The Knicks Just Put on a Playoff Clinic and the Hawks Got Embarrassed in Front of Their Home Crowd

The New York Knicks are heading to the conference semifinals for the fourth straight year, and they made sure everyone knows it. OG Anunoby went absolutely nuclear, dropping 29 points with 26 of them coming in the first half alone, as New York demolished the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 on Thursday night at State Farm Arena. That 51-point margin of victory? It's the biggest playoff beatdown in franchise history. The only thing worse the Knicks have done to an opponent this year was when they torched Brooklyn 120-66 back in January.

Historic Dominance on Display

This wasn't just a win. This was a statement. The Knicks went on a 63-11 run in the first half that absolutely suffocated Atlanta. They led by as many as 61 points and took the series 4-2, winning three straight games against the Hawks in the process. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists along with three steals for his second career playoff triple-double. The starters were sitting before halftime even ended. That's how completely over this game was.

The Hawks, meanwhile, just lived through the second worst postseason loss in franchise history. Only a 133-75 shellacking from the Minneapolis Lakers back in 1956 was worse.

Timberwolves Get Past Denver, Advance to Face Spurs

Out West, the sixth-seeded Timberwolves closed out Denver in Game 6 in Minneapolis, 110-98, to advance to the conference semifinals. They're heading to San Antonio to face the second-seeded Spurs starting Monday. But Minnesota had to do it without All-NBA guard Anthony Edwards (knee), Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles), Game 4 hero Ayo Dosunmu (calf), and veteran Kyle Anderson (illness). Talk about shorthanded.

Terrence Shannon Jr., who didn't even play in the first three games of the series, answered the call from the starting lineup with a career-playoff-high 24 points. He went 9-of-20 from the field and capped the night with a crucial three-point play that sparked a game-ending 10-1 run. Jaden McDaniels led all scorers with 32 points. Nikola Jokic kept Denver in it with 28 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, but it wasn't enough.

Sixers Force Game 7 Against Celtics After Stunning Comeback

In Philadelphia, the Sixers are alive and well. Tyrese Maxey dropped 30 points as the seventh-seeded Sixers demolished the visiting Celtics 106-93, forcing a decisive Game 7 on Saturday in Boston. This is wild because Boston was up 3-1 after absolutely destroying Philly 32 points last Sunday. Now the Sixers are trying to complete a 3-1 series comeback for the first time in franchise history.

Paul George added 23 points for Philadelphia. Joel Embiid, in his third game back from emergency appendectomy surgery, dropped 19 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Boston's Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18 points but coughed it up five times. The Sixers have posted double-digit wins in Games 5 and 6. If they win Saturday in Boston, they'll have pulled off something special.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.