Knicks crush the 76ers 137-98 to start the second round and keep up a historic postseason roll

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his 35 points in the first half and the New York Knicks emphatically added to a historic postseason roll by overwhelming the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points, continuing a wave that began midway through the first round against Atlanta by shooting 63% from the field and leading by 40 points.

“We’re playing well, but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t find a way to get three more wins,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So, we've just got to stick to the task at hand.”

OG Anunoby added 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting, while Towns and Mikal Bridges both had 17, with Towns adding six rebounds and six assists in just 20 minutes.

After trailing 2-1 against Atlanta, the Knicks have won four straight games by a total of 135 points. They are the first team since detailed play-by-play began in 1996-97 to lead three straight playoff games by at least 30 points, according to Sportradar.

Brunson said the Knicks' focus and attention to detail have been better since they fell behind.

“Yes, it’s turned into obviously big wins, but those attention to detail things are going to help us in the close ones as well,” Brunson said.

Game 2 is Wednesday night before the series shifts to Philadelphia — with Joel Embiid already pleading with 76ers fans not to sell their tickets to Knicks fans when it does.

But the 76ers didn't exactly give their fans much reason to want to keep them Monday.

Paul George scored 17 points for Philadelphia. Embiid shot just 3 for 11 for his 14 points and Tyrese Maxey had just 13, not making his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter.

The 76ers had just one full day off after winning in Boston on Saturday night to complete the NBA's 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit. But they looked more like the team that lost twice by 32 points in the first four games to fall into that deficit.

The Knicks had a much easier first round — and finished it with one of the easiest games in NBA playoff history. They crushed Atlanta 140-89 on Thursday in Game 6, setting a postseason record by building a 47-point halftime lead.

There were long stretches Monday that looked similar.

“They were obviously picking us apart, moving a lot better than we were,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said.

The Knicks scored eight straight points midway through the second quarter to extend a 10-point lead to 57-39, and Brunson scored their final 11 points, capped by a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining, to make it 74-51 at halftime.

Towns' 3-pointer made it 90-60 about five minutes into the second half and it was mostly reserves from there. Brunson played only 31 minutes, perhaps the only reason he didn't reach 40 points for a fourth straight playoff game against the 76ers.

He averaged 35.5 points in a first-round series against the 76ers in 2024 and closed it with three straight 40-point games, including a franchise playoff-record 47 in Game 4.

The 76ers still haven't figured out a way to stop him.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks' Og Anunoby, right, drives past Philadelphia 76ers' Justin Edwards during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, right, fouls Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks' Mikal Bridges dunks the ball during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, right, dunk during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Philadelphia 76ers' Vj Edgecombe, right, fouls New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

CHICAGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto capped a two-run ninth inning with a solo homer, and the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Monday night for their sixth straight victory.

Seiya Suzuki hit a 455-foot home run for the NL Central leaders, who improved to 23-12 with their 16th win in 19 games. Chicago has won 12 in a row at home, the team’s best streak at Wrigley Field since a 14-game run in 2008.

The Reds took a 4-3 lead in the eighth when Spencer Steer lined an RBI single against Ben Brown, only to drop their fourth straight.

Pete Crow-Armstrong tripled leading off the ninth against Emilio Pagán (2-1) on a ball that popped out of center fielder Dane Myers’ glove as he tried to make a leaping catch against the wall. Crow-Armstrong scored one out later on Nico Hoerner’s sacrifice fly.

Conforto, batting for Matt Shaw, then drove a 3-2 pitch to center and was mobbed by happy teammates as he crossed home plate.

The teams waited out a delay of 1 hour, 40 minutes at the start because of a thunderstorm after the game was initially moved up a half hour.

The Cubs trailed 3-0 in the fourth before Suzuki tied it with a three-run drive off Chase Petty, Chicago’s longest homer of the season.

Edward Cabrera went six innings, allowing three runs and nine hits. He gave up a homer to JJ Bleday leading off the third and a two-run drive to Ke’Bryan Hayes in the fourth.

Ryan Rolison (2-0) worked the ninth.

In his first major league start this season, Petty gave up three runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Reds recalled the right-hander from Triple-A Louisville prior to the game.

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-1, 4.41 ERA) looks to win his second straight start, while LHP Andrew Abbott (1-2, 5.97) gets the ball for the Reds. Taillon tossed seven solid innings at San Diego last week.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher C. Petty wipes his face after Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, of Japan, hit a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A rainbow occurs while a tarp covers the infield during a rain delay before a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki, of Japan, celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Conforto, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting the winning solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Cubs' Michael Conforto, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting the winning solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)