The NBA playoffs haven’t truly started until a visiting player inspires a vulgar chant from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. Atlanta’s C.J. McCollum did that last night, as the Hawks mounted a late comeback to down the New York Knicks. Our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down last night’s NBA action below.
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Also, our Ben Kamisar profiled arguably the most athletic player in the NFL draft, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. Read an excerpt of the article below. We’ll have more NFL draft and NBA playoff coverage here and, as always, on the NBC News website.
NBA Playoffs
The Hawks stole Game 2 from the Knicks yesterday, overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit to snatch a 107-106 victory. The Hawks were led by McCollum, who led all scorers with 32 points.
After languishing on the tanking Wizards to begin the season, the 34-year-old McCollum was spectacular for Atlanta, repeatedly hunting Jalen Brunson and sinking clutch shot after clutch shot in the fourth, including a run of six straight points in the game’s final minutes. The performance endeared McCollum to the MSG faithful, and at one point he was on the receiving end of a very vulgar chant after a heated exchange with Jose Alvarado.
“I’m no villain, I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife,” McCollum said in an attempt to deflect postgame. “I think it’s admiration. Great, passionate fans in a hostile environment. It’s fun, it’s basketball, it’s the playoffs. If anything, I think it’s a sign of respect.”
Later, the Timberwolves also engineered a Game 2 comeback, trailing by as many as 19 before beating the Nuggets 119-114.
After the teams traded haymakers in the first half, the final 24 minutes were tight. The Wolves outscored the Denver Nuggets by 8 in the fourth, thanks to an incredible defensive effort on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The high-powered duo was held to only 4 points on 2-of-12 shooting combined in the final period, allowing Minnesota to pull away for the win.
And in the night’s first game, the Cleveland Cavaliers held homecourt, extending their series lead to 2-0 over the Toronto Raptors after a 115-105 win. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley combined for 93 points.
Athletic Freak
NFL teams don’t typically select linebackers in the top 10 picks of the draft. But Sonny Styles isn’t a typical linebacker.
The 6-foot-5, 244-pound Ohio State star can run a 40-yard dash in only 4.46 seconds, the fastest of any player at his position in this year’s class, and broad jump 11 feet, 2 inches, the farthest. He also boasts a 43.5-inch vertical leap, one of the best at any position since at least 1999. Put simply: he’s an athletic freak.
Yet, those types of players haven’t always panned out in the NFL. Some who know Styles, however, say he’s far more than just a transcendent athlete with an NFL pedigree. His work ethic and football intelligence make him worthy of a top-10 pick in Thursday’s draft.
“Whoever takes him is going to get a guy who is going to be the leader of their franchise, and the face of it for a decade,” Ohio State linebackers coach and NFL veteran James Laurinaitis told NBC News. “That’s why I’m so high on him — it’s the well-roundedness of his physical traits, yes. Football production and high football intelligence, yes. And then you get the whole intangibles, leadership and character.”
This was just an excerpt. Read the rest of the story on the NBC News website.
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What We’re Reading
Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler says his family has received death threats from Red Sox fans.
Carlos Alcaraz is in doubt for the French Open because of a wrist injury.
Billy Donovan is out as the Chicago Bulls coach after six seasons.
What We’re Watching
As the NBA playoffs continue tonight, we have three must-watch games on Peacock.
What will Victor Wembanyama do for an encore, after his 35-point playoff debut? Will the Philadelphia 76ers put up a fight against their rival, the Boston Celtics? Is this the last playoff run for LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 41-year-old star? Tune in to find out.
All times are Eastern:
- 7 p.m.: No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers, on Peacock
- 8 p.m.: No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Portland Trailblazers, on NBC/Peacock
- 10:30 p.m.: No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets, on NBC/Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.