Knicks, Timberwolves, Thunder win April 25
- The New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves all won on Saturday, April 25, with New York tying its series 2-2 and Oklahoma City moving within one win of a sweep. - Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 20-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist playoff triple-double for the Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42, and Ayo Dosunmu poured in 43 as Minnesota grabbed a 3-1 lead. - Orlando’s 2-1 edge as a No. 8 seed over No. 1 Detroit turned the day into a bracket jolt across both conferences. (nba.com)
Saturday’s four-game National Basketball Association playoff slate reshaped three first-round series and tightened a fourth. (nba.com) The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 114-98 in Game 4 at State Farm Arena, tying that Eastern Conference series 2-2 after dropping Games 2 and 3 by one point each. (nba.com) Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first postseason triple-double, and OG Anunoby added 22 points. Jalen Brunson scored 19 as New York built a 68-44 halftime lead and led by as many as 24. (nba.com) The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 121-109 in Game 3 and took a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference series. Game 4 is Monday, April 27, in Phoenix. (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high 42 points on 15-for-18 shooting, while Ajay Mitchell added 15 with Jalen Williams out injured. Dillon Brooks scored 33 and Jalen Green had 26 for Phoenix. (nba.com) The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4 and moved ahead 3-1 in their series. Minnesota now goes back to Denver for Game 5 on Monday, April 27. (espn.com) (nba.com) Ayo Dosunmu scored 43 points off the bench for Minnesota after both Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo left with injuries in the second quarter. Mike Conley, 38, played 20 minutes and hit a three during a 9-0 fourth-quarter run. (espn.com) (nba.com) In Orlando, the Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 113-105 in Game 3 and took a 2-1 lead despite nearly wasting a 17-point fourth-quarter advantage. (nba.com) Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece, and Orlando closed on a 9-0 run after Detroit briefly took the lead with 2:52 left. Cade Cunningham scored 27 and Tobias Harris added 23 for the Pistons. (nba.com) That result gave the No. 8 Magic a 2-1 edge over the No. 1 Pistons. NBA.com’s recap said it was the 13th time since the league adopted a 16-team playoff format in 1984 that a No. 8 seed has led a No. 1 seed 2-1 in the first round. (nba.com) By the end of Saturday night, Oklahoma City stood at 3-0, Minnesota at 3-1, Orlando at 2-1 and New York-Atlanta was even at 2-2. Monday’s Games 4 and 5 will decide whether April 25 was a pivot point or just a pause. (nba.com)
