Scott Foster, aka The Extender, has officially been assigned as Crew Chief for Game 6 of Lakers-Rockets.
Paul Pierce on media inconsistencies: “Let’s not sugarcoat this because if this was LeBron at the peak of his powers, he would’ve been getting scolded. If you’re the best player in the league, you’re not supposed to lose in the first round”
[Highlight] Joel Embiid loving the crowd’s “We want Boston” chant
Nikola Jokic: “We just lost in the first round. I think we are far away.” Changes needed? “That’s not my decision. Definitely, if we were in Serbia, we would all be fired.”
Following a lob dunk to Mitchell Robinson to go up 60-19 and forcing an Atlanta timeout, the New York Knicks went up on the Atlanta Hawks by roughly the margin that the Monstars went up on the Tune Squad in Space Jam before the scoreboard lost count and changed to “Kinda One-Sided Isn’t It?”
Jaden McDaniels has a five-year, \(126 million contract. Christian Braun has a five-year, \)125 million contract.
[Post Game Thread] The Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2) defeated the Denver Nuggets (2-4), 110-98 and advance to play the Spurs!
THE DENVER NUGGETS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM THE 2026 PLAYOFFS
Chris Finch: “Denver had the chance to pick who they wanted to play coming down the stretch and they chose us. We used that as motivation. They didn’t have to choose us. They chose us”
[Post Game Thread] The Philadelphia 76ers (3-3) force a Game 7 by beating the Boston Celtics (3-3), 106-93 and getting a chance to exorcise some demons.
[Highlight] OG Anunoby makes it a 50- point game and a fight breaks out
A “WE WANT BOSTON” chant has broken out in Philadelphia again, this time by Sixers fans
[Highlight] Josh Hart hits a huge 3 to extend the lead to 61
[Gleeman] Timberwolves now have more playoff wins in the last three seasons (22) than they had in the previous 34 seasons combined (21).
Jokic allowed the most points per game at the rim of any defender in the first round. However, defensive box minus, a frequently cited Jokic stat, somehow still grades him as an elite defender, saying he was the thirteenth best defender in the first round, ranking just four places behind Rudy Gobert
Chris Finch on Jaden McDaniels: “He talked all series and he backed it up all series. That’s called legitimate tough”
Nikola Jokic finishes his first round vs. Minnesota allowing an average of 33.4 points per game at the rim. Despite numerous injuries to Minnesota’s slashing guards and the Nuggets often being forced to play zone, that is the most any team has scored against an individual defender
With last night’s loss, Nikola Jokic remains one of only two players in NBA history with more MVPs (3) than Conference Finals appearances (2)
Jokic finishes the series shooting an abysmal 44.6% from the field and 19.4% from 3 for 25.8 PPG
Jaden McDaniels on whether he was trying to get in Denver’s head during the series:
“I just didn’t care. I said what I said. I just don’t care. It’s just how I am”
[Post Game Thread] The New York Knicks (4-2) decimate the Atlanta Hawks (2-4), 140-89.
Greek Aris fans singing to Giannis a couple of days ago; Oh Gianni, Oh Gianni, Oh Gianni, Get it over with the NBA, enough Come here, my dear brave young man So we can raise (the cup) and win a championship with ARIS.
Jaden McDaniels backs up the talk with a legacy game, dropping 32/10/3/2/1 to send the Nuggets home in Game 6
Reporter asks Mikal Bridges if he remembers the last time he’s been part of a blowout like Knicks/Hawks Game 6: “Yeah, when I was in Phoenix and I lost.” (Josh Hart laughs in the background)
THE ATLANTA HAWKS HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION
[Highlight] Jaden McDaniels hits a big clutch jumper over Jamal Murray to give him 30 points, putting the Timberwolves up 7, with 66 seconds remaining in regulation (with a replay). The Timberwolves getting closer to win game 6 and the series.
Mike Brown’s adjustment of having the Knicks offense run through Karl-Anthony Towns caused it to explode
By one metric, Knicks-Hawks Game 6 was more lopsided than the biggest blowout in NBA history (Grizzlies 73 point win over Thunder in 2021)
[Highlights] Joel Embiid with the behind the back dime to Kelly Oubre Jr. for the cutting dunk, Oubre then blocks Jaylen Brown at the other end, and Paul George with the behind the back pass to VJ Edgecombe for the fastbreak dunk (with replays).
Celtics timeout.
Bill Simmons on Denver’s exit: “I gotta ask was the Gordon injury bigger than any other injury in this series? The second half Jokic played was a we’re-not-going-down-like-this kind of half and only Cam Johnson was joining him”
[Charania] Major loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves lineup tonight: Guard Ayo Dosunmu is out in Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets due to a calf injury, sources tell ESPN.
Russell Westbrook on the Denver Nuggets before the season: “The truth is that they didn’t want me back. It ain’t up to me.”
Paul George had 23/4/3 with 2 steals and a block, but formatting this as purely a stat-post would not properly give perspective to the amazing game he just had.
After tonight’s loss to the 49-win Wolves, Nikola Jokic is now 10-1 in playoff series vs teams with 50 wins or less. He remains 0-6 against teams with more than 50 wins
[Highlight] Jock Landale on his offseason priority after a dirty foul by Goga Bitadze ended his season prematurely: “My big focus is health, being able to get out there all season long, which I typically do unless there’s a one off injury and I get pulled out of the goddamn air.”
At the half, the Atlanta Hawks lead O. G Anunoby by 10 points
[Highlight] Terrence Shannon Jr. goes around Tim Hardaway Jr and Nikola Jokic for the powerful one-handed jam (with replays). 12 first half points for Shannon
[Haynes] There is a “good chance” that Anthony Davis is traded once again before the beginning of the 2026-27 NBA season.
Feels like Mike Conley is Beloved by fans of all 3 teams he has played for
Jamal Murray has played 32 playoff games since the championship with a 51 TS% across them. The gap between the narrative and the production is enormous.
Matisse Thybulle on the job Tiago Splitter did this season: “There’s a term where, if its late in the shot clock and someone throws you the ball and you have to shoot it, they call it a grenade. In a sense that’s kind of what Tiago was thrown… As far as I’m concerned, Tiago did an amazing job.”
Nuggets and Timberwolves shake hands post game.
Rudy Gobert in tonight’s series-sealing Game 6: 10 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists w/0 turnovers | 1 steal | 2 blocks
OG Anunoby and Zach Lowe’s cameos in “Your Friends & Neighbors” (via @sny_knicks)
[Highlight] Christian Braun runs away in the paint
2026 Philadelphia 76ers are the first team in 6 years to force a road Game 7 down 3-1
[Highlight] Dr. O’Neal is unable to resuscitate Harry the Hawk and pronounces him dead on the scene as the Atlanta Hawks go down to the largest halftime deficit in postseason history. Knicks are up 83-36 with the Hawks on the bring of elimination.
[Highlight] Questionable Jokic body movement.
Jaden McDaniels 32/10/3/2/1 and Rudy Gobert 10/13/8/1/2 in a close-out game to advance the 2nd round