Thursday’s NBA night delivered a whirlwind of outcomes: two clubs moved on to the next playoff round, two saw their campaigns end, and another pair are now staring down a winner‑takes‑all Game 7. In the West, the three‑time MVP Nikola Jokić and his Denver Nuggets saw their postseason hopes dashed in a stunning upset by the sixth‑seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. Over in the East, the heavily favored third‑seed New York Knicks thrashed the Atlanta Hawks to clinch a spot in the conference semifinals, while the Philadelphia 76ers earned a second consecutive elimination‑victory, setting up a high‑stakes showdown against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, broadcast live on Sky Sports. The Western bracket delivered its first major surprise when the No.
3 seed Nuggets, anchored by MVP‑candidate Jokić, were knocked out in six games by a youthful Timberwolves squad. Minnesota’s forward Jaden McDaniels delivered perhaps his finest playoff performance in six years, pouring in 32 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to secure a 110‑98 win that put the Wolves past the halfway point of the series.
Jokić, trying to salvage the series, posted a respectable 28 points on 58 percent shooting in the final game, but his effort proved insufficient to keep Denver alive. The loss ends a season that many had projected as a legitimate championship run, leaving the Nuggets to reflect on a campaign that fell short of expectations. Minnesota’s triumph now sets up a daunting Western Conference semifinal against the towering Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, a series that promises to test the Timberwolves’ resolve against a team boasting both size and experience.
Fans will be eager to see whether the Wolves can maintain the momentum they generated by ousting a top‑seeded opponent. Switching to the Eastern Conference, the Knicks cemented their place in the conference semifinals with an overwhelming 140‑89 victory over the Hawks. The win was historic: New York established a 47‑point lead at halftime, the largest half‑time margin ever recorded in NBA playoff history, effectively deciding the game before the third quarter began.
The final margin of 51 points also stands as the biggest playoff win in Knicks franchise history. A key contributor was O.G. Anunoby, who scored 29 points and helped ensure that the Knicks would meet the winner of the Philadelphia‑Boston elimination game on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the 76ers continued their mission to exorcise the ghosts of past playoff disappointments.
In front of a raucous home crowd, Philadelphia posted a 106‑93 win that forces a decisive Game 7 against the Boston Celtics. The Sixers have now won two straight elimination games, a stark contrast to the earlier part of the series where they suffered two crushing 30‑point defeats. Their resurgence is anchored by a fully recovered Joel Embiid, who returned from a post‑appendectomy procedure in top form, and All‑Star guard Tyrese Maxey, who erupted for 30 points. This newfound vigor has transformed the Sixers into a markedly different side—more cohesive, confident, and capable of competing at the highest level.
If Philadelphia can pull off a victory in the upcoming decider, they will join an exclusive club: only the second team in the past 67 years to win a playoff series after losing two games by margins of 30 points or more. Such a feat would also mark the end of a long‑standing rivalry curse, as the Sixers have been eliminated by the Celtics in four of the last eight seasons. A win would not only break that pattern but also deliver the franchise its first postseason series triumph over its most bitter adversary in decades.
Overall, Thursday’s action highlighted the unpredictable nature of the NBA playoffs, where underdogs can upset favorites, record‑breaking performances can rewrite history, and teams can reinvent themselves under pressure. The upcoming Game 7 promises to be a marquee event, with the Celtics and Sixers battling for survival, while the Western semifinals loom as a potential clash of titans between the Timberwolves and the Spurs.
Fans can look forward to more drama, intensity, and unforgettable moments as the quest for the championship intensifies.