1. KNICKS RALLY PAST PACERS, BRUNSON’S HISTORIC RUN CONTINUES

With 10:34 to play and the Knicks down nine in Game 1 – their largest deficit of the night – it was Jalen Brunson time.

• The Garden knew it
• Fans who’ve watched NY’s Playoff run knew it
• And yet, Brunson was nearly unstoppable yet again

Brunson would score 21 of his game-high 43 points over the final 10.5 minutes, nearly outscoring the Pacers by himself as he led a 36-23 Knicks charge to end Game 1 with a 121-117 win. | Recap | Watch the Final 4:23

• The Streak: Brunson joined Jerry West, Michael Jordan and Bernard King as the only players with four straight Playoff games with 40+ points
• The Assists: Brunson is the only player to do so while also dishing out 5+ assists in each game
• Last 5 Games: Brunson is the first player with 200+ points and 45+ assists in a five-game span in Playoff history

Brunson got some help from college teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo as the Villanova trio combined for 92 of NY’s 121 points.

• Hart: Put up 7 pts, 3-3 FG, 2 ast, 1 stl in the game-ending run as he finished the game with 24 pts, 13 reb, 8 ast and 3 stl
• DiVincenzo: Scored 6 pts in the 4th, including the go-ahead 3 with 39.4 seconds left, as he finished with 25 pts and 5 3s

Myles Turner (23 pts) and Pascal Siakam (19 pts) led the Pacers starters, but it was their bench that was dominant in Game 1, outscoring the Knicks bench 46-3.

• Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, Isaiah Jackson and Ben Sheppard combined for 46 pts on 61.8% shooting in 72 minutes

2. WOLVES LOCK DOWN NUGGETS AGAIN

The Minnesota Timberwolves accomplished something that all four of Denver’s opponents in last year’s championship run were unable to do collectively – beat the Nuggets in Denver twice.

Minnesota defeated Denver 106-80 on Monday to take a 2-0 series lead. | Recap

• And they did it with a stifling defense that held Denver to its lowest-scoring game – regular season or Playoffs – since Sept. 1, 2020. Watch 3:32 of Minnesota’s lockdown defense
• It’s the first time in 11 years that a team has held a defending champ to 80 points or less (San Antonio held Miami to 77 points in Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals)

Karl-Anthony Towns (27 pts, 12 reb, 2 blk) and Anthony Edwards (27 pts, 7 ast, 2 stl) combined for 54 points to lead the offense, while the Wolves worked as a unit to shut down Denver defensively.

• And they did it without Kia DPOY finalist Gobert, who missed the game for the birth of his first child
• 🗣️ Wolves Coach Chris Finch: “Rudy’s driven the defensive culture here. I think it’s a testament to his impact, his presence and what he’s infused into the team of how important defense is and how great it can be when we play it.”
• The Wolves forced Denver into 16 turnovers (their most of any Playoff game in 2024 or 2023), which led to 19 Minnesota points

With the win, the Wolves take a commanding 2-0 lead with the series shifting to Minnesota for the next two games (Game 3 is Friday).

• The Wolves are just the fourth team to ever beat the defending champion in the first two games on the road, joining the 2020 Celtics against the Raptors, the 2011 Mavs against the Lakers and the 1984 Nets against the Sixers
• Through two games, the Wolves have 15 steals, 18 blocks, 31 forced turnovers and have held the Nuggets to 40.5% shooting
• Since 1973-74 (when steals and blocks have been tracked), the Wolves are the second team to put up such defensive numbers against the defending champion in the first two games of a series
• The other team to do it: the 2000 Suns against the Spurs (17 stl, 21 blk, 33 tov, 36.4% FG)

3. ELITE SCORERS CLASH IN THUNDER-MAVS SERIES

When the Thunder and Mavs open Game 1 of their West Semifinal tonight (9:30 ET, TNT), it will be just the third time in NBA history that two 30+ ppg scorers have met in the Playoffs

• This Series: Luka Doncic (33.9 ppg, 1st in NBA) vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.1, 3rd)
• 2023: Joel Embiid (33.1, 1st) vs. Jayson Tatum (30.1, 6th)
• 1965: Wilt (34.7, 1st) vs. Oscar Robertson (30.4, 3rd)
• Luka and SGA are the first of those duos to meet while both players are 25 or younger

Joining legendary company was a theme for Luka and Shai this season.

• Luka and SGA averaged 30+ points for the second straight season at 25 or younger, joining Michael Jordan, Bob McAdoo, Kareem, Robertson, Wilt, Kevin Durant and LeBron
• Shai (51) and Luka (50) each posted at least 50 games with 30+ points, joining James Harden, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady as the only players to do that since 2000
• SGA joined MJ (five straight seasons from 1987-1992) as the only guards to average 30+ points on 50+% shooting for a season
• Luka was responsible for 57.2 ppg via scoring (33.9) and assisting (23.3) – the most in NBA history, surpassing Nate Archibald’s 56.7 ppg in 1972-73
• Luka became the youngest scoring title winner since KD (2011-12)

While Luka dominates from 3 (4.1 per game, 2nd in NBA) and Shai does his work inside the 3-point line (6th in midrange pts, 6th in paint pts), they rank first and second, respectively, in scoring off isolations.

• Luka (7.9 ppg) and teammate Kyrie Irving (4.9 ppg) help the Mavs rank second overall (and first among remaining teams) in iso scoring (1.05 pts per possession)
• Strength vs. Strength: OKC counters that with the top-ranked isolation defense in the NBA (0.84 pts per possession)

4. CAVS-CELTICS: FAMILIAR RIVALS, NEW LOOKS

The Celtics and Cavs face off in the Playoffs for the first time since 2018 – a year that saw the end of LeBron’s second run in Cleveland and beginning of the Celtics’ Playoff run with the tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

In the six years that have passed, both teams have remade the majority of their rosters.

• Boston: Only Tatum, Brown and Al Horford remain from the 2018 squad (and Horford left and was brought back)
• Cleveland: Tristan Thompson is the only remaining Cav from the 2018 squad (similar to Horford, left and returned)

The Cavs began their roster rebuild through the draft, then added key pieces via trades and free agent signings.

• Draft: Darius Garland (5th in 2019), Isaac Okoro (5th in 2020) and Evan Mobley (3rd in 2021)
• Trade: Jarrett Allen (Jan. 2021), Caris LeVert (Feb. 2022) and Donovan Mitchell (Sept. 2022)
• Free Agency: Max Strus and Georges Niang (July 2023)

The 2018 season marked the end of a four-year run of Finals appearances for the Cavs. They fell out of Playoff contention for the next four years, securing key lottery picks to reload their roster.

Meanwhile, the 2018 East Finals against Cleveland was a breakout party for rookie Tatum and set in motion a string of deep Playoff runs for Boston, including a Finals appearance in 2022.

But falling short of securing their 18th Larry O’Brien trophy, the Celtics made some key trades to adjust their roster over the past two seasons.

• Derrick White: Acquired from San Antonio (Feb. 2022)
• Kristaps Porzingis: Acquired from Washington as part of a three-team deal that saw Boston send Marcus Smart to Memphis and three players to Washington (June 2023)
• Jrue Holiday: Acquired from Portland for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two 1st round draft picks (Oct. 2023)

The new-look Cavs and Celtics will renew their Playoff rivalry beginning with tonight’s Game 1 in Boston.

5. WEMBY UNANIMOUS PICK AS TOP ROOKIE

Victor Wembanyama’s game is one-of-one.

But when it comes to Spurs big men winning Rookie of the Year honors, he’s one of three.

Wemby joined David Robinson and Tim Duncan as the third Spur to win the award after a spectacular debut season that somehow lived up to – and in many ways exceeded – the lofty hype placed upon him as a “generational talent” before his first NBA game.

• The Numbers: 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, 1.2 steals, 1.8 3s
• The History: The first rookie to lead the NBA in blocks since Manute Bol in 1984-85
• The Only: The first player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks in fewer than 30 minutes per game
• The Highlights: When it comes to viral moments, Wemby was a league leader all season, with countless “Wemby just did what?!” plays. So many that the full highlight reel is two hours long

Spin through a few select clips that showcase Wemby’s otherworldly game:

• Block Party: Here are two of his 254 rejections on the season – one against ROY runner-up Chet Holmgren and another against two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo