The New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history Thursday, destroying Atlanta 140-89 to advance to the second round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It was the most points scored and the biggest win by the Knicks in a playoff game, setting up an Eastern Conference semi-final with either the Celtics or the 76ers, who are tied 3-3 after a Philadelphia win.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Knicks wrapped up their 4-2 series victory in emphatic style, leading the Hawks by as many as 61 points before benching their starters for the final quarter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New York's 47-point half-time lead, at 83-36, was the widest in NBA post-season history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
OG Anunoby top-scored with 29 points, including 26 in the first half, before he was rested. None of New York's starters played more than 29 minutes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We can't just meet the moment, we've got to exceed it, and I thought we did a great job of doing that tonight," said Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Having finished third in the Eastern Conference, the heavily favored Knicks had been down 2-1 early in the playoff series, before roaring back.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They are the first team to advance to the East's semi-finals -- their fourth straight year of reaching that stage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Hawks briefly led at the start of the game, going up 11-9 before the wheels dramatically came off.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They trailed 40-15 at the end of the first quarter, and with the Atlanta crowd shellshocked, the Hawks players grew frustrated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A scuffle broke out between Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels, with other members of both teams getting involved.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But with the game clearly over, the second half was largely incident-free.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 51-point margin of defeat was not quite the largest in playoff history, which stands at 58 points.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Obviously you hate to lose anything. And to lose the way we did, I think, particularly given the enthusiasm and support that we've had from the people in this building... disappointed on a lot of levels," said Hawks coach Quin Snyder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Celtics-76ers playoff series is headed for a decisive game seven in Massachusetts after Philadelphia beat Boston 106-93.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Celtics had held a 3-1 series lead, but the 76ers proved dominant on their home court to make it 3-3.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Tyrese Maxey top-scored with 30 points. Paul George added 23, and 2023 Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid poured in another 19, plus 10 rebounds and eight assists.<\/p>\r\n\r\n