Knicks Notes: Towns, Hart, Brunson, McBride
The Knicks struggled to put four straight quarters of high-level offense together in Games 2 and 3 of their series against the Hawks. In Game 4, they turned to Karl-Anthony Towns as the lead man, and it may have saved their season, Kristian Winfield writes for the New York Daily News. The Knicks have had issues getting the talented center involved at times, but they made a clear effort to do so on Saturday.
The six-time All-Star had his first playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. His passing from the top of the key opened up the game for the Knicks, as did the off-ball play designs from head coach Mike Brown, which got players like OG Anunoby shot after shot inside, most of which were courtesy of Towns.
“[Towns] is a special talent. He can do it all. And I know if I get open, he’ll find me,” Anunoby said after the game, per Winfield. “No matter how tight the window is, he’ll be able to find it. It’s amazing playing with a player like him.”
Brown said that the decision to play through Towns was a result of being willing to adjust quickly, given the magnitude of the game, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
“We just switched our early offense,” coach Mike Brown said. “So with us switching our early offense up the way we did, the ball went to his hands quite a bit.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- Josh Hart is best known for his rebounding and hustle plays, but it’s his defensive versatility that has allowed New York to come back and tie their first-round series with the Hawks 2-2, Jared Schwartz writes for the New York Post. Hart split his time guarding CJ McCollum, who has been picking apart the Knicks’ defense for much of the series, and Jalen Johnson. He was similarly effective on both players, and his intensity helped set the tone for New York’s perimeter defense, which held the Hawks to 24.4% shooting from deep and converted 19 Atlanta turnovers into 21 points. “Josh was really good on the ball,” Brown said. “Josh is a guy with quick feet, he’s strong and when he gets locked in, he’s locked in. His defensive activity, especially when he [pressures the ball], was fabulous [Saturday night]. Really, really good. And we needed all of it.”
- Another crucial part of the Knicks’ victory was finding a way to keep Jalen Brunson from being a target on defense. On Saturday, Brown was able to do that, Winfield writes. “We mix it up so Jalen is not always on [the ball-handler],” Brown said pre-game. “When he is, we got to make sure we continue to mix up our defensive coverages.” Brunson also waved away concerns over the visible disagreement he had with his father, assistant coach Rick Brunson, simply saying, “That was two competitors,” per Schwartz.
- It’s been an inconsistent start to the playoffs for Miles McBride, who is still only 1.5 months removed from undergoing sports hernia surgery. He has had some positive moments, especially late in games, but has made just one two-pointer and has yet to attempt a free throw. He’s not making excuses about his injury, though, Bondy writes. “I expect a lot out of myself, more than anybody else, honestly. And I try not to listen to how I’m feeling day to day,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter; if I’m supposed to get a stop, I gotta get a stop. If I’m supposed to make a shot, I gotta make a shot. So I try not to think about it. Reality is, I’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
Northwest Notes: Dosunmu, Jokic, Blazers Star Targets, Jazz Draft Capital
When the Timberwolves traded for Ayo Dosunmu, his impending free agency was a lingering question, given how expensive Minnesota’s roster is. His playoff performance, culminating in his 43-point outing in the Game 4 victory on Saturday, is only making that conversation more interesting, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The more and more I’m here, the more opportunity for spotlight games, the first [playoffs] since my rookie year and being a monumental piece to help the team win — you can’t ask for anything better than that,” Dosunmu said. “… Playing meaningful basketball, playing in the playoffs, that’s always been a dream of mine, and that’s why I wrote that in my journal every day. God just sent me here with a different team.”
Dosunmu said he recently spoke with recently dismissed Bulls executive Arturas Karnisovas and gained closure regarding the trade that sent him to Minnesota. With the Wolves facing a cap crunch, Cowley asks whether Dosunmu could be interested in a reunion with Chicago.
While Saturday’s victory was marred by the emotions of the Wolves losing both Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles tear) and Anthony Edwards (knee hyperextension), Dosunmu’s heroics gave the team the lift it needed to take a commanding series lead, Marcus Thompson II writes for The Athletic.
“I didn’t know he was that damn good,” teammate Julius Randle said after the game. “… With Chicago, that was those DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine teams… I don’t know if the opportunity was there as much. But damn, I’m glad we got him.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Nuggets know they’ve dug themselves into a hole by going down 3-1 to the Wolves, but star Nikola Jokic is counting on the team’s extensive playoff experience to help them right the ship, Vinny Benedetto writes for the Denver Gazette. “We’ve been in this situation before. The most important one is the next one,” Jokic said. “We’re going to go home and (then) try to get the series back here.” The Nuggets have come back from a 3-1 deficit multiple times during Jokic’s reign, the first being against Rudy Gobert‘s Jazz back in the bubble in 2020.
- The Trail Blazers have worked hard to return to playoff relevance, and injured star Damian Lillard says the team is closer to taking the next step than people may think, Bill Oram writes for Oregon Live. “It’s all there,” Lillard said. “From the talent to the depth, to having it on both sides of the ball. It’s all there.” While speculation abounds as to whether the three-point champion could return during this postseason run, the front office is also reportedly setting its sights high this offseason, as it is preparing to put a compelling trade offer together for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the two-time MVP indicates he’d be willing to sign an extension in Portland. That is a large “if,” though, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes, calling the idea of Antetokounmpo making such a promise highly unlikely, if only for the gauntlet he would have to face in the Western Conference playoffs for years to come.
- While the 2026 playoffs rage on, the Jazz are more focused on the draft lottery coming up on May 10. However, there are still reasons for them to pay attention to the postseason, one of which is the draft compensation the Cavaliers still owe them due to the Donovan Mitchell trade, The Deseret’s Sarah Todd writes. The Cavs are currently tied 2-2 with the Raptors in the first round, and the team has a big decision to make regarding an extension for Mitchell this summer. While the star guard recently reiterated his desire to stay in Cleveland, a disappointing playoff exit could have ripple effects that impact the Jazz’s draft stockpile.
Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle Fined For Game 4 Altercation
The Nuggets‘ Nikola Jokic has been fined $50K, and the Timberwolves‘ Julius Randle has been fined $35K following an altercation that occurred in the final seconds of the Wolves’ Game 4 victory on Saturday, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
As the game wound down with the Wolves’ victory firmly decided, the Wolves’ Jaden McDaniels finished a fast-break dunk, a decision Jokic took exception to. The Nuggets’ star grabbed and shoved McDaniels, which is the basis for his higher fine.
Randle’s penalty came from his response, according to the press release, which states that he “escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard-forward Bruce Brown.”
Both players were ejected from the game, but as ESPN’s Anthony Slater notes (via Twitter), neither was issued a suspension.
Joel Embiid Set To Return For Game 4
The Sixers are getting reinforcements as they look to tie their series with the Celtics at 2-2, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that star big man Joel Embiid will return in Game 4 after a multi-week absence for appendicitis surgery (Twitter link).
After being upgraded from doubtful to questionable earlier in the day, Embiid went through warm-ups and was ultimately cleared to play. The former MVP had a thick wrap around his stomach as he went through his pre-game routine, PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck reports (via Twitter).
Tony Jones notes (via Twitter) that the star big man did not look 100% as he went through warm-ups, and cautioned fans to not expect too much from him immediately out of the gate.
Embiid has been re-inserted into the starting lineup, notes Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (via Twitter), and it’s unclear if he will be playing with a minutes restriction. Kelly Oubre Jr., who was questionable with a sore oblique, has also been cleared to play, per Jones (via Twitter).
The Sixers tied the series 1-1 behind impressive showings from the Tyrese Maxey – VJ Edgecombe backcourt, but they dropped a hard-fought Game 3 108-100. They will look to take advantage of the home court advantage on Sunday to get themselves back on even footing heading to Boston for Game 5.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Tatum, Barnes, Fernandez
After previously being listed as doubtful, Sixers‘ star big man Joel Embiid has been upgraded to questionable for Game 4 in Philadelphia on Sunday, notes Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Embiid has been working his way back from appendectomy surgery for around three weeks, with his last game action coming on April 6 in a loss to the Spurs.
The Sixers have fought hard to keep the first-round series close to this point, largely fueled by Tyrese Maxey and Game 2 heroics from VJ Edgecombe. Should Embiid be able to return, he could pose an interesting wrinkle for the Celtics, whose big man rotation has been hit-or-miss through three games.
Given the designation, Embiid will probably go through warm-ups before the final determination on his status is made, Jones writes.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Jayson Tatum hit the dagger to seal the Celtics‘ Game 3 victory over the Sixers on Friday, adding yet another accomplishment to his already-impressive return from injury. Despite his success, he still doesn’t feel fully back, Dan Gelston writes for AP News. “It may not seem like it because I’m back playing, but it was a very, very long time for me not to be doing what I love to do,” Tatum said. “I can’t stress it enough, the fact that I just get to put my uniform on and run out there with the team is a win for me.” Through three games, Tatum is averaging 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists to 1.7 turnovers. Those are strong numbers, though, to his point, the scoring rate would be his lowest postseason average since the 2019 playoffs. He said that he’s not worried about anything other than playing his game the right way.
- Scottie Barnes followed up his Game 3 heroics with another big outing on Sunday as the Raptors won their second straight game to tie the series with the Cavaliers at two games apiece. He scored 23 points along with nine rebounds, four of which were offensive, six assists, and three blocks. When asked if this was what Darko Rajakovic saw coming for his star forward, the head coach said he wasn’t satisfied yet. “No, I expect more from Scottie,” Rajakovic said. “The way he’s playing, he’s at 60% of a player that he’s gonna be in two, three years. Scottie’s gonna be one of the best players in the league, and he’s already one of the best players in the league. How much he cares about winning is pushing him forward to do whatever it takes to win a game. That’s what makes him so special.“
- After Jordi Fernandez and his coaching staff received multi-year extensions from the Nets, he gave a strong endorsement of the team he’s spent the last two years with. “I appreciate it,” Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “I’d sign right now to do it for the rest of my career.” With so much still in the air in terms of what the Nets will look like moving forward from a roster standpoint, having stability and security with the coaching staff is a helpful anchor point for the franchise. Fernandez knows that now it’s on him to keep pushing the team forward as they look to become competitive again.
Lloyd, Graham, Lindsey Finalists In Bulls’ Front Office Search
Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd, Hawks senior vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, and Pistons senior VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey are viewed as the finalists in the Bulls‘ search for a new head of basketball operations, league sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Monday that Chicago was granted permission to interview Lloyd, Graham, Lindsey, Cavs GM Mike Gansey and Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep. According to Fischer and Stein, the initial interviews were conducted virtually, with in-person conversations for the next round of interviews expected to occur next week.
Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune reported earlier this week that Lloyd was the “obvious frontrunner” for the job, and Fischer and Stein refer to the veteran executive as a “prime target” in Chicago’s search. Bulls advisor John Paxson, the team’s former head of basketball operations, is believed to be a “strong Lloyd advocate,” per the Stein Line.
Lloyd began his career with the Bulls in 1999 as a media coordinator and worked his way up to the scouting staff and then senior manager of basketball operations. He became assistant GM in Orlando in 2012 before joining Minnesota in 2022 as senior VP of basketball operations. He was promoted to GM two years ago.
Lindsey’s NBA career began in 1996, and he spent time with Utah, San Antonio and Dallas before joining the Pistons in 2024. He has been part of a remarkable rebuilding project that saw Detroit go from the league’s worst record to the East’s top seed in two years.
Graham spent 15 years with New Orleans, including one season as general manager, before moving to Atlanta last summer. He earned a reputation in the Pelicans’ front office for identifying young talent in the draft.
The Bulls are expected to embark on a rebuild, with two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and a surplus of cap room to spend this summer. They also have young players like Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and Noa Essengue on their current roster.
Rockets’ Kevin Durant Expected To Miss Sunday’s Game 4
The Rockets are unlikely to have their leading scorer as they face playoff elimination on Sunday, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Kevin Durant is expected to be sidelined once again in Game 4.
Durant, who missed Game 1 due to a right knee injury, suffered a left ankle sprain when he returned for Game 2. According to Charania, the 37-year-old forward has a bone bruise in his ankle, which would typically sideline a player for two-to-three weeks during the regular season.
Durant has been receiving constant treatment on his injured ankle and participated in a film session on Sunday morning, but the bone bruise has caused “swelling, stiffness and lack of mobility” in his left ankle, sources tell ESPN.
The 16-time All-Star appeared in 78 regular season games in his first season with Houston in 2025/26, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 36.4 minutes per contest. He posted an excellent shooting line of .520/.413/.874.
However, the playoffs have been a different story, with Durant now expected to miss his third game in the first-round matchup against the Lakers. Los Angeles currently leads the best-of-seven series three games to zero.
After signing a two-year, $90MM extension in October, Durant will earn a guaranteed $43.9MM in 2026/27, followed by a $46.1MM player option for ’27/28.
Victor Wembanyama Cleared To Return Sunday
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and will return to action on Sunday for Game 4 of the first-round series vs. Portland, according to Shams Charania and Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Spurs confirmed the news in their latest injury report, tweets Mark Medina.
Wembanyama has been in the protocol since Tuesday, when he suffered a concussion after hitting his head on the court during a hard fall in the second quarter of Game 2. Portland was able to even the series by winning that night, but San Antonio responded by pulling away late in Game 3 to retake home court advantage.
The French star lobbied to play in Game 3 after going through his normal workout routine ahead of Friday’s contest, league sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic, but he wasn’t cleared by the Spurs or the NBA until Sunday, says Charania (Twitter link).
Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to be named Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. He was also the first unanimous winner in league history.
Wembanyama recorded 35 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes in his playoff debut last Sunday. The 22-year-old big man had five points, four rebounds and a block in 12 minutes on Tuesday prior to the concussion.
With Wembanyama back in action, veteran center Luke Kornet will likely come off the bench for San Antonio after starting in Game 3.
Donte DiVincenzo Undergoing Surgery For Ruptured Achilles
Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo has formally been diagnosed with a ruptured right Achilles tendon after undergoing an MRI, the team announced in a press release.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that DiVincenzo had suffered a torn Achilles. The injury occurred in the first quarter of Saturday’s Game 4 victory over Denver.
According to the Wolves, DiVincenzo is undergoing surgery on Sunday afternoon in New York. Dr. Martin O’Malley will be the surgeon after performing a similar surgery last year for Jayson Tatum, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).
The 17th overall pick in the 2018 draft, DiVincenzo started all 82 regular season games for Minnesota in 2025/26. The 29-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.4 minutes per game while shooting 37.9% from long distance and providing his typical solid defense.
As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, the Wolves had a mix of emotions after Game 4. They were sad to lose DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards, who is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a left knee injury, but pleased with the way they performed in their absence to take a 3-1 series lead.
“Just proud of the guys, stepping up, fighting for each other — literally and figuratively,” head coach Chris Finch said. “These teams don’t like each other, there’s just no secret. You play each other this many times where things are at stake, even a Christmas Day game is a battle, felt like a playoff game. It’s how it goes.”
Backup big man Naz Reid said the Wolves will be thinking of DiVincenzo and Edwards as they look to close out the first-round series against their Northwest Division rival on Monday, Krawczynski adds.
“I think they’ll be with us,” Reid said. “They understand. We understand. We know what it takes. It’s not going to be easy, not at all. We gotta go out there and do what we gotta do.”
DiVincenzo is entering the final season of his contract, which will pay him about $12.5MM in 2026/27. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next year unless he signs an extension before then.
NBA Reviewing Nuggets-Wolves Altercation At End Of Game 4
After struggling in Game 3 — he shot just 7-of-26 from the field in the loss — Nuggets center Nikola Jokic praised Minnesota’s defense and acknowledged he needed to score much more efficiently ahead of Game 4, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
Jokic didn’t find much more success in Game 4, however, scoring an inefficient 24 points and failing to convert any of his six field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, per Anthony Slater of ESPN. The three-time MVP’s frustration boiled over in the closing seconds of Saturday’s 16-point loss, when he was ejected for angrily confronting Jaden McDaniels, who decided to make an open layup rather than run out the clock (Twitter video link via ESPN).
“I don’t regret it,” Jokic said of the incident after the game. “Because he scored after everybody stopped playing.”
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle was also ejected as part of the incident, which occurred in front of Minnesota’s bench, Slater notes. The league is actively reviewing the altercation to determine if additional penalties are warranted, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
As Slater writes, McDaniels has been an antagonist in the series, calling a number of Nuggets poor individual defenders after the Wolves pulled out a comeback win in Game 2.
“I don’t know,” McDaniels said when asked if he was in the Nuggets’ heads. “I said what I said, and I just come hoop every night.”
The Nuggets were up four at halftime on Saturday and were thoroughly outplayed in the second half by a Wolves team missing its starting backcourt — Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles in the first quarter, while Anthony Edwards hyperextended his knee in the second period.
Jokic is averaging 25.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 39.0 minutes per game in the series, but he’s also committing 4.0 turnovers and his shooting line is just .391/.185/1.000. The Serbian big man called his performance in the series “average,” then later credited Rudy Gobert‘s outstanding defense, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“It’s a little bit of everything. You know, I’m not shooting the ball really well, especially from the three, and you know, Rudy is doing a good job with being physical, testing the officials, contesting shots,” Jokic said. “You know, he’s a really good defender. And not just him, they play very good … they’re big, long, tall, handsy, trippy, they’re bumping you, so… I think I answered (your question).”
Here’s more on the Nuggets, who are in a 3-1 hole ahead of Monday’s Game 5:
- Although Aaron Gordon was able to play 23 minutes on Saturday, he was clearly limited physically and head coach David Adelman suggested after the game the veteran forward might not be active for Game 5, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “It was unfair for me to keep him out there,” Adelman said. “I felt like he was really laboring in the first half. … We’re going to have to decide what we do for Game 5.” Gordon, who was one of the players who appeared to leave the bench during the fracas, missed Game 3 due to a left calf injury.
- Both Gordon and Christian Braun said after Game 4 that the Nuggets were still frustrated after blowing a 19-point lead in Game 2, when they had a chance to go up 2-0, according to Quick. “It’s incredibly frustrating, just dwelling on Game 2,” Gordon said. “You know, not taking care of home court. So that’s the hard part about trying to let go, um, and focus on the next game, but knowing that we’ve let opportunities slip.”
- “Just an embarrassing first four games of the series,” Braun said (Twitter link via Durando). “We’ve just gotta show up in Game 5 and play well in front of our crowd. We owe that to them. We owe that to them to show up and play well.”