Oklahoma smashed Denver, Boston in knockdown

Oklahoma tied the series with a 149-106 victory, and now the series moves to Colorado, where the next two games will take place. The offense wasn't as much of an issue as the defense was. Oklahoma's players were moving from basket to basket, through the paint, past Denver's defenders as if they were cones.

They were constantly left open for three-pointers and just kept pouring them in. Denver couldn't defend anything, and absolutely nothing worked, resulting in 45 points for Oklahoma in the first quarter and a +24 lead.

Nikola Jokic couldn’t do much either. He was constantly double-teamed, with defenders sneaking up behind him, and was hit hard at times... Simply put, Denver was shut down. The Thunder were eager for revenge after losing the first game and didn’t stop. They played with a lot of energy and desire, and their lead just kept growing. Denver's coach David Adelman called five timeouts in the first half, an unheard-of number, but nothing helped.

Westbrook also tried to shake things up when he wanted to get into a scuffle with Williams, who had hit Jokic hard in a duel, but that only led to a technical foul for the veteran.

Jokic finished with 17 points (4/12 field goals, 2/4 three-pointers, 3/5 free throws), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 6 turnovers. He also earned 6 fouls, which led to an early exit. His +/- rating was -36. For Denver, the most effective players were Russell Westbrook with 19 points, Jamal Murray with 14, and Aaron Gordon with 10. Michael Porter added 8 points.

Oklahoma’s victory was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 34 points (10/11 two-pointers, 1/2 three-pointers, 11/11 free throws), 4 rebounds, and 8 assists, Jalen Williams with 17 points, Chet Holmgren with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Isaiah Hartenstein and Isaiah Joe each with 14 points, and Lu Dort with 12 points.

The next game will be in Colorado, on the night between Friday and Saturday at 5:00 AM. Game 4 will take place on Sunday at 10:30 PM, also in Denver.

On the other hand, the incredible New York Knicks! Once again, they were down by 20 points, once again they were on their knees, and it seemed like nothing could save them this time, but… These are Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks. They are warriors who never give up, not even for a moment. Maybe some other team would have given up against the reigning champions down by 20, but not them.

Two Knicks break-ins in Boston—who would have thought? After a very poor performance from Mikal Bridges until the fourth quarter, after Jalen Brunson’s disappearance, and the Celtics cruising towards a win... Everything fell apart for the home team in the final quarter.

The New York team made a new break and sent the series to Madison Square Garden – 91-90. Tom Thibodeau's team had a disastrous start. They missed every shot possible, no one could make anything, and it wasn’t entirely due to the Celtics' defense.

Boston wasn’t playing anything special defensively; the ball just wouldn’t go in for the visitors. The Knicks finished the first quarter with only 13 points, the lowest number for the team in a playoff first quarter since 2003. Boston took advantage of that and, led by a hot Holiday, Brown, and White, built a double-digit lead after the first quarter.

Karl-Anthony Towns ignited in the second quarter and went on a one-man mission. The Knicks trimmed Boston's 16-point lead to 9 at halftime, and in the third quarter, the Celtics, through Tatum and Brown, stretched the lead to a massive +20. It seemed like it was all over, but the Knicks have a knack for finding points in the final minutes and somehow surviving. The Knicks' last push came from Mikal Bridges.

The former Suns and Nets player shot 0/8, then hit six of his next seven shots for 13 points, bringing the Knicks back to just a 7-point deficit with 5 minutes left. New York never gives up, and once again, they showed it. With just under three minutes remaining, they closed the gap to only 4 points, and suddenly, drama unfolded from nowhere.

The Celtics entered the Knicks' "hell" defense, and, thanks to Towns and Brunson, New York completed an unbelievable comeback in the final minute and a half of the game. Brunson, who had been nowhere to be found, became the hero, scoring points to give New York a 3-point lead with under a minute left. After two free throws from Jayson Tatum, Brunson had the chance to be the hero again but missed a three-pointer.

Boston had one more chance, a full 24-second possession to try to win. After a dunk from Tatum with 18 seconds left, Holiday fouled Brunson, and the Knicks' best player sank both free throws for a new lead. Tatum wanted to be the hero on the other side, but Bridges stole the ball, and the Knicks secured the win! Josh Hart led the Knicks with 23 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 17 rebounds, Jalen Brunson had 17 points, and Mikal Bridges had 14 points, all in the fourth quarter.

For Boston, Jalen Brown and Derrick White each scored 20 points. Jayson Tatum added 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Jrue Holiday contributed 10 points.