best-of-seven series 3-2 and are on the brink of being eliminated in the first round for the third straight season.

“The tough start was Jamal Murray,” Lue said. “I thought he came out being aggressive, which we knew he would. That’s why we started off with a blitz against him, just to try to slow him down. We knew in Game 5 he would come out aggressive. He made every shot.”

Win Game 6 on Thursday night at the Intuit Dome or the season is over for the Clippers. If they win, then the winner-take-all Game 7 is Saturday in Denver.

But history does not favor the Clippers. The team that wins Game 5 of a tied series has gone on to win the series 81.3% of the time.

Read more:Kawhi Leonard isn't surprised Clippers and Nuggets are locked in playoff showdown

Ivica Zubac was solid with a playoff career-high 27 points. Kawhi Leonard was one rebound shy of a triple-double with 20 points, a playoff career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds.

But the Clippers had no answer for Murray, who was efficient with his shooting, going 17 for 26 from the field and eight for 14 from three-point range. He also had seven assists and five rebounds. The Nuggets also got a triple-double of 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds from Nikola Jokic.

“I’m just glad we got a win, man, to be honest with you,” Murray said. “Shots are going to miss, they are going to make. I’m still going to play my game. I’m still going to be aggressive. I’m going to shoot the shots that I shoot. But like I said, it was a team win.”

After Murray drilled a three-pointer and assisted Aaron Gordon on a three-pointer for a 17-point Nuggets lead, Lue called a timeout with 2:35 left in the game and removed his starters.

“I just thought Jamal Murray was excellent tonight,” Lue said.

Lue had implored his group to get off to a better start, to not have to play catchup in this road game, to not get “bored with the process.”

But the Clippers struggled in the first quarter, putting themselves in a hole from the start. They fell behind 35-23 at the end of the first. They shot just 39.1% from the field and just 14.3% (one for seven) from three-point range.

“We’re trying to figure it out,” Zubac said about the Clippers’ slow starts. “They are more physical to start. I don’t think it’s a tactical thing, or strategies. It’s just we got to play harder.”

Russell Westbrook, the former Clipper, hurt his former team with his energy and effort.

Westbrook missed Game 4 because of left foot inflammation and was sharp in his return, scoring 11 of his 16 first-half points in the second quarter and finishing with 21.

And when Westbrook scored, he frequently glared at the Clippers’ bench.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Knicks lost Game 5 to the Detroit Pistons, 106-103, on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways...

-With the chance to close out a playoff series at home for the first time since 1999, the Knicks looked a little discombobulated in the first six to seven minutes, scoring just seven points before Josh Hart's corner three with 4:57 left in the quarter got New York closer and made it 12-10 Detroit. The triple was the Knicks' only made three of the quarter as they shot 16.7 percent (1-for-6) from deep.

-Hart led all scorers after 12 minutes with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting while usual scoring suspects Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson combined for just five points in the opening quarter. Brunson went 0-for-3 from the field and had two of New York's six turnovers in the quarter. He also uncharacteristically missed two free throws, but had four assists in a low-scoring period where the Knicks shot 37.5 percent from the floor.

-The Pistons weren't much better, shooting 29.2 percent from the field. Cade Cunningham had an abysmal quarter with two points and two fouls, including an offensive foul against Hart while bringing the ball up the court with 1:33 left in the first. The foul was initiated by the cagey veteran Hart after scoring a layup and seemed to give New York the momentum to finish the quarter on a 9-2 run and go into the second quarter with a 23-22 lead.

-Mitchell Robinson had seven of his 11 rebounds in just six minutes in the first quarter, five of them on the offensive glass.

-After a few misses to start the second quarter, the offense began clicking for both sides. For the Knicks, Towns came alive and scored nine while OG Anunoby had seven in just over a minute.

-On the Pistons' side Tobias Harris became a man on a mission after getting poked in the eye early in the quarter and scored seven points on three straight makes. He cooled off after that but Ausar Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. made up the difference with Cunningham still hardly a factor.

-Coming out of the break with a 50-49 advantage, New York quickly lost its lead as Cunningham started to come around and Detroit's role players continued to hit shots. The Knicks' deficit grew to as big as 10 points with 4:29 left in the quarter as Thompson knocked down a couple of free throws to make it 71-61.

-From that point on it was a total team effort to get back into the game as New York went on a 9-0 run to cut the Pistons' lead to one. Malik Beasley put an end to his team's scoring drought with a couple of made shots and Detroit, desperate to keep its season alive, went into the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.

-Mikal Bridges, quiet for most of the game, gave the Knicks their first lead since early in the third quarter with a three-pointer with 10:03 left in the game. 13 of Bridges' 17 points came in the fourth as he did his best to keep his team alive.

-After Robinson knotted things up at 90 with a two-pointer with 5:15 remaining and Towns tied it again with a deep three nearly two minutes later that sent the crowd at Madison Square Garden into a frenzy, the Pistons retook the lead and did not relinquish it, surviving multiple huge shots by New York down the stretch to cut the lead.

Bridges made his second three of the quarter with 25.1 seconds left to make it 103-100 and Anunoby somehow saw a contested shot from downtown go in to get the Knicks to within one with seven ticks left. But with ice in his veins, the 23-year-old Cunningham calmly hit two free throws and New York couldn't get a final shot off, losing 106-103.

-Neither Brunson nor Cunningham shot the ball well at all in this one, but they both made their money by getting to the free throw line. Cunningham, who finished with 24 points, went 11-for-12 at the stripe while Brunson had 16 points and went 7-for-10 from the line.

-As a team, the Knicks went 16-for-27 (59.3 percent) from the free-throw line which cost them the game.

Game MVP: Cade Cunningham

With just four points at halftime, Cunningham stayed with it in the second half and finished with a game-high 24 points.

Highlights

KAT throws it down 💪

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/hyS4rvLuxx

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 29, 2025

Josh Hart from the corner 🎯

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/BSwshKKTaq

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

BLOCKED BY ANUNOBY!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/c18O9ABRNP

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

Cam Payne for three!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/lg2QKhUpnU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

OG is ballin' 💪

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/mvo5BTN9bb

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

KAT WITH THE AND-ONE AND HE CHIRPS TOBIAS HARRIS

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/S0HamF9sha

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

HUSTLE FROM HART + A BUCKET FROM KAT

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/zDjxdktfYm

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

Josh Hart to the basket 💪

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/jLk0oJfhlH

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

OG with the tough finish!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/tCHJw634Em

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 30, 2025

What's next

The Knicks will have another chance to close out the series at home on Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

C's overcoming 3-point woes is great sign for title chances originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics often lived and died by the 3-point shot throughout the regular season. The Orlando Magic forced the reigning NBA champions to play a different style out of the gate in the playoffs, and they passed their first test with flying colors.

Boston clinched the first-round series 4-1 despite struggling against Orlando’s stingy 3-point defense. After making only nine 3s in Games 3 and 4, the C’s prevailed with a 120-89 Game 5 victory after shooting 0-for-6 from distance in the first half.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla preached throughout the series about the importance of winning on the margins: rebounding, taking care of the basketball, and defending without fouling. Those proved key to Boston’s wins and were evident in the second half of Tuesday’s blowout.

“Yeah, we didn’t turn it over in the third quarter,” Mazzulla said. “It’s that simple. Occam’s Razor.”

Occam’s Razor is a problem-solving principle that suggests the simplest explanation is usually the best. In this case, that’s true.

The Celtics actually didn’t turn the ball over at all in the entire second half after tallying nine turnovers in the first. They outrebounded the Magic 20-17 and had seven fouls to Orlando’s 10 — including star Paolo Banchero’s game-changing fifth foul — over the final 24 minutes.

Boston ended up with more made more 3s (13) than Orlando (eight) but were -14 in 3-point attempts (24 to 38). That is by far the C’s worst margin of the season, with their previous worst of -8 coming against the Brooklyn Nets on March 15.

“Orlando did a good job of trying to make us play a different style of ball, and I think we adjusted to that well,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said. “They wanted to take away our 3-point shooting. … I think it was a great challenge for us, and I think it’s a great step for us moving forward.”

Brown capped off his solid series with 23 points (9-18 FG) and six rebounds. His co-star Jayson Tatum erupted for a game-high 35 points (10-16 FG, 4-5 3-PT) with 10 assists and eight rebounds, making NBA playoff history in the process.

The tandem will look to carry that momentum into the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will meet either the Detroit Pistons or New York Knicks. Regardless of who they face, Mazzulla is sticking with the same keys to victory.

“The margins,” he said. “We’ve got to be able to rebound. We’ve got to be able to defend without fouling. We’ve got to take care of the basketball.”

The Celtics may not be able to get away with poor 3-point shooting against the Knicks or the top-seed Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom ranked top five in offensive rating. Still, it’s encouraging that they won’t have to rely solely on 3s falling to have a shot at their second straight NBA title.

The Knicks have a 3-2 series lead heading into Thursday’s Game 6 in Detroit. The Celtics will rest up with the second-round series likely to start early next week.

Giannis Antetokounmpo explains heated incident with Tyrese Haliburton's dad originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Indiana Pacers knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks from the NBA playoffs Tuesday with a gentlemen’s sweep, and emotions ran high not long after.

Milwaukee held a 118-111 overtime lead and looked to extend the series in the first game after Damian Lillard’s Achilles tear.

But Doc Rivers’ side stunningly blew the cushion and lost 119-118, ending the Bucks’ season and potentially Giannis Antetokounmpo’s final game with the franchise that drafted him.

After the game, Antetokounmpo got into heated conversations with some Indiana players — and the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.

The two were forehead to forehead for a few seconds exchanging words before being separated.

Shortly after the clip went viral on social media, new angles emerged on Haliburton’s dad appearing to provoke Antetokounmpo before they exchanged words.

Haliburton addressed the incident involving his father in his post-game conference, saying his dad was in the wrong and that he’ll reach out to Antetokounmpo to ensure there’s no bad blood.

Antetokounmpo detailed what happened when Haliburton’s dad provoked him, but Antetokounmpo didn’t know who the fan was until later and showed respect to Haliburton.

“Losing the game. The emotions run high,” Antetokounmpo explained. “Having a fan, which at the moment I thought he was a fan, but then I realize it was Tyrese’s son, which I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. It was his dad, sorry. Coming in the floor and showing me his son, a towel with his face, this is what we do. This is what we F-ing do. This what the F we do. This… I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.”

Antetokounmpo also mentioned being “humble in victory,” as he has won a championship in his career while the Pacers have not.

Haliburton’s father, John, later posted to social media apologizing to Giannis, the Bucks and the Pacers.

Haliburton scored the game-winning layup in the closing seconds to avoid a Game 6, with a series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers up next.

Meanwhile for Milwaukee, the future could get dark if Antetokounmpo chooses to leave via a trade. The Bucks don’t have a competitive roster and Antetokounmpo turns 31 in December.

With Lillard’s Achilles tear and Kyle Kuzma not providing help after Khris Middleton faded away, Antetokounmpo’s best shot at winning may lie elsewhere. Milwaukee’s pool of young talent and draft picks are both stark, too.