Thursday’s NBA slate produced two teams moving on, two teams sent home and a winner-take-all Game 7 to come.
In the West, No. 6 Minnesota stunned No. 3 Denver as three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets were eliminated in a surprising first-round exit. Jaden McDaniels delivered a breakout playoff performance, finishing with 32 points and 10 rebounds in Minnesota’s 110-98 victory. Jokic responded with a strong Game 6 effort — 28 points on 58 percent shooting — but it wasn’t enough to rescue a Nuggets squad many pegged as title contenders. The Timberwolves now turn their attention to a tough second-round matchup against Victor Wembanyama and No. 2-seed San Antonio.
In the East, the No. 3 New York Knicks overwhelmed the Atlanta Hawks, routing them 140-89 to clinch their spot in the conference semifinals. New York built a record-setting 47-point halftime lead — an NBA playoff mark — and their 51-point winning margin became the largest in franchise postseason history. O.G. Anunoby led the way with a playoff-high 29 points, and the Knicks will await the winner of the Celtics-Sixers series.
The Philadelphia 76ers, seeded No. 7, forced a decisive Game 7 against Boston with a 106-93 home win. Philadelphia secured back-to-back elimination victories after trailing in the series, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 30. Joel Embiid, recently returned from an appendectomy, appeared in his second game back. If the Sixers win the decider, they would become just the second team in 67 years to take a series after suffering two losses of 30-plus points earlier in the matchup. The winner-take-all Game 7 is scheduled for Saturday and will be shown live on Sky Sports.