Wembanyama leads Spurs to NBA Playoffs semifinals; Knicks need one more win
The Spurs dismissed the Trail Blazers to become the second franchise to qualify for the next round. The 76ers hold on against the Celtics.
Victor Wembanyama. File archive
The San Antonio Spurs followed in the footsteps of the Oklahoma City Thunder and became the second franchise to advance to the semifinals of the NBA Playoffs. They figure among the favorites to capture the Ring this season.
On the other hand, the New York Knicks turned the playoffs around against the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers managed to dodge elimination, though they remain behind in the series.
Portland was no match for Wembanyama's Spurs
Despite winning Game 2 of the playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers—who returned to the Playoffs after five seasons away—reached the end of their journey. The Spurs were superior and ended the series (4-1).
In the final game, San Antonio prevailed (114-95) at the Frost Bank Center in Texas. A strong all-around performance of the starting five proved decisive.
As usual, Spurs leader Victor Wembanyama led the charge and was the standout performer for the winners, recording a double-double (17 points and 14 rebounds). De'Aaron Fox was San Antonio's top scorer (21 points), while Trail Blazers star, Israeli Deni Avdija, closed his participation by being the game's top scorer (22 points).
Knicks, one step away from the semifinals
The tie between the Knicks and the Hawks is proving to be one of the most evenly matched in this first round of the NBA Playoffs. New York took the lead in the series (3-2) after defeating Atlanta (126-97) in the last game, played at Madison Square Garden.
The duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns was colossal. The former for being the top scorer of the game (39 points) and the latter for posting a double-double (16 points and 14 rebounds).
"We started the game with the right mentality. We played defense as a team, we helped each other, that's what we have to do moving forward," Brunson said after the game.
Jalen Johnson was the Hawks' standout performer (18 points and 10 rebounds).
76ers hold on
The 76ers managed to save themselves and stretch the playoffs against the Boston Celtics to Game 6. The most decorated franchise in NBA history dominates the series (3-2).
In their last meeting, the 76ers took a more than important victory (97-113) on the road at the TD Garden in Massachusetts.
Joel Embiid (33 points) and Tyrese Maxey (25 points and 10 rebounds) gave the 76ers another chance. A double-double by Jayson Tatum (24 points and 16 rebounds) was insufficient for the Celtics.
Here's how the Playoffs are going.
Philadelphia 76ers 2-3 Boston CelticsAtlanta Hawks 2-3 New York KnicksOrlando Magic 3-1 Detroit PistonsToronto Raptors 2-2 Cleveland Cavaliers
Western Conference:
Portland Trail Blazers 1-4 San Antonio SpursMinesotta Timberwolves 3-2 Denver NuggetsHouston Rockets 1-3 Los Angeles LakersPhoenix Suns 0-4 Oklahoma City Thunder
(in bold, the franchises qualified for the semifinals).
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