NBA playoff winners and losers: Wolves advance, 76ers stay alive, Jaylen Brown and Jamal Murray scuffle
Alright, popcorn ready. Thursday’s playoff buffet served up blowouts, upsets and a healthy helping of chaos. The Knicks steamrolled the Hawks, the Timberwolves knocked off Denver in a shocker, and the Sixers refused to go quietly — forcing a Game 7 against the Celtics. Below: a playful, slightly snarky break-down of who strutted out of the arena like a boss and who left muttering excuses.
Quick snapshot
Short version: New York embarrassed Atlanta in a historic thrashing, Minnesota pulled off an upset without several stars, and Philly kept its season alive. Meanwhile, a few key players either showed up or spectacularly did not.
Winner: Knicks’ closeout clinic
Holy basketball beatdown. The Knicks decided they were done flirting with danger and closed the Hawks out in style, pouring in 140 points while holding Atlanta under 100. New York looked like it had stolen a time machine and booked the Hawks’ defense for a one-way trip to confusion.
They were up by nearly half the gym at halftime — an absurd advantage — and never looked back. OG Anunoby went nuclear, hitting nearly everything he threw up and finishing with 29 efficient points. Karl-Anthony Towns quietly filled out a triple-double without trying to be flashy, and Mikal Bridges finally woke up and contributed when it mattered. The series wound up lopsided despite a couple of one-point hiccups for New York earlier on.
Loser: Jaylen Brown
Jaylen had a rough night and, more importantly, a frustrating series stretch. He led his team in scoring that game but did so while forcing plays, racking up turnovers and committing too many offensive fouls. When you advertise yourself as an elite two-way guy, teeing off on contested drives and coughing up possessions in a potential closeout is not the flex you want.
To make matters worse, opposing defenders — most notably Paul George — made him work for everything and often came away with the upper hand. Long story short: Jaylen’s impact on that night felt more like a cameo than star billing.
Winner: Jaden McDaniels
If someone bet the farm on Jaden being a regular-season pest and a postseason monster, collect your winnings. McDaniels basically played keep-away with Denver’s offense and did the heavy lifting for Minnesota in the absence of several primary scorers. He put up 32 points, snagged 10 boards and somehow didn’t turn the ball over once — a tidy, impressive stat line.
He’s always been recognized for his defense, but he’s starting to look comfortable as a legit offense option too: spacing the floor, popping when needed, and doing the dirty work on the other end. That combination made the difference in closing out the Nuggets.
Winner: Paul George
Paul George had one of those nights where shot-making and shutdown defense showed up in the same outfit. He scored efficiently, buried multiple threes, and was a major reason Philly avoided elimination. When George is hitting his outside shots and bothering opponents on defense, the Sixers become a much tougher matchup.
Beyond scoring, his on-ball defense has been quietly excellent this series — the kind of positional bother that forces opponents into uncomfortable decisions and low-percentage plays.
Loser: Jamal Murray
Jamal’s numbers don’t tell the whole story here. On paper, he averaged decent counting stats over the series, but his shooting was wildly inefficient — especially from distance — and he disappeared at crucial moments. In the closeout game, he shot poorly and finished well into the minus column on the plus/minus ledger.
Nuggets injuries didn’t help the situation, but when you need shot creation and Murray can’t deliver relatively clean looks, you’re handing the game over to the defense and hoping the other guys bail you out. That gamble didn’t pay off.
Wrap-up: What to watch next
Next up: the Knicks wait for the Celtics-Sixers Game 7 winner (which is already shaping into a must-see), and the Wolves advance with momentum and some surprising storylines. Expect a few more sleepless nights for fans, and at least one more dramatic Game 7. Stay tuned, because playoff basketball remains the best reality TV out there — fewer commercial breaks, more elbowing.
