CJ McCollum delivered a 32‑point performance as the Atlanta Hawks rallied to defeat the New York Knicks 107‑106 on Monday night, tying their opening round playoff series at one game each. McCollum sparked a late comeback that nearly fell short when he missed two free throws with just 5.6 seconds left on the clock. The Knicks pushed the ball up the floor in a final hurry, but with no timeouts remaining, Mikal Bridges missed a potential game‑winning jumper as the buzzer sounded.
Atlanta had been down for the entire second half and trailed by 12 points after three quarters. The Hawks gradually chipped away at the deficit, and a crucial basket by McCollum gave them a 101‑100 edge – their first lead of the series in the second half – with 2:09 remaining. He then knocked down another shot to push the margin to three. After Jalen Brunson answered with a three‑pointer to knot the score, McCollum responded with a mid‑range jumper, restoring a 105‑103 lead with just 33 seconds left.
Bench contributor Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points, while Jalen Johnson chipped in 17, including a decisive bucket with ten seconds on the clock that put the No. 6 Western seed up by four. The Hawks will host Game 3 on Thursday, looking to build on the momentum from this hard‑fought victory. For New York, Brunson tallied 29 points and Karl‑Anthony Towns contributed 18, but the Knicks fell short of extending their streak of postseason appearances to a fourth consecutive year – a run not seen since the early 1990s.
"We should have walked away with this one," Knicks forward Josh Hart remarked after the loss. "In the playoffs you can't afford to give games away." In another first‑round matchup, the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied past the Denver Nuggets 119‑114, also tying their series at one game apiece. Anthony Edwards poured in 30 points, while Julius Randle added 24 for Denver. The Nuggets, who had won 13 straight games before their March 18 defeat, struggled in the final minute.
Edwards turned the ball over with 31 seconds left, and Christian Braun was fouled on the other end but missed one of two free throws, leaving Denver trailing 115‑114 with 19 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Randle sank two free throws and Donte DiVincenzo finished with a breakaway dunk, sealing the comeback after Minnesota erased a 19‑point first‑quarter hole.
Jamal Murray recorded 30 points and Nikola Jokic posted 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but the Nuggets' star duo shot a dismal 2‑for‑12 in the fourth quarter, managing only four points as the Wolves forced a tie in the best‑of‑seven series that now shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Thursday night. Denver has never lost the first two games of a playoff series after winning the opening two, while Minnesota is 0‑8 when dropping the first two contests. Murray dazzled with a 51‑foot three‑pointer at the half‑time buzzer to knot the score at 64. Jokic found his rhythm in the third quarter, pouring in 16 points to give Denver a 93‑90 edge.
Edwards, who had been hampered by a sore knee in Game 1, looked far more aggressive, attacking the rim more often rather than relying solely on jump shots. Minnesota out‑rebounded Denver on second‑chance opportunities, 20‑3, and turned a 19‑point early deficit into a 64‑56 lead before the Nuggets closed the half with an eight‑point run.
Murray, who missed all eight of his three‑point attempts in the series opener, started the night strong, hitting three early triples and shooting 5‑of‑7 from beyond the arc before halftime. He also executed two four‑point plays in the first quarter, drawing fouls from Ayo Dosunmu each time.
Elsewhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers continued their dominant start to the Eastern Conference first round, beating the Toronto Raptors 115‑105 to take a 2‑0 series lead. Coach Kenny Atkinson praised the trio of stars – Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley – for delivering in clutch moments.
"This was a superstar game. Those three led us," Atkinson said. "They hit the big shots. James had four steals in the second half, so excellent defensively." Mitchell contributed 30 points, including four three‑pointers, and added seven rebounds, five assists and a steal in 37 minutes.
Harden scored 28 and showcased his defensive instincts with five steals, while Mobley recorded a team‑high eight rebounds and poured in 25 points on an efficient 11‑of‑13 shooting night. It marked the fourth time in franchise history that the Cavs have had at least three players drop 25 or more points in a playoff game. In the closing minutes, Mitchell poured in nine points, including a stretch of seven straight, helping Cleveland build a 106‑90 advantage with just over three minutes left. He capped the performance with a 13‑foot turnaround bank shot with 45.3 seconds remaining.
Harden, shooting 9‑of‑14 from the field, added five rebounds, four assists and a block, and moved past Rajon Rondo for seventh place on the all‑time postseason assists list with 1,139. Defensive collaboration between Harden and Mobley was evident in the fourth quarter, as Mobley forced Toronto's Sandro Mamukelashvili to alter his shot in the paint, and Harden secured a crucial steal with 4:02 to go, marking his fourth playoff game with at least five steals. The NBA playoffs continue to deliver drama and excitement across both conferences, with multiple series now tied at one game each. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports, including upcoming matchups such as the Philadelphia 76ers versus the Boston Celtics on Sky Sports+ later this week.