The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets, the New York Knicks had one of the most dominant performances in NBA playoff history, defeating Atlanta, and the rising Sixers defeated the visiting Celtics again to force a decisive Game 7.
Sixth-seeded Minnesota will face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals after coming from behind to win a 4-2 series against third-seeded Denver, 110-98, on Thursday.
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Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic led Denver with 28 points, but it wasn’t enough to fend off the stubborn Timberwolves, who were playing without injured star man Anthony Edwards.
The matchup in Minneapolis was close from beginning to end, with no team leading by double digits until the final minute.
The Timberwolves dominated the first half and led 57-50 at halftime.
Jokic roared back to life. The Serbian superstar scored 14 points in the third quarter alone, ensuring a nail-biting finish.
Jokic, who had already been ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after a shoving match in Game 4, got into another scuffle with Jalen Clark, infuriating the home crowd.
With the Timberwolves leading by five points and 90 seconds remaining, Jayden McDaniels sank two long jump shots to rouse the home fans and force a Nuggets timeout.
Once play resumed, Denver could only turn the ball over again. McDaniels made two free throws to cap off the win and finished the night as the top scorer overall with a career-high 32 points.
“Great night. Great win for us. Hopefully… we have 12 games left,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said.
“We came into this playoffs not trying to beat Denver, but to win a championship.”
A visibly depressed Jokic, whose team last won NBA championships just three years ago, said the team “didn’t do a good job.”
“We had to play better. We had to play better,” he added.
Edwards was sidelined with a bone bruise and hyperextension of his left knee, but could return for the series between the Timberwolves and the in-form Spurs.
Knicks defeat Hawks in record-setting rout
In Thursday’s other game, the Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 140-89.
This was the Knicks’ most points and biggest win in a playoff game, and set up a matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals with either the Celtics or the 76ers, who tied with Philadelphia’s win at 3-3.
The Knicks closed out a 4-2 series win in emphatic style, leading the Hawks by as many as 61 points before benching their starters in the final quarter.
New York’s 47-point lead (83-36) at halftime was the largest lead in NBA postseason history.
OG Anunoby was the top scorer with 29 points, including 26 in the first half, before being rested. None of New York’s starters played more than 29 minutes.
“You can’t just respond to the moment, you have to rise above it, and I think we did that tonight,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who had a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Knicks, who finished third in the Eastern Conference, fell behind 2-1 early in the playoff series, but then rallied.
They are the first team to advance to the East semifinals and their fourth straight year to reach that stage.
The Hawks took a brief lead at the start of the game, leading 11-9 before things went out of gear dramatically. At the end of the first quarter, they were leading 40-15.
The final 51-point loss was 58 points, not the largest in playoff history.
“Obviously, you don’t like to lose anything, and for us to lose like we have, especially given the enthusiasm and support from the people in this building…I think it’s disappointing on a lot of levels,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.
Sixers release Celtics again, sending series to Game 7
The Celtics-76ers playoff series heads to a decisive Game 7 in Massachusetts after Philadelphia defeated Boston 106-93.
The Celtics held a 3-1 series lead, but the 76ers proved to be superior on their home court, falling to 3-3.
Tyrese Maxey led the way with 30 points. Paul George scored 23 points, and 2023 Player of the Year Joel Embiid added 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
This will be the 23rd playoff series between the historic rivals, an NBA record.
