New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, right, and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels fight in the first half during Game 6 on Thursday.
Brynn Anderson | AP Photo
ATLANTA — OG Anunoby scored 29 points in 27 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns had his second triple-double of the series and the New York Knicks had their biggest playoff victory in franchise history, overwhelming and eliminating the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The Knicks broke several NBA records by halftime. Their 40-15 lead at the end of the first quarter marked the largest of the shot clock era. Their 47-point halftime lead was the biggest in playoff history.
New York’s 51-point win tied for the sixth-largest margin of victory in NBA postseason history.
Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson were ejected after fighting following a pair of free throws from Anunoby that gave the Knicks a 50-point lead in the second quarter.
The Knicks exceeded 100 points with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter. New York’s starters were done for the night with 2:45 remaining in the third.
Anunoby scored 26 of his points in the first half. Mikal Bridges finished with 24. Towns, five days after becoming the fourth Knicks player with a playoff triple-double, had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Hawks were 12 for 39 from the field in the first half and 4 for 18 from 3-point range. Atlanta had 14 turnovers in the first half.
Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga each had 11 points.
The Knicks will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Wolves’ Dosunmu, Anderson to miss Game 6
MINNEAPOLIS — The injury-ravaged Minnesota Timberwolves lost two more key players for Game 6 of their first-round NBA playoff series on Friday against the Denver Nuggets, scratching guard Ayo Dosunmu with a sore right calf and forward Kyle Anderson with an illness.
After sparkplug Donte DiVincenzo went down with a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the first minute of Game 4 and All-Star Anthony Edwards was sidelined with a bone bruise in his left knee in the second quarter, the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets 112-96 on Saturday behind a career-high 43 points from Dosunmu.
The injuries caught up to Minnesota in Denver for Game 5 during a 125-113 defeat on Monday that pulled the Nuggets within 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. With the backcourt thinned significantly, coach Chris Finch put 19th-year veteran Mike Conley and 2024 first-round draft pick Terrence Shannon in the starting lineup.
Backup guard Bones Hyland was listed on the injury report with a sore left knee, but he was available off the bench. Jaylen Clark, who played sparingly during the regular season, was also in line to join the backcourt rotation. Anderson has been a deeper reserve since rejoining the Timberwolves last month, but he would’ve given Finch another experienced and trustworthy option to help fill the injury voids.
DiVincenzo visited the team’s morning shootaround on a scooter, after having surgery Sunday. Timberwolves players wore his jersey to the arena in tribute.
For the Nuggets, forwards Aaron Gordon (left calf tightness) and Peyton Watson (strained right hamstring) were held out again. Gordon has missed three of the six games. Watson has yet to play.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.