The New York Knicks have won four straight postseason games, and none of them have been close. The last three wins, including a 39-point blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1, have come by at least 29 points. According to CBS Sports, the Knicks are the first team in NBA postseason history to win three consecutive playoff games by at least 25 points.
Game 2 tips off Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden, and the Sixers will be without Joel Embiid, who has been ruled out. Philadelphia has shown the ability to bounce back from lopsided losses in this postseason, but doing so on the road against a team shooting at historic efficiency, without their franchise center, is a different challenge entirely. New York is favored by 10.5 points.
The nightcap features the Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET. Minnesota pulled off a surprise Game 1 win on the road despite being heavy underdogs, a result made more remarkable by the injury absences surrounding the team. Donte DiVincenzo is out with an Achilles injury, Ayo Dosunmu is questionable with a calf problem, and Anthony Edwards, who made an unexpected return from a knee injury to play in Game 1, is nowhere near full health.
Edwards' return changed the series immediately. Terrence Shannon Jr. and Mike Conley also stepped up, and Minnesota's defense held San Antonio in check despite Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox shooting a combined 10 of 31 from the field. San Antonio also went 10 of 36 from three-point range. The Spurs are installed as 9.5-point favorites for Game 2, a reflection of both home-court advantage and the expectation that Wembanyama and Fox will not repeat that level of inefficiency.
Hovering over the Western Conference bracket is the status of Luka Doncic. The Lakers star told reporters he does not know when he will return from the Grade 2 hamstring strain that has kept him out since early April, per ESPN. Doncic offered no timeline, leaving Los Angeles without clarity on when or whether its franchise player can factor into this postseason.
