Jonathan Frederic De Santos

OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks reacts to a 3-point basket during the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden on January 30, 2026 in New York City. Ishika Samant, Getty Images/AFP

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>LOS ANGELES — The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic&#x27;s Denver Nuggets while the New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history, destroying Atlanta to advance Thursday.</p><p>Sixth-seeded Minnesota will play the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals after completing a 110-98 win for a 4-2 series upset defeat of third-seeded Denver.</p><p>Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic top-scored for Denver with 28 but it was not enough to fend off the dogged Timberwolves, who were playing without star man Anthony Edwards due to injury.</p><p>The clash in Minneapolis was tight throughout, with no team gaining a double-digit lead until the game&#x27;s dying moments.</p><p>The Timberwolves edged the first half, leading 57-50 at the break.</p><p>Jokic roared to life. The Serbian superstar scored 14 points in the third quarter alone to ensure a nail-biting finish.</p><p>Having already been ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct from game four after a shoving match, Jokic enraged the home crowd by sparking another brawl, with Jaylen Clark.</p><p>With his Timberwolves leading by five with 90 seconds remaining, Jaden McDaniels sank a long jump-shot for two to rouse the home fans and force a Nuggets timeout.</p><p>When play resumed Denver could only turn over the ball again. McDaniels closed out the win with two free throws, ending his night with a career-high 32 points, to top-score overall.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a great night. It&#x27;s a great victory for us. Hopefully... we&#x27;ve got 12 more to go,&quot; said Minnesota coach Chris Finch.</p><p>&quot;We came into these playoffs not trying to beat Denver, but trying to win a championship.&quot;</p><p>A visibly crestfallen Jokic, whose side last won the NBA championship just three years ago, said they &quot;just didn&#x27;t do a good job.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I needed to play better. I must play better,&quot; he added.</p><p>Edwards — out with a bone bruise and hyper-extended left knee — could return for the Timberwolves&#x27; series with the high-flying Spurs.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/4/30/top-seeded-pistons-stay-alive-in-nba-playoffs-with-magic-win-1059">Top-seeded Pistons stay alive in NBA playoffs with Magic win, Lakers can&#x27;t stop Rockets</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;Meet the moment&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Knicks routed the Atlanta Hawks 140-89.</p><p>It was the most points scored and the biggest win by the Knicks in a playoff game, setting up an Eastern Conference semi-final with either the Celtics or the 76ers, who are tied 3-3 after a Philadelphia win.</p><p>The Knicks wrapped up their 4-2 series victory in emphatic style, leading the Hawks by as many as 61 points before benching their starters for the final quarter.</p><p>New York&#x27;s 47-point half-time lead, at 83-36, was the widest in NBA post-season history.</p><p>OG Anunoby top-scored with 29 points, including 26 in the first half, before he was rested. None of New York&#x27;s starters played more than 29 minutes.</p><p>&quot;We can&#x27;t just meet the moment, we&#x27;ve got to exceed it, and I thought we did a great job of doing that tonight,&quot; said Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.</p><p>Having finished third in the Eastern Conference, the heavily favored Knicks had been down 2-1 early in the playoff series, before roaring back.</p><p>They are the first team to advance to the East&#x27;s semi-finals — their fourth straight year of reaching that stage.</p><p>The Hawks briefly led at the start of the game, going up 11-9 before the wheels dramatically came off. They trailed 40-15 at the end of the first quarter.</p><p>The final 51-point margin of defeat was not quite the largest in playoff history, which stands at 58 points.</p><p>&quot;Obviously you hate to lose anything. And to lose the way we did, I think, particularly given the enthusiasm and support that we&#x27;ve had from the people in this building... disappointed on a lot of levels,&quot; said Hawks coach Quin Snyder.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Historic rivals</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Celtics-76ers playoff series is headed for a decisive game seven in Massachusetts after Philadelphia beat Boston 106-93.</p><p>The Celtics had held a 3-1 series lead, but the 76ers proved dominant on their home court to make it 3-3.</p><p>Tyrese Maxey top-scored with 30 points. Paul George added 23, and 2023 Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid poured in another 19, plus 10 rebounds and eight assists.</p><p>It is the 23rd playoff series between the two historic rivals — an NBA record.</p><div><em><br/></em></div><div><em>amz/pst</em></div>

<p>The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets while the New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history, destroying Atlanta to advance Thursday.</p>

The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets while the New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history, destroying Atlanta to advance Thursday.

T-Wolves eliminate Nuggets as Knicks demolish Hawks in NBA playoffs

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T-Wolves eliminate Nuggets as Knicks demolish Hawks in NBA playoffs

Agence France-Presse

Published May 01, 2026 01:29 PM PHT

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