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‘All of those things mattered': Inside Neemias Queta's breakout with Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Neemias Queta’s NBA future was murky at best when the Sacramento Kings cut him in September of 2023.

The Boston Celtics, despite an overstocked frontcourt that would soon deliver the franchise’s 18th title, were convinced they could mold Queta into the sort of player who could aid a championship quest.

“They told me right away, like, ‘OK man, you’re here, we’ve got these guys ahead of you, they’re really good, and you can become one of them. But you’ve got to put in the work,’” said Queta. “We’ve got to put you through these situations where we can develop you and try to get the best version of yourself.”

A dramatic frontcourt overhaul this past summer cleared a pathway for Queta to elevate to a starting role. But it was Queta’s relentless desire to improve, including over the course of the 2025-26 season, that confirmed Boston’s decision and helped Queta emerge as one of the best value contracts in the league.

On Friday, the NBA will announce the winner of this year’s Most Improved Player. Queta is not one of the three finalists — Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Portland’s Deni Avdija, and Detroit’s Jalen Duren will vie for the honor — but Queta should slot somewhere close behind that trio.

Queta and the Celtics have more pressing issues, anyhow. Queta’s postseason performance could play a major role in the length of Boston’s playoff stay.

Joel Embiid — the league’s reigning MVP at the time Sacramento cut ties with Queta — returned to Sixers practice on Thursday and soon could be back in game action. If the Celtics outlast Philadelphia in Round 1, Queta might be tasked with defending the likes of New York’s Karl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson or Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — or maybe get his own MIP showdown with Duren.

It’s crazy to think that, less than three years ago, Queta wasn’t certain what the next step in his NBA journey would be. The Celtics were certain they could tap into his potential.

“From that point on, it was just a matter of putting in the work, being in the lab, watching film,” said Queta. “And, honestly, I think the structure made my life so much easier. And the setup from workouts every day, we were doing individual work, the film sessions as a group, the individual film sessions, [coach] Joe [Mazzulla’s] attention to detail, too — all of those things mattered.”

Mazzulla said it was a series of spot starts that Queta made last season when Celtics’ veteran big men were resting that helped Queta earn the trust of the coaching staff. After Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all departed this offseason, Mazzulla made sure Queta knew he was going to be the starting big man for the 2025-26 Celtics.

“We had guys out [last season] and he won a game for us,” said Mazzulla. “There’s been a bunch of times where Al or KP had sat, or guys were out, and Neemi played, and the minutes that you give are so impactful. And I thought it was important to empower him to be the starting center of the Celtics after what he did for us over the last couple years in Maine, [and] in those games where guys are out. And he’s taken that responsibility and ownership very seriously.”

Queta and Mazzulla huddled early in the summer of 2025, and Mazzulla laid out the plan to elevate Queta to a starter.

“We went to dinner and we just chopped it up for a couple hours, and it was pretty special,” said Queta. “When we had that conversation, it was more about, ‘OK Neemi, you know what’s going on. You know what’s going to be ahead of you for the future. Make sure you get ready. Do your thing, work as hard as you can, but be prepared, because it’s a different level of expectancy, [and] it’s a different level of responsibility as well.’ So, knowing that I’d be counted upon every night to deliver was huge for me, knowing that the season was going to be big for us.

“My ability to go into the summer, knowing every day that I’d be counted on, and just going out there working as hard as I could, just opened up the mindset for me to come in every night and deliver.”

Mazzulla pulled no punches with his advice for Queta.

“Get your mind right. You have to figure it out. I don’t want to hear any s—,” Mazzulla said of his instructions after naming Queta starter. “I’m telling you now so that by the time the season starts, you have an understanding of what the expectation is, what we need from you.

“Credit to him, he cares, he wants to get better, pushes himself. He’s really quiet, so you don’t get to see the competitive mindset that he really has on wanting to get better and get it right, but he cares, man. He’s good.”

Queta just wants to do all the dirty work to aid winning. He jousts with bigs and hunts rebounds. He finished second in the NBA in screen assists (274) and screen-assist points (668), trailing only Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in both categories.

Queta owned the best net rating in the entire Eastern Conference (minimum of 50 games played and 25 minutes per game) as the Celtics outscored opponents by 13.2 points per 100 possessions in his floor time. (Duren was second at +11.8). Queta also had the best defensive rating in the East at 105.6 (second: Detroit’s Ausar Thompson at 107.2).

Queta ranked 18th in ESPN’s new Net Points metric that uses box score data to quantify a player’s two-way impact. Queta finished third overall in Defensive Net Points, trailing only San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren. Wembanyama was the Defensive Player of the Year, while Holmgren finished second in the voting.

Queta doesn’t take the opportunity for granted and just wants to keep improving.

“It’s surreal still to me, being able to find my way in this league, finding a place where I’m believed in, a coach that trusts me and wants the best for me, is just huge for me,” said Queta. “And I want to come out here and do my best to deliver.”

Queta doesn’t need a Most Improved trophy to know just how far he’s come.

Nikola Jokic, three-time NBA MVP and in the running for yet another one this year, is not one to shy away from physicality. At 6’11, 284 lbs, the Denver Nuggets big man is hard to contain under the basket, but he has another asset that opponents fear more: His vision and playmaking. 

So in order to try to contain him, get to him mentally and tire him, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a type of hack-a-Shaq plan to try to stress him during the first games of the playoffs: hit him, poke him, hack him, jab him constantly. It’s a case of death by a thousand cuts. 

This clip from game two in Denver this week made its rounds because it clearly crosses a line. 13 hits, pokes, taps, hacks, jabs – whatever you want to call it – in a seven second possession. 

It’s not the straightforward hack-a-Shaq type tactics, where you foul a bad free throw shooter because you can’t defend him any other way. It’s a more subtle tactic. 

These tiny but constant hits are not just stressful, they tire you and distract you. Just playing through it as Nikola Jokic does here without even acknowledging it, is a power move in itself, but it is bound to wear on you and limit the energy you have for other things, like creating, playmaking and finishing. 

And it seems to have worked. Jokic has great touch but in this game he missed 12 field goals, his field goal percentage was down to 40 compared to 57 percent for the season. 

This is not a new strategy if you want to try to contain certain players. It was so used that they abolished handchecking in 2004. 

The question is: if this is handchecking, why aren’t they calling it? 

If this is not handchecking because Julius Randle keeps moving his hand, only to jab repeatedly, then why aren’t they calling the hits?

In game three, Jaden McDaniels is lauded for his great defense on Denver’s Jamal Murray, but he clearly steers him by the hip on multiple occasions just in this clip. That is how you define handchecking, and it’s been illegal since 2004. 

If handchecking is illegal, why aren’t they calling a blatant example like this one?

If you compare what referees call on another player in the running for MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the contrast is glaring. He would have moved into a shooting motion right away as in this clip and probably not end in a similar situation as Jokic in the first clip. But overall, it’s an interesting comparison. What constitutes a foul, and why?

Though Jokic usually doesn’t refrain from talking to refs (Murray neither) he chose not to here. The smart and experienced player knows that the energy he has to expend complaining to the referees about this stuff amounts to energy not spent on the game. And opposing teams know it’s worth it to try to get under his skin like this. 

But is it ethical? Is it the kind of basketball we want in the NBA – or to develop into? 

There’s two ways to go here: we can either agree that the best players should be protected by the refs, ensuring longevity and less injuries during a long NBA season. And we can agree on what is legal and what is not. 

Or we can buy into the somewhat old-head argumentation that physicality is part of the game and that players today are too soft. And there is something appealing in that. ‘Let them play, it’s a smart strategy to win and it’s part of the game’. Whoever outsmarts the other wins, and they deserve it, right?

But don’t all players deserve to be treated more or less the same? Allowing this type of mental (and physical) game on one player and not the other seems unjustifiable. And it makes the NBA harder and harder to watch. 

Now, in the Balkans – like Serbia – these mind tricks and mental games and trying to get around the rules are not new. Jokic and his “I played in Serbia, brother” grew up with this stuff. He’s unfazed here and will probably tell you he’s tried worse.

But the question remains: Is it ok that Julius Randle gets to jab Nikola Jokic 13 times in 7 seconds with no whistle? 

And that Jaden McDaniels blatantly gets to handcheck Murray again and again?

If your answer is yes, then you have to consider the outcome of not protecting players and what that means for the league if they keep allowing this – in the case of Jokic. Less availability, more injuries, less minutes and games played by the most popular players. 

This is not a one time thing, the physical play allowed on most occasions fails to protect the players. If the referees would call this stuff and still allow for physical play under the basket, things would look different.

Often, they don’t. They miss it or don’t call it, and the game suffers on that account. This specific game two, but also the game of basketball. 

If they keep allowing things that were made illegal decades ago, why do we even have the rules? 

If we keep letting this stuff happen, imagine what it could turn into. I don’t even want to entertain that thought. And if the NBA wants its best players to play as much and as long as possible, they need to protect them better. 

Basketball is about moments. It’s about the biggest players taking over when it matters the most, of chemistry and connection and not shying away from pressure. But it’s also about strategy and tactics and coaching, about IQ and vision and defense. 

All of this is diminished, made pedestrian even, by this type of mind tricks and dirty plays. The great game of basketball becomes mundane. Normal. We can all get ahead by finding ways to trick and cheat. But that’s not what we want to see from the best athletes in the world. 

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Well, that was some turnaround. After an absolute disaster in Game 1, the Sixers improved in just about every way possible to beat the Celtics in Game 2, 111-97.

Now, heading into Game 3, there’s even some promise for a Joel Embiid return. If not Friday, then soon, as he’s officially listed as doubtful. It’s encouraging he participated in practice on Thursday, and when speaking with media afterwards, Nick Nurse emphasized that obviously Embiid is eager to take the floor and that there’s progress to him returning.

Apart from the fundamental improvements like hitting more shots and taking much better care of the ball in Game 2, the Sixers also made some stylistic tweaks to help. The main story being them putting far more emphasis on attacking the Celtics’ drop defense with a host of high pick-and-rolls (credit to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond for plenty of strong picks) to get Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe freed up at the arc for pull-up threes in space or room to dribble in for clearer mid-range attempts and drives.

The Sixers’ guard duo was electric in this one. Edgecombe was effective from all over the floor whether he was exploding on drives off closeouts or pulling up from three (and winking to the camera for good measure). He became the youngest rookie in NBA history to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. And even though Maxey wasn’t his most efficient, finishing 11-of-28 overall, he still buried five triples and had some impressive drives to the rim.

The Celtics didn’t have an answer as the duo dropped a combined 59 points and 11 threes.

It’ll be important to monitor if the Celtics make many adjustments in an attempt to contain the Sixers’ backcourt, like using more blitzes or bringing bigs higher against the screen in pick-and-rolls more often to reduce space at the arc. The downside for Boston there, though, is that Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic don’t have the lateral quickness to hang with Philly’s guards creating space at the perimeter, or prevent them flying downhill into open drives around high closeouts.

The Celtics leaned on their deep drop scheme in Game 2 and it didn’t work whatsoever. One option could be running Jayson Tatum at the five a bit more, so they have a more agile center who can actually step up higher against drives and have a chance to hang with Maxey and Edgecombe.

But apart from changing that matchup, trying to send in more aggressive stunts to help from the strong-side wing (although this then opens up easy extra passes to shooters in a “make someone not called Tyrese or VJ beat us” strategy), higher closeouts, or blitzes, the Sixers have personnel advantages here.

At least, as long as their shooters stay hot. They only need it to last for a few games… The Celtics may just leave them to it and trust that the Sixers’ shooters can’t sustain it.

If Boston does get more aggressive in sending help from a strong-side defender on the wing like they do here, it’s hard for them to recover to their original assignment against shooters firing as quick as Maxey, Edgecombe and Paul George right now. On this second-quarter play, it’s so easy for Maxey to catch and drive off the pin-down screen from Bona, pull in Edgecombe’s defender (Sam Hauser) from the wing and then kick to VJ for an open three:

George showing off his IQ through his communication, sharp passing to exploit the attention he drew on the ball, and defense, plus hitting timely shots was also important in Game 2. Along with Maxey and Edgecombe killing it in pick-and-rolls, George did his fare share of quality work there too, including as a passer. Nothing too fancy. Just remaining calm, patient, and making the right reads to open shooters when defenders collapsed on him.

More of the same from George going forward would make such a difference to give the offense some balance if/when Maxey and Edgecombe receive more defensive attention. Having all three guys in a rhythm, getting to their spots, passing fluidly and playing off each other when they’re off the ball takes the Sixers’ chances to a new level in this series.

Even if Embiid is back in Game 3, we can’t know how he’ll look. But the bright side is he won’t need to carry the offensive load. He’ll still change the team just by providing far better finishing than his backups, creating some opportunities at the free throw line, and adding better spacing. Either way, the Sixers should keep leaning into spamming pick-and-rolls. Use Embiid as a screener too and let Maxey and Edgecombe in particular create when the Celtics have a drop scheme and personnel at center that can be exploited.

It’s unlikely the Celtics shoot as poorly again in Game 3. Unless the Sixers really are blessed by the basketball gods, Boston won’t shoot 26.0 percent from three every night, and Tatum and Derrick White won’t only go a combined 4-of-18 all the time. If the Sixers cool off a bit in that regard too, or any potential adjustments to better contain Maxey and Edgecombe come into play, momentum could easily shift away from the Sixers again.

But the fact that Philly turned in that level of performance without Embiid to make this a tie series, even if it’s right at the start at 1-1, is something to enjoy. And as our Sean Kennedy wrote, why don’t the Sixers just try to ride this small sample shooting variance for a few games to win the series? Let Maxey, Edgecombe (and PG) spam high screens and pull-up threes against drop coverage and hope the shots keep falling.

Let’s see if the renewed energy and efficiency continues Game 3, and if these scrappy Sixers can find a way to steal a series lead.

Game Details

When: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: Prime Video
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

It’s time to check LeBron James’ birth certificate. Is he really 41?

James, the NBA's oldest player – unless we discover otherwise – is the first component of the Los Angeles Lakers’ secret code. The code they’ve used while taking a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series, with Game 3 set for Friday, April 24 in Houston.

You did see LeBron’s reverse windmill jam in Game 2, right? He’s flying high, all right. In Game 1, he turned in a double-double (19 points and 13 assists), and in Game 2 he scored a game-high 28 points.

The Lakers are getting big-time performances from one-time role players while Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves remain sidelined with injuries. In fact, without their two leading scorers, the Lakers seemed more likely to be trailing the Rockets 2-0 than leading them 2-0.

Bottom line: the Lakers would not be thriving without James excelling.

Weeks ago, he agreed to play a supporting role that allowed Dončić and Reaves to get the shots they need for the Lakers to be at their most potent. But at least through two playoff games, James has proven he still has what it takes to lead a team in the postseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a 2-0 lead against the Houston Rockets without top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as they enter Game 3 on April 24 (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

LeBron James has led the Lakers alongside inspired efforts from Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. They hope to maintain their level of play as their leading scorers work their way back from injury.

Los Angeles has got to feel good about where it is currently, especially given the latest news on its stars.

Doncic, ruled out of the first round with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, was able to get some shots up during the Lakers' practice on Thursday. He was seen completing controlled, light movement and shooting with assistant coach Greg St. Jean.

Doncic first injured his hamstring with days remaining in the regular season, during a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. He was ruled out for the rest of the regular season following an MRI. \

Although he reportedly "gingerly" performed those shooting drills from inside and around the perimeter, it's still got to be a good feeling for Los Angeles to see Doncic making strides to a return.

Some Guardians players were at the Cavs-Raptors game in Toronto ahead of their series vs. the Blue Jays last night.

Sadly, the outcome was not in Cleveland’s favor. Hopefully, tonight will be different for the baseball guys.

Myself and Matt Seese talked about the baseball guys on the Disgusting Baseball Podcast last night.

Zack Meisel has 10 things that we have learned aboit the Guardians in April for the Athletic.

AROUND MLB:

Tigers walked off the Brewers and the Twins lost to the Mets who have won TWO IN A ROW!

Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault’s pregame press conference before Game 2 of the First Round of the NBA playoffs was like every other press conference. Reporters asked questions, the PR staff was calling on people, and it came 90 minutes before tip-off. To the naked eye, it was no big deal, despite the fact that it was the playoffs; the layout looked no different than an important regular-season game.

But to me, it created one of the most symbolic moments of my early career.

As I looked to my left and my right, I realized something: I was by far the youngest person in the room. Being the youngest person in an NBA media room is not a foreign experience to me. In fact, in the 15+ NBA events I’ve covered since 2023, it’s been the case for most occasions, but covering the NBA Playoffs while still in school is objectively a different beast.

It’s one of the only times of the year opposing teams will make players available to the media outside of the locker room, and unlike in the regular season, where many beat writers don’t travel to cover their team’s road games, all of them are in attendance to do live shots and get exclusive interviews. You need to be trusted to be in the media scrum for a nationally televised broadcast with playoff implications. There is no textbook to understand how things work. You just need to know how things roll, or you’ll get lost or appear out of place—the last thing you want to be when you look and are a college student in a room full of seasoned professionals. If I’m a distraction in any measure, I’ll be asked to leave or get my credentials revoked. I need to fit in while being visibly different than everyone else.

From Suns PR accepting my credential request without me needing to fill out any forms, to that when I connected with new reporters, I could tell them we had mutuals, the night for me was completely built on the fact that just because I’m still in college, I can be trusted to be a professional, which has gotten me more opportunities. Something I’ve realized is that the more opportunities I take advantage of, the more that the next one comes—with more stakes.

One of the hardest parts about being young or having a small following (or both!) is getting people to trust you, understandably. It’s why I’m ecstatic when I get popular creators or broadcasters on my podcast, Holden Conversations, where I interview Gen Z on their media experiences. The opportunities for more popular guests are continuing to grow for me because of how I’ve handled myself, and people trust me with their network to have guests with even larger followings—this helps me stay level-headed and patient with more than just growing my podcast.

I’m graduating from Syracuse University in 15 days, and more and more of my friends are getting jobs, but I still don’t have one. Getting to experience covering the playoffs and why I was able to reminds me of all the progress I’ve made as a professional, as well as reminds me that finding my first job isn’t everything. There are experiences to be had no matter what point of my life I’m in, and I can’t let what my future may or may not hold take distract me from experiences like getting to cover the defending champs pursuit of repeating, experiencing a completely new city and getting to meet great writers, reporters and broadcasters like Tim MacMahon, Joel Lorenzi, Nick Gallo, Doris Burke, Jorge Sedano and Dave Pasch.

Covering the NBA Playoffs, being a paid, traveling journalist while still in school doesn’t make me feel like I “made it,” or that I’m better than my peers, but it reminds me of how far I’ve gotten since I started college and started intensely pursuing my career aspirations. If I’m tracking my dream of hosting my own version Hot One’s like a 48-minute basketball game, I’ve finished the first quarter strong with some new momentum as I head into a new quarter of the journey.

There’s a certain confidence that follows a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoffs. The air tightens. The margin for error disappears. And when LeBron James is the one holding that two-game lead, history is always on his side. 

Over 23 seasons, across three different franchises and countless postseason runs, James has built a playoff series record that borders on untouchable. When LeBron’s team wins the first two games of a best-of-seven series, the result is literally automatic: 24-0. No exceptions. No series collapses. No Game 7 heartbreaks. 

Let’s adjust the lens and extend it further … anytime James has secured a two-game cushion in a series — whether that’s a 2-0 lead or stretching it to a 3-1 advantage — his team’s record is 32-0. Think about that for a second. The man responsible for coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals has never lost a 3-1 series lead himself. That’s not just dominance. That’s an absolute killer instinct. 

Now that same script is unfolding again in real time with the Lakers holding a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Rockets. That lead is in spite of the fact that the Lakers have been stripped of their top two leading scorers: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

“It means nothing,” James said, brushing off the weight of history after Game 2. “The series is not won until you win four. It’s the first to four. Our only mindset is Game 3.”

Now you know why he’s never lost a series when up by two games. That mindset is the blueprint. 

Because what separates James in these moments isn’t just his talent, it’s his temperament. That closeout mentality when grabbing a two-game lead isn’t a catchphrase. It’s a habit. Once he gets leverage over an opponent he doesn’t manage it. He tightens it. Possession by possession, game by game, until that opponent runs out of breath. 

For context, James’ perfect record when taking a 2-0 lead is impressive, but it’s not too far off from the overall numbers.

Across NBA history, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series go on to win 93.7% of the time. The record stands at 433-34. Narrow that to the first round alone and the percentage doesn’t budge. Still 93.7% at 192-13. The last team to climb out of an 0-2 hole in the first round of an NBA series was the Warriors in 2023. They were the reigning champions, and they stormed back to beat the Kings in seven games.

For LeBron and the Lakers, this 2-0 lead feels different. Entering the series, Houston was the heavy favorite. Even now, after two games in Los Angeles, the odds barely lean toward the Lakers. Hovering around -135 for the series. This LeBron-led team is not a juggernaut rolling downhill. They have to navigate a narrow path with limited margin for error. 

According to Opta Stats, over the course of NBA history, a team missing two players who each averaged over 20 points per game while making 100 or more 3s during the regular season have only won a playoff game twice. That was the Lakers in Games 1 and 2. 

By securing those first games at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers have guaranteed at least a Game 6. That means the series will stretch to early May, giving Doncic and Reaves over four weeks of recovery time. 

Not only do the Lakers have the numbers on their side, time is on their side as well. 

“Our group is an incredibly resilient group,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Game 2. “That’s why we have the confidence and belief … to be on this stage against a great basketball team like Houston.”

Meanwhile, the cracks on the other side are widening.

Kevin Durant returned in Game 2 but looked out of rhythm, finishing with nine turnovers — more than his made field goals — and struggling to find balance against a swarming defense.

In the second half, he had more turnovers (5) than points (3). The Rockets, once defined by cohesion and defensive identity, have drifted to visible frustration, missed assignments and finger-pointing. 

“I just gotta be more aggressive,” Durant said after the Game 2 loss. “There’s plenty of time.”

Time is exactly what history says he doesn’t have.

For the Lakers to continue LeBron’s perfect record, they’ll need to repeat the same formula. They’ll need their role players to continue to step up. In Game 1, that was Luke Kennard. In Game 2, it was Marcus Smart. James will continue to anchor everything. He’s got 47 points, 16 rebounds and 20 assists through the first two games. 

At 41 years old, the question will always linger: How much does he have left? The postseason is way more demanding on the body. Look no further than James’ knee collision against the Timberwolves in Game 5 of last year’s playoffs. Durability is not guaranteed come playoff time. 

But history suggests one thing is guaranteed. 

When LeBron James takes a 2-0 lead, that series doesn’t extend, it ends. 

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The Hawks pulled off a thrilling 109-108 victory to climb to a 2-1 record in this series against the New York Knicks.

After going up by as much as 18 points, the Hawks let their orange and blue rivals chip away slowly until they took a 3-point lead late. Frankly, the Hawks largely defended well down the stretch, but nothing could stop OG Anunoby from raining down a pair of miracle threes to raise everyone’s heart rates.

But then CJ McCollum’s and Onyeka Okongwu’s clutch heroics saved the day for the good guys.

Let’s mix things up and go player by player to grade them on their performances in Game 3.

Starters

CJ McCollum:

The professional bucket getter just kept plugging along, getting into his bag almost at will. He had the entire Knicks defense practically on a string all game long.

Even when he was defended well, he pulled rabbits out of his hat and displayed some incredible shot-making:

Towards the end of the second quarter, his gameplay devolved into an overreliance on isolation — a lot of dribbling for a not-so-good look at the ends of the shot clock. But sometimes you have to let an artist craft their art and not interfere.

He slowed down scoring-wise some in the second half — and he was often a target on the defensive end — so it wasn’t all good. But honestly, who cares when you have the onions to make a clutch pull up jumper to give the Hawks the lead. When duty calls, McCollum the veteran absolutely delivers:

“Quin drew up a winner for us,” McCollum remarked about the final basket. “Great pin [down from Kuminga]. Great [after timeout] guy. Great all-around coach. Executed just how we drew it up. Those are the things we work on in practice, after practice, post shootaround.”

“He can create his shot,” coach Snyder put succinctly. “And that’s unique thing. And he had the opportunity to do that tonight. And we had a ton of confidence in him to make those plays.”

Grade: A

Nickeil Alexander-Walker:

‘NAW’ still didn’t look comfortable out there just as has been the case all series. He lost his dribble against no pressure a couple of time and forced a few too many shots in traffic.

But he was still active on team defense as usual and nailed his defensive assignments when needed. Also, that man never takes a closeout off — even if it’s not his assignment.

In the second half, he hit two big transition threes to shake off the rust and remind everyone why he’s the single season franchise record-holder in made threes with 251 in regular season play.

On this third one, I have to credit the entire team for getting the ball inbounded after a Brunson make to not squander their 5-on-4 advantage. Alexander-Walker does the rest, draining his third transition triple of the period.

From there, he was fairly quiet, but his hustle and team defense still made an impact in helping the Hawks get this game over the finish line.

He’ll look to improve on his 14 points on 4-for-12 (33%) including an ugly 1-for-5 (20%) mark from two-point range on Saturday.

Grade: C-

Dyson Daniels:

Daniels pushed the ball in transition and found a couple of openings in the Knicks transition defense with his passing. He continued to make Jalen Brunson’s life tough on the other end and slowed down New York’s entire offensive pace with his elite ball pressure.

There were a few possessions he absolutely wrecked possessions with digs for steals or simply a monster block at the rim.

And he also proved why he’s maybe the best rebounding guard in the game with 13 rebounds tonight. Just Dyson Daniels things.

On the negative side of things, he did pass up a couple of wide-open layups and muff a couple of attempts through contact at the rim — as did Jalen Johnson who I’ll talk about next. Although in the third, he made up for those turndowns with a calm catch-and-shoot three after penetration and a kick from Johnson:

But, man, did he have some brutal turnovers (five in total) during the game. Multiple times, he tried to kick out some blind passes that went directly into Knicks’ hands. And he wasn’t able to punish the Knicks for putting Karl-Anthony Towns on him offensively.

So, for the second consecutive game, coach Snyder opted to have him on the bench in crunch time — minus the final defensive possession. You can’t argue with the results, however.

Ultimately, it wasn’t his best effort on Thursday night. But he still showed how indispensable he is in making Brunson’s life hell at times.

Grade: C+

Jalen Johnson:

The All-Star came out more aggressive than in either Games 1 or 2, and even though some of his shot selection was questionable, he still got to the line with regularity and put pressure on the Knicks defense.

This drive off a ‘twirl’ action with two pin downs was too easy once the Knicks inexplicably vacated the paint:

After a hot start, however, he couldn’t convert on some good looks from three and started to disengage a bit from the game. He had a tough time finishing through contact on drives in particular. And then there were some bad off ball lapses on defense.

But in the fourth quarter, the aggressiveness picked back up. On two consecutive possessions, he dropped off Josh Hart for a step back three:

And then he screened and rolled to draw a foul the next time down, splitting the two at the line.

But ultimately, he left a ton of points on the floor and at the free throw line. He finished 6-for-10 from the free throw line, including a couple of brutal misses on a trip to the line with a few minutes remaining. Johnson did respond with a couple of good takes in the closing two minutes when the game could have slipped away entirely — very encouraging after he showed clear signs of frustration on his face after some easy misses.

Down the home stretch of the game, the Hawks ran this action with Johnson bringing the ball up the floor with a stacked set waiting for him multiple times. Either Kuminga or Okongwu set an up screen while ‘NAW’ flared out the opposite way to open up the lane.

This play in particular was wild to see in real time, however. Johnson tried to yam it over ’KAT’, but the ball somehow slams off the bottom of the backboard right back to him for the easy lay-in to cut the lead to one point:

“It was good to see [Johnson] play through a lot and stay even keeled,” his head coach had to say about his mindset.

It was an up and down performance for Johnson, whose 24-point, 10-rebound, 8-assist night flatters him. But I’d have to say it was his best performance of the series — a performance closer to his typical regular season play.

And the Hawks needed every bit of that from him in Game 3.

Grade: B-

Onyeka Okongwu:

It was overall a fairly muted game from Okongwu. He played solid defense on Towns early and throughout the game, and he registered a monster help side block early in the first quarter.

But ‘KAT’ largely got the better of him on the glass in the first half. He also wasn’t used much in the halfcourt offense but used a ‘pick-2’ and a couple of deafening putback dunks to get himself on the board in the first half:

Ultimately, he was pretty quiet on a play-by-play basis (nine points and seven rebounds), but his team defense at the center position was pretty effective all throughout the night.

His biggest play, however, came on the final possession when he switched onto Jalen Brunson and slid his feet to push him to the baseline. As you saw, the Knicks never even got off a shot:

Grade: B+

Bench

Gabe Vincent:

Vincent came in and immediately provided some great ball pressure on Brunson and Jose Alvarado.

On offense, he relocated for a big three after a flare cut across the top of the key in the first quarter. His ball handling under pressure remains underrated as well — with the Hawks bench needing his steadying presence against an aggressive Knicks perimeter defense.

His contributions are almost imperceptible, but he’s such a fundamentally sound defender on and off the ball and is willing to get off the ball to space the floor on offense that he fits in just about any with playmakers at the wing and forward spots.

All those little things added up to a team-high +12 on the night in under 14 minutes. You can’t ask for much more from a seasoned NBA role player.

Grade: B

Jonathan Kuminga:

I can’t knock a 4-for-4 shooting performance for 10 points in the first quarter, plus he contributed on the glass as usual. These early contributions helped the Hawks race out to a 33-21 advantage after one quarter.

Everything after that was a bit more mixed, however. He had some erratic shot selection choices — twice turning down open threes for tougher midrange attempts in the halfcourt — but he still had a couple of good leakouts for scores.

His energy and physicality these past two games are just something the Knicks haven’t been ready for, and that’s help boost a Hawks bench that needed the punch:

His defense was a less impactful than in the previous two games with him inexplicably trying to take charges in the lane on a handful of occasions. Still, with him playing small ball defense on Karl-Anthony Towns, he frustrated the Big Purr just enough by pushing him off his comfort spots. And that crossmatch allows the Hawks to play a small ball brand on the other end with all five guys spacing the floor.

Kuminga’s quickly fit into the Hawks’ team defense, and his impact hasn’t gone unnoticed in his short time here.

“I’m going to give my praise to Draymond [Green],” Kuminga responded about a Game 2 play instructing where Alexander-Walker should be on defense. “Growing up around him, watching him as much. I’ve seen him do that so many times. […] He’s one of the best at doing small things that won’t go on the [stat] sheet.”

Overall, it was a great performance off the bench for him with 21 huge points on 9-for-14 shooting. He has essentially become the team’s sixth man down the stretch of this season, with coach Snyder trusting him enough to close a tight playoff game over Dyson Daniels.

“Jonathan’s just been all-in,” coach Snyder had to say postgame. “Are you prepared to sacrifice what needs to be sacrifice on a given night in a playoff game? Whatever that looks like. Is it shots? Is it minutes? Is it rotations? He’s embraced that. Tonight he did some things that gave our team a lift. I think the biggest thing he’s done is he’s just defended.”

Needless to say, it’s remarkable that in his short time here he’s earned that level of trust from his coach.

Grade: A

Mouhamed Gueye:

Gueye had a tough time keeping Mitchell Robinson off the glass early on, but he repaid the favor with a catch-and-shoot triple and a late first quarter crosscourt pass for a Kuminga triple as well.

And then there was a minster putback dunk on the first possession of the second quarter — plus his usually disruptive switching defense stamped his name on the box score and the highlight reels alike. That’s how you feelin’, Mo?

Grade: A-

Corey Kispert:

He was just…there. Krispert Kispert got cooked by Jordan Clarkson once. He did have a nice outlet pass to Kuminga in the fourth quarter, however.

Grade: D+