Cleveland takes 2-0 lead over Toronto, Atlanta ties series with Knicks at Madison

The Atlanta Hawks pulled off a stunning upset Monday at Madison Square Garden by beating the New York Knicks 107-106 to even this NBA playoff series, while the Cavaliers beat the Raptors again and lead 2-0 in their series.

Late in Monday's third game, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Hawks silence Madison Square Garden

The New York Knicks suffered a painful 107-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at home at Madison Square Garden.

CJ McCollum led a spectacular comeback by Atlanta, which was down by as many as 14 points, with 32 points, three rebounds and six assists.

Game 3 of the playoffs will be played Thursday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mikal Bridges had a chance to win the game for the Knicks with a shot at the buzzer after McCollum missed two free throws, but his shot fell short.

The Knicks looked in control through the first three quarters but went cold in the final period, managing just 15 points to the Hawks’ 28, as Atlanta’s persistence paid off in a comeback that stole home-court advantage.

Cleveland increases lead over Toronto

Donovan Mitchell and James Harden combined to score 58 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 115-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, a result that gives them a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The Cavs, who had already won with authority on Saturday 126-113, again proved too strong for Toronto, leading from start to finish at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

Mitchell finished with 30 points, including four 3-pointers, while Harden contributed 28 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Evan Mobley also had a big night for Cleveland, with 25 points, the product of 11 of 13 shots on target.

The Cavs’ win confirmed that the offensive partnership between Mitchell and 36-year-old veteran Harden, who joined the team via trade in February, is peaking at just the right time for Cleveland.

Toronto's scoring was led by Scottie Barnes, with 26 points, while RJ Barrett added 22.

Minnesota stops Jokic and the Nuggets

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 119-114 and tied the series (1-1), in a true NBA playoff classic played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

The lead changed hands 15 times; the Nuggets built a game-high 19-point lead, while the Timberwolves’ largest advantage was eight.

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota's main figure, finished the game with a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds.

The game was so evenly matched that the first two quarters ended with identical 39-25 scores, one in favor of each team.