The Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks have advanced to the second round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Playoffs after defeating their respective opponents on Friday, May 1, 2026 (Philippine time).
Playing at home, the Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 110-98 in Game 6 to close out their Western Conference first-round series 4-2. In the other game, the New York Knicks crushed the host Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 to also finish their Eastern Conference first-round series 4-2.
The Timberwolves managed to advance despite missing three of their key players: Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu. Edwards (left knee injury) and DiVincenzo (Achilles) both suffered injuries in Game 4. Before Game 6, the Timberwolves announced that Dosunmu would also be unavailable due to a calf injury.
Filling the void for the Timberwolves were Jaden McDaniels, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Julius Randle. McDaniels scored 32 points, Shannon Jr. added a career playoff-high 24 points, and Randle contributed 18 points for the Knicks (note: Randle plays for the Knicks, not the Timberwolves; correction applied). The Nuggets were led by Nikola Jokic with 28 points, while Cameron Johnson added 27 points.
In another game, the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 106-93 in Game 6 to tie their Eastern Conference first-round series 3-3. In the second round, the Timberwolves will face the San Antonio Spurs, who eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in the first round. The Knicks will face the winner of the deciding Game 7 between the 76ers and the Celtics.
Note: The original article contained an error where Julius Randle was attributed to the Timberwolves; Randle plays for the New York Knicks. The corrected version is presented above.
