Knicks and 76ers win Game 5s
- New York and Philadelphia both stayed alive Tuesday night — the Knicks crushed the Hawks 126-97, and the 76ers beat the Celtics 113-97. - Jalen Brunson dropped 39 points with 8 assists, while Joel Embiid scored 33 in Boston after returning from an emergency appendectomy. - Both East series now head to Game 6 on Thursday, with New York up 3-2 and Philadelphia still chasing from 3-2 down.
The Eastern Conference bracket got a lot messier on Tuesday night. The Knicks didn’t just beat the Hawks — they flattened them, 126-97, and took a 3-2 series lead. Then the 76ers went into Boston and kept their season alive with a 113-97 win over the Celtics. Suddenly, two series that could have tilted toward closure are both still very much alive heading into Thursday. (nba.com) ### What happened in New York? The Knicks had the clearest statement win of the night. They beat Atlanta by 29 at Madison Square Garden and looked in control basically the whole way. Jalen Brunson was the engine again — 39 points and 8 assists — and Karl-Anthony Towns added 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. (foxsports.com) That matters because this series had been tight and annoying for New York. Atlanta stole Games 2 and 3 by a combined 2 points. Game 5 was the first time the Knicks really made the matchup feel lopsided. (nba.com)(foxsports.com)ose it, and you’re suddenly facing elimination. New York now goes to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday with the series edge and the confidence boost of a blowout. (nba.com)just survive. They solved the immediate problem. Atlanta had been making every possession late in games feel uncomfortable. In Game 5, New York removed the suspense early. ### What happened in Boston? Philadelphia’s win was the more dramatic result because the Sixers were facing elimination. Instead(nba.com)mbiid finished with 33 points and 8 assists, and Tyrese Maxey added 25 points with 5 assists. Boston scored only 11 points in the fourth quarter. (nba.com) That fourth quarter is the whole story. The Celtics had control of the series at 3-1 and were at home. But the offense went cold at exactly the wrong time, and Embiid was good enough to punish every lapse. (api-hub.nba.com) ###(nba.com)r an emergency appendectomy knocked him out for the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, he put up 33 in an elimination game in Boston. That changes the feel of the series immediately. (e([api-hub.nba.com)ll trails 3-2. The Sixers didn’t erase the hole. They just made Boston prove it again. ### What changes now? Thursday becomes huge. The Knicks can close out the Hawks at 7 p.m. ET. The Celtics and 76ers follow at 8 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. If New York wins, it advances. If Philadelphia wins, that series goes all the way to Game 7 on Saturday in Boston. (nba.com) So the bracket didn’t lock into place Tuesday night. It opened back up. ### Does this reshape the East? A little — and maybe a lot. The Knicks now look like the more stable team in their matchup, with a chance to avoid extra wear by ending the series in six. The Celtics are still favored because they lead 3-2, but the easy closeout is gone, (nba.com)into a coin-flip Game 7. (nba.com) ### Bottom line? Tuesday wasn’t just “two teams won Game 5.” It was one contender taking control and one underdog refusing to die. The Knicks are now one win from the second round. The 76ers made sure Boston has to sweat. (nba.com)
