Hawks and Timberwolves take lead as Raptors bounce back in NBA playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks achieved a heart-stopping 109-108 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday to go 2-1 up in their playoff series. The Wolves also went ahead by winning Game 3 against Jokic's Nuggets, while the Raptors crushed the Cavaliers 126-104 and closed the gap in their series.

After winning 107-106 at Madison Square Garden on Monday, the Hawks took the win at home by just one point Thursday. Atlanta showed excellent teamwork, especially on defense, as was evident on the game's final possession.

The Knicks were unable to score in the final second, and Jalen Brunson, corralled, missed his final pass to Josh Hart, whose shot was intercepted by Jonathan Kuminga. With 12 seconds left, The Hawks' CJ McCollum (23 points) scored the mid-range shot that gave them the win and allowed them to regain a one-point lead.

Atlanta had led for most of the game but saw the Knicks rally in the final minutes thanks to three three-pointers. OG Anunoby, with 29 points and 9 rebounds, landed two miracle shots just before the shot clock expired, before Miles McBride tied the game with 1:41 remaining.

A block by Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points, 17 rebounds) on McCollum, followed by a driving basket and foul by Brunson (26 points, 4 assists), even gave the Knicks a three-point lead with just 1:03 remaining, but it wasn’t enough.

"I got in the right position and did what I had to do to get this win," McCollum said, though he was still upset with himself for committing the foul on Brunson. "I have to get better," he lamented.

Jalen Johnson and reserve Kuminga, who arrived in February from the Warriors, powered the Hawks, who are aiming to win a playoff series for the first time since 2021.

They will play Game 4 at home on Saturday to try to extend their lead.

Raptors react, avoid 3-0 deficit

The Toronto Raptors also shined at home, taking off on the scoreboard in the final minutes for a 126-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, cutting their series deficit to 2-1.

Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett scored 33 points apiece, and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles contributed 22 points coming off the bench for the Raptors.

Barnes dished out 11 assists and the Raptors—who went into the final quarter with a two-point lead—closed the game with an unstoppable onslaught. They hit eight of their nine three-point attempts in the final quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers 43-23.

"We knew we needed a win," Barnes told AFP after the Raptors avoided falling to 0-3 in the series, a chasm no team in NBA history has managed to climb back from to win a playoff series.

James Harden scored 18 points, while the Cavs got 15 points apiece from Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus.

Wolves overrule Jokic

In Minneapolis, Rudy Gobert led a formidable Minnesota defensive effort in the Timberwolves' 113-96 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The Timberwolves, who had rebounded from an early 19-point deficit to take Game 2 in Denver, took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference series and will host Game 4 this Saturday.

Minnesota held the lead throughout the game, limiting the Nuggets to 11 points in the first quarter and extending their lead to as many as 27 points in the third. Ayo Dosunmu scored 25 points coming off the bench for the Timberwolves.

Jaden McDaniels added 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards, limited by foul trouble, scored 17. Gobert kept three-time NBA MVP Jokic under tight control. The Serbian star finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds, but hit only seven of his 26 field-goal attempts.