CJ McCollum delivered a standout performance, dropping 32 points as the Atlanta Hawks pulled off a dramatic 107‑106 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night, tying the opening round series at one win each. The climax came when McCollum spearheaded a late surge that nearly slipped away after he missed two free throws with just 5.6 seconds left on the clock. The Knicks, having exhausted all their timeouts, pushed the ball up the floor in a final attempt, but Mikal Bridges’ last‑second jumper fell short, sealing the Hawks’ comeback.
Atlanta had spent the entire second half trailing, finding themselves down by 12 points after the third quarter. However, the team gradually clawed back, and a pivotal basket from McCollum gave the Hawks a 101‑100 edge – their first lead of the night in the second half – with 2:09 remaining.
McCollum extended the advantage with a second shot, putting Atlanta up by three. New York’s point guard Jalen Brunson answered with a three‑pointer to knot the game, but McCollum responded once more, knocking down a mid‑range jumper that pushed the Hawks ahead 105‑103 with only 33 seconds left. Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga contributed 19 points, while Jalen Johnson added 17, including a decisive bucket with ten seconds remaining that gave the No. 6 seed a four‑point cushion as they prepared to host Game 3 on Thursday.
For the Knicks, Brunson finished with 29 points and Karl‑Anthony Towns added 18. New York is aiming to reach the second round for a fourth consecutive season, a run that would mark its longest playoff stretch since the early 1990s. "This is a game we should have won," Knicks forward Josh Hart remarked after the loss. "In the playoffs you can’t afford to give games away." In a separate Western Conference matchup, the Minnesota Timberwolves matched the Denver Nuggets 119‑114, evening their series at one‑game apiece.
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 30 points, while Julius Randle supplied 24 for Denver. Denver entered the game on a 13‑game winning streak that dated back to a March 18 loss. Late in the fourth quarter, Edwards turned the ball over with 31 seconds left, and Christian Braun was fouled on the opposite end. Braun missed one of two free throws, leaving the Nuggets trailing 115‑114 with 19 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, Randle calmly sank two free throws, and Donte DiVincenzo capped the comeback with a breakaway dunk, erasing a 19‑point first‑quarter deficit and forcing the series back to a tied state as it shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3. Jamal Murray contributed 30 points for Denver, and Nikola Jokić added 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
However, the All‑Star duo struggled from beyond the arc, combining for just two makes on 12 attempts in the final period, which allowed Minnesota to level the series. Historically, the Nuggets have won their first two games in a playoff series eight times, while the Wolves have never won a series after dropping the opening two contests.
Murray’s highlight came at halftime when he buried a 51‑foot three‑pointer to knot the score at 64. Jokić found his rhythm in the third quarter, pouring in 16 points as Denver briefly reclaimed a 93‑90 lead. Edwards showed marked improvement from the series opener, where a sore knee limited him to 22 points.
In Game 2 he attacked the basket more aggressively, reducing his reliance on jump shots. Minnesota out‑scored Denver 20‑3 on second‑chance opportunities and rallied from an early 19‑point hole to seize a 64‑56 lead before Denver answered with the final eight points of the half.
Murray, who missed all eight of his three‑point attempts in Game 1, started the night strong, making five of seven from deep before halftime and recording two four‑point plays in the opening quarter, both earned after being fouled by Ayo Dosunmu. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers continued their dominant start by defeating the Toronto Raptors 115‑105, taking a 2‑0 series lead. Coach Kenny Atkinson praised the trio of stars – Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley – for their offensive firepower and defensive contributions.
Mitchell poured in 30 points, hitting four triples, and added seven rebounds, five assists and a steal in 37 minutes. Harden contributed 28 points and showcased his defensive instincts with four steals in the second half, moving past Rajon Rondo to claim seventh place on the all‑time postseason assists leaderboard with 1,139.
Mobley recorded a team‑high eight rebounds and scored 25 points on an efficient 11‑of‑13 shooting display. The Cavaliers’ performance marked the fourth occasion in franchise history that three players have each tallied at least 25 points in a playoff game.
Mitchell’s late‑game burst – nine points in the fourth quarter, including seven straight – helped cement a 106‑90 lead with just over three minutes left. He capped the night with a spectacular 13‑foot turnaround bank shot as the clock wound down. Defensively, Harden and Mobley worked in tandem, with Mobley forcing Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili into an altered shot in the paint, and Harden stripping the ball with 4:02 remaining – his fourth playoff game with at least five steals. These contests set the stage for an exciting continuation of the 2026 NBA playoffs, with upcoming matchups such as the Philadelphia 76ers versus the Boston Celtics slated to air on Sky Sports+ later this week.