A brutal night across the playoffs saw the Philadelphia 76ers blown off the floor by the New York Knicks.
Plus Victor Wembanyama delivered a historic performance with a record-setting 12 blocks, ultimately overshadowed by the Minnesota Timberwolves stealing Game 1 on the road.
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‘WOLVES CRASH WEMBY’S BLOCK PARTY
Despite most tipping the San Antonio Spurs to take control of the series, it took just one game for the Minnesota Timberwolves to flip the script, stealing home-court advantage with a 104-102 win in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama produced a historic defensive display, finishing with 11 points, 12 blocks and 15 rebounds in a dominant triple-double that set a new postseason record. The previous mark had been shared by Mark Eaton (1985), Hakeem Olajuwon (1990) and Andrew Bynum (2012).
Still, it wasn’t enough to hold off Minnesota’s late charge.
Anthony Edwards, playing just nine days after a bone bruise from a hyperextended left knee, stepped up when it mattered, scoring 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
The Timberwolves did it undermanned, without Ayo Dosunmu (calf) and Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles), but still found another level late, pouring in 35 points in the final quarter and leading by as many as nine.
San Antonio only edged Minnesota 58-52 in points in the paint, a surprising outcome given Wembanyama’s dominance. Shot selection played a part, with the Spurs star often drifting to the perimeter, while Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels anchored Minnesota’s interior defence.
Edwards, meanwhile, was quick to point the finger at himself post-game despite his strong finish.
“We just gotta stay locked in on the game plan. Especially myself. I can’t give up two offensive rebounds to Champagnie,” he said.
“I may not be as athletic as I usually am, but I gotta be able to box out and make those small plays to win the big-time game.”
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was also left to reflect on the late-game execution, including the decision not to call a timeout to draw up a potential game-winning play.
Timberwolves head coach Nick Finch took issue with Wembanyama’s shot-blocking display, suggesting several of the 12 blocks could have been called for goaltending.
Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals is set for Thursday, May 7 at 11:30am.
KNICKS END 76ERS PARTY
The Philadelphia 76ers barely had time to celebrate their Game 7 comeback from 3–1 down against the Boston Celtics before being brought straight back to reality.
In a matchup packed with hype, centred around the long-running rivalry between Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, it was the New York Knicks who took complete control early and never let go.
New York set the tone with a 33-25 opening quarter and went on to lead for 91% of the game, stretching the margin to as much as 40 points in a dominant 39-point win. Jalen Brunson was outstanding, pouring in 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting in just 31 minutes, while Towns added 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. No Knicks starter played more than 31 minutes in the blowout.
For Philadelphia, the struggles were clear. They shot just 41% from the field, turned the ball over 19 times and allowed 16 fast-break points. Embiid, coming off a dominant series against Boston, was held to just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
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The 76ers even turned to a “hack-a-Mitch” strategy early, repeatedly fouling Mitchell Robinson, who missed four straight free throws, but the tactic had little impact as the Knicks surged to a 74–51 lead by half-time.
Head coach Nick Nurse was blunt in his assessment post-game.
“Defensively, we just seemed like we were chasing everything. Didn’t guard the ball well enough. Didn’t contest shooters well enough. I mean, they were, obviously, picking us apart.”
Game 2 is set for Thursday, 7 May at 9:00am AEST.