The New York Knicks are now just two wins away from the Eastern Conference Finals after Jalen Brunson delivered another clutch fourth-quarter performance to steer his side past the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers.
Meanwhile in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs completely flipped their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a brutal 133-95 Game 2 demolition led by Victor Wembanyama.
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SPURS WIN GAME TWO IN EMPHATIC FASHION
The San Antonio Spurs responded in emphatic fashion in Game 2, dismantling the Minnesota Timberwolves 133-95 in one of the most dominant performances of the NBA playoffs so far.
After narrowly dropping Game 1 despite a defensive masterclass from Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs arrived with a completely different edge, overwhelming Minnesota from the opening tip and never easing off. San Antonio led for almost the entire game, stretched the margin to as many as 47 points and turned the contest into a complete mismatch on both ends of the floor.
Everything clicked for the Spurs. Six players finished in double figures, they shot 50 per cent from the field and buried 41 per cent of their attempts from beyond the arc, all while punishing Minnesota’s mistakes in transition. The Timberwolves coughed up 22 turnovers, which San Antonio converted into a relentless stream of fast-break points.
While the Spurs’ offence hummed, it was Wembanyama who again controlled the tone defensively. The young superstar finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks, but his overall impact went far beyond the box score. Every time Minnesota threatened to build momentum, Wembanyama shut the door around the rim with his length, mobility and timing.
Through two games, he has already established himself as the defining defensive presence in the series, and Minnesota still looks unsure how to attack him consistently.
San Antonio’s ball movement was equally impressive, finishing with 29 assists in a performance built on pace, spacing and unselfish play. Stephon Castle led the scoring with 21 points, attacking the Timberwolves defence all night, while De’Aaron Fox controlled the tempo with 16 points. Rookie Dylan Harper also made a strong playoff impact off the bench with 11 points and five assists.
The role players followed suit. Julian Champagnie knocked down four threes, Harrison Barnes added 12 efficient points, and Luke Kornet provided valuable rim protection with three blocks in limited minutes.
For Minnesota, very little went right.
Anthony Edwards struggled to impose himself once again, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting alongside four turnovers and a brutal minus-33 rating in just 24 minutes. Still managing a lingering knee issue, Edwards showed flashes early but lacked his usual explosiveness and found it difficult to finish against San Antonio’s length.
Julius Randle added 12 points but committed five turnovers, while Rudy Gobert endured a frustrating night with just five points and six missed free throws. As a team, the Timberwolves shot a poor 51.6 per cent from the line and never looked comfortable offensively, managing only 19 assists while repeatedly struggling against the Spurs’ pressure defence.
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After letting Game 1 slip away, San Antonio entered Game 2 with urgency and completely flipped the tone of the series. The Spurs dominated the glass 55-43, outscored Minnesota 29-5 on the break and forced 22 turnovers in a ruthless all-round display.
Now, with the series tied heading back to Minnesota, the pressure suddenly shifts onto a Timberwolves side searching for answers after being thoroughly outplayed.
KNICKS DOMINATE TO TAKE 2-0 LEAD
Jalen Brunson once again rose to the occasion as the New York Knicks edged the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102, taking a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series after surviving one of the tightest playoff battles of the postseason so far.
After being blown off the floor in Game 1, Philadelphia arrived at Madison Square Garden with far more fight despite being without injured superstar Joel Embiid, who was ruled out just hours before tip-off with hip and ankle soreness. The 76ers responded with a spirited performance, turning the contest into a tense, physical grind that featured 25 lead changes and 14 ties, the most lead changes in an NBA playoff game in more than a decade.
“It’s a playoff basketball game. You know, the game was ugly offensively,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
“You give the Sixers a lot of credit. We knew that they were going to come out, they were gonna be physical.”
Philadelphia made the early statement, opening up a seven-point lead inside the first five minutes, which proved to be the biggest margin of the night. Tyrese Maxey stepped up brilliantly in Embiid’s absence, pouring in 15 second-quarter points as the Sixers took a narrow lead into halftime, while Paul George caught fire from deep with five three-pointers.
But as the game tightened late, Brunson delivered exactly what New York needed. The Knicks star finished with 26 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, repeatedly finding answers as Philadelphia’s offence stalled in the closing minutes.
Things briefly turned comedic early in the third quarter when the ball became lodged on top of the rim. Andre Drummond made several unsuccessful attempts to dislodge it while being playfully jeered by the Knicks crowd, before Karl-Anthony Towns stepped in and knocked it free with one clean effort.
With the scores locked at 99-99 and less than five minutes remaining, Brunson knocked down back-to-back field goals to create separation before Mikal Bridges added a clutch step-back jumper during a decisive 9-0 Knicks run.
Karl-Anthony Towns was outstanding after the break, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while OG Anunoby added 24 points on efficient shooting. Bridges also contributed 18 points while playing a key defensive role on Maxey late in the contest.
Maxey eventually finished with 26 points, while Kelly Oubre Jr. and George added 19 apiece, but the Sixers’ inability to score in the final minutes proved costly.
“We played good enough defence to win that game, especially in the fourth,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said.
“We played great offence. We just didn’t shot-make.”
Without Embiid, the margin for error was always slim for Philadelphia, and despite a vastly improved display, the absence of the 2023 MVP ultimately loomed large. The series now heads to Philadelphia with the 76ers facing the difficult task of climbing back from a 2-0 deficit against a Knicks side growing in confidence with every game.