Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history Thursday, destroying Atlanta 140-89 to advance to the second round. 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.
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. New York’s 47-point half-time lead, at 83-36, was the widest in NBA post-season history. OG Anunoby top-scored with 29 points, including 26 in the first half, before he was rested. None of New York’s starters played more than 29 minutes.
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“We can’t just meet the moment, we’ve got to exceed it, and I thought we did a great job of doing that tonight,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Having finished third in the Eastern Conference, the heavily favored Knicks had been down 2-1 early in the playoff series, before roaring back. They are the first team to advance to the East’s semi-finals — their fourth straight year of reaching that stage.
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, and with the Atlanta crowd shell-shocked, the Hawks players grew frustrated. A scuffle broke out between Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels, with other members of both teams getting involved. But with the game clearly over, the second half was largely incident-free. The 51-point margin of defeat was not quite the largest in playoff history, which stands at 58 points.
“Obviously you hate to lose anything. And to lose the way we did, I think, particularly given the enthusiasm and support that we’ve had from the people in this building… disappointed on a lot of levels,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder.
The Celtics-76ers playoff series is headed for a decisive game seven in Massachusetts after Philadelphia beat Boston 106-93. The Celtics had held a 3-1 series lead, but the 76ers proved dominant on their home court to make it 3-3. 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. It is the 23rd playoff series between the two historic rivals — an NBA record.
© 2024 AFP
