Thursday night’s NBA playoff action had a little bit of everything. To open the night, the Knicks put up one of the most dominant performances we’ve ever seen in the postseason to send the Hawks packing.
After that, the Sixers played their most complete game of the season to defend home court and send their first-round series against the Celtics back to Boston for a decisive Game 7 this weekend.
And finally, the Wolves and Nuggets put on another fierce battle that included a few heated moments and all the intensity that the playoffs are about.
Let’s break down three takeaways from the night’s action, and if you want to relive the highlights as they happened, our live coverage of the evening is below.
This Knicks team can make the Finals
Well, that was impressive. The Knicks walked into Atlanta and took the belt to the Hawks in Game 6 to close out what had been a competitive series. They set an NBA record for a halftime lead in the playoffs as they entered the break up 83-36. That 47-point margin suggests the game was actually closer than it actually was. They wound up winning 140-89 and, again, it wasn’t that close.
All five Knicks starters were in double figures, as OG Anunoby had 29 points and seven rebounds and four steals, Mikal Bridges had 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, Jalen Brunson had a ho-hum 17 points and eight assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a 12-11-10 triple-double while only making one shot from the field. New York turned in a complete performance.
Thursday night’s game proved that when the Knicks are firing on all cylinders, they might be the best team in the Eastern Conference. This may be their year. The Celtics are struggling to put away the 76ers—more on that later—and the Pistons are struggling with the Magic. There’s a clear path for New York to make it to the Finals.
Joel Embiid finally looks healthy
Joel Embiid is minus one appendix, but looked as healthy as he has all season Thursday night. The former MVP was outstanding for the 76ers in their 106-93 Game 6 win over the Celtics. He finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and his two-man work with Tyrese Maxey was the spark Philadelphia needed to take command of the game and force Game 7.
While Embiid was only 6-for-18 from the field and 1-for-5 from deep, it didn’t matter. He moved well, and he helped open things up for Maxey, who finished with a game-high 30 points. The 32-year-old only suited up for 38 games during the regular season, after playing in 19 last season. It’s obvious, but Philly needs him in the lineup to have a chance.
With Embiid back, and Paul George playing as well as he did in Game 6, the Sixers are a dangerous squad. Game 7 in Boston on Saturday should be a fun one.
Jaden McDaniels backed up all of his talk
The Timberwolves bounced the Nuggets from the playoffs for the second year in a row with a 110-98 win in Game 6 Thursday night. This time, they did it without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo or first-round hero Ayo Dosunmu, who are all sidelined with injuries. How did they do it? Well, if you asked Jaden McDaniels, it’s because Denver’s entire roster can’t guard.
The forward talked big during the series and, in the end, he backed it all up. McDaniels scored several big buckets in the fourth quarter Thursday night en route to a 32-point, 10-rebound performance in the clinching game. With three key players sidelined, McDaniels wound up playing 45 minutes and impacted the game on both ends of the court.
The Nuggets couldn’t stop the Timberwolves when it mattered, and McDaniels stepped up when his team needed him the most. He talked a whole lot, but he more than backed it up.
Relive all the action from the night with the replay of our live blog below.
NBA playoff schedule, broadcast information for Wednesday, April 29
Hawks vs. Knicks (2–3)
- Game 1: Knicks 113, Hawks 102
- Game 2: Hawks 107, Knicks 106
- Game 3: Hawks 109, Knicks 108
- Game 4: Knicks 114, Hawks 98
- Game 5: Knicks 126, Hawks 97
After suffering back-to-back losses by a single point, the Knicks have retaken control of the series from the Hawks with two straight dominant wins. With the series back in Atlanta, Jalen Brunson & Co. will be up against a hostile crowd as they look to advance to the conference semifinals for the fourth straight season.
76ers vs. Celtics (2–3)
- Game 1: Celtics 123, 76ers 91
- Game 2: 76ers 111, Celtics 97
- Game 3: Celtics 108, 76ers 100
- Game 4: Celtics 128, 76ers 96
- Game 5: 76ers 113, Celtics 97
The return of Joel Embiid didn’t make a difference in Game 4, but his impact was colossal in Game 5, helping the 76ers stave off elimination and live to fight another day. The Celtics are still the heavy favorites in this series, but having Embiid back on the court has certainly made things interesting for Boston.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets (3–2)
- Game 1: Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105
- Game 2: Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114
- Game 3: Timberwolves 113, Nuggets 96
- Game 4: Timberwolves 112, Nuggets 96
- Game 5: Nuggets 125, Timberwolves 113
The Nuggets entered the playoffs as title contenders but quickly found themselves on the backfoot against an absolutely fearless Timberwolves squad. If Nikola Jokić can will his team to victory tonight, it will set up a Game 7 back in Denver that should be absolute cinema.
More NBA from Sports Illustrated
- Nikola Jokić, Timberwolves Get Into Heated Scuffle During Game 6
- Hawks Season Grades: Atlanta Is Building a Contender Despite First-Round Loss to Knicks
- Knicks Ride Historic Halftime Blowout of Hawks to Reach East Semis
- Chris Mannix’s NBA Notes: More Trail Blazers Cost-Cutting Moves Coming?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Playoffs Takeaways: Knicks, Timberwolves Advance; 76ers Stay Alive.
