NEW YORK (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers looked just as they did in their series against Boston.
The beginning of it anyway, when they were run off the floor in Game 1.
The 76ers made a huge comeback after that blowout to win the series and they will have to play from behind again in the Eastern Conference semifinals after the New York Knicks routed them 137-98 on Monday night.
“Same as last series. They don’t get any extra points for going up big tonight,” 76ers veteran Paul George said. “We’ll be ready for Game 2.”
Joel Embiid and the 76ers appeared on fumes while playing just two nights after winning Game 7 in Boston to complete the NBA's 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit. Coach Nick Nurse said before the game he didn't know what effect the short turnaround would have, saying sometimes it's better when a team is winning to just keep on playing.
But it didn't take long to see that wasn't the case.
“You can’t make excuses, that’s for sure,” Nurse said. “We knew it might be difficult, but you’re never going to go into the game and say this is going to happen. You've got to see it play out.”
The 76ers narrowly avoided the worst playoff loss in their franchise history, when they fell 121-81 to Boston in 1982. They came back to win that series, so perhaps that's a good omen on a bad night.
This comeback against the Celtics looked improbable after the Sixers lost Game 1 by 32 points, then lost by 32 again in Game 4, when Embiid returned after a late-season appendectomy.
So they know they can dig themselves out of holes. And the Knicks didn't need long to throw them into one.
The Knicks led 74-51 at halftime after shooting 65.9% from the floor and the only good thing was the game was so out of hand that Nurse was able to give his overworked starters some extra rest.
“Coming from the series we had and the physicality we displayed, I would like to think that maybe guys were tired,” Embiid said. “But it’s not an excuse, though. On to Game 2.”
Embiid played only 24 minutes, shooting 3 for 11 for his 14 points. Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 26.9 points in the first round, didn't even have a basket until five minutes into the second quarter and finished with 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting.
Their diminished offensive production wasn't the only problem. The Knicks took advantage of Embiid's limited mobility to repeatedly find open shots and ran whenever they could, with a 16-3 advantage in fast-break points.
“Yeah, we had breakdowns tonight, but they also shot the (heck) out of the ball,” George said. “They were hot.”
George wouldn't use fatigue as an excuse, but acknowledged that the 76ers did face what he called a mental rollercoaster.
“You go from a Game 7 and then one day off and then you’re right back into a matchup,” he said. “There was some carryover of us trying to get up and get prepared for this next matchup, but we should have came out and did a better job.”
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Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts during the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the New York Knicks Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Most of the starting line-up for the Philadelphia 76ers watches from the bench during the second half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the New York Knicks Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — From a strictly basketball standpoint, this young version of the Thunder truly arrived last season when they won Oklahoma City's first NBA title.
From a visibility point of view, the Thunder are preparing for perhaps their biggest stage yet — a Western Conference semifinals series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Thunder know what the Lakers mean to the sport. The franchise has won 17 championships while remaining relevant for generations. Facing such a respected opponent will give Oklahoma City a rare spotlight.
They also know what James, the league's all-time scoring leader, brings. Most of the Thunder players grew up watching James win four championships and reach the Finals regularly.
“Playing against an all-time great like that, you get up for those those games, regardless of when they are,” reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Oklahoma City's respect for the Lakers franchise or its star won't affect the action, though. And despite the glitz and glamour attached to LA and James, the top-seeded Thunder are the clear favorites in a series that starts Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
“I think the beautiful thing about this league is that it has a lot of history,” All-Star Chet Holmgren said. “But at the end of the day, whether they’re wearing purple or pink out there, it’s not going to affect how we need to play and approach it.”
Though Oklahoma City has earned the top seed in the West three straight years, some casual fans will get their first look at the Thunder simply because of the Lakers' name and star power.
The Lakers know small-market Oklahoma City has big-time talent. The Thunder won all four regular-season matchups this season by an average of 29 points.
“It’s one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “That’s the reality. They are. They’re that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.”
Lakers defensive stopper Marcus Smart called Gilgeous-Alexander the “No. 1 defensive challenge in the NBA right now.”
“It’s going to be a challenge for not just me, but everybody on this team to stay out of foul trouble, keep him off the line as much as possible, and then just continue to shut him down,” Smart said. “It’s tough, but it can be done.”
Lakers star Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring in Oklahoma City about a month ago and hasn’t played since. The league scoring champion averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the regular season.
Redick hasn't said if or when Doncic could return from an injury that sometimes requires two months of recovery, but the Lakers have ruled him out for Game 1.
Doncic shot 3-pointers with his teammates Monday while they wrapped up a workout before their flight to Oklahoma City.
At age 41, James still has juice. In Game 6 against Houston, he had 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers clinch the series.
“I just went over to him and was like, you’re insane,” LA guard Austin Reaves said. “Like, the stuff that you’re doing isn’t, it’s ... it’s not normal, especially age whatever. He’s been in the league for 23 years. The way he demands a game, the way he can control a game — it’s impressive.”
This is the third postseason meeting between the teams.
The Thunder announced their arrival in 2010 when they pushed the defending champion Lakers to six games in the first round. The young trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden made Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol work before the Lakers won the series and, eventually, Bryant’s last championship.
In 2012, the Thunder, still with Durant, Westbrook and Harden, rolled past the Lakers 4-1 in the West semifinals. The Thunder eventually lost to James' Miami Heat in the Finals.
Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams, a 2025 All-Star, missed the last two games of the first-round series against Phoenix with a left hamstring injury. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault did not declare him ready for a return, saying Monday only that Williams is progressing.
The Thunder ruled him out of the opener against the Lakers on Monday. He averaged 20.5 points on 61.5% shooting in the first two games against Phoenix. He injured the hamstring in the third quarter of Game 2.
In the last two games of the Phoenix series, Ajay Mitchell moved into the starting lineup in Williams' place and helped the Thunder complete the sweep. Mitchell, a second-year guard, shot 5 for 20 from the field in Game 3 but went 7 for 16 and scored 22 points in Game 4.
Reaves was limited in the first round with a strained oblique muscle. He played the final two games against Houston and averaged 18.5 points. He went 4 for 16 in his return as a reserve in Game 5 but made 12 of 13 free throws and scored 22 points. He made 7 of 14 field goals in Game 6 and scored 15 points. He was not listed on Monday's injury report.
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in Houston, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center drives to the basket between Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Suns guard Collin Gillespie, right, during the second half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks toward the scoreboard during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Houston Rockets, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, left, protects the ball from Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker during the second half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
