The London-born forward finished with five three-pointers as the Knicks came from 11 points down in the third quarter to win 124-113 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Point guard Jalen Brunson, who was named the NBA Cup’s Most Valuable Player, scored 25 points as the Knicks won the third edition of the mid-season tournament to claim their first silverware since winning the 1973 NBA Finals.

“We found a way to win,” said Brunson. “That’s going to be our motto going forward: we’re going to find a way.”

Mike Brown, who is in his first year as Knicks head coach, said: “Any time you can participate in an event where you’re the last one standing and you’re able to hang a banner, you take that seriously. And all of our guys took that seriously.”

San Antonio upset top seeds and reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday’s semi-finals thanks to a superb display from Victor Wembanyama.

In his second game after missing 12 straight matches with a calf injury, he was limited to 18 points and 25 minutes off the bench.

An emotional Wembanyama fought back tears at a brief post-game news conference, saying: “Sorry, I just lost somebody today.”

Seven Knicks players reached double figures in points. Karl-Anthony Towns claimed 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Mitchell Robertson had 15 rebounds and two blocks from the bench.

Dylan Harper led the scoring for the Spurs with 21 points.

Victory was the Knicks’ sixth in a row – and 10th in 11 games – although the final does not count towards the regular-season standings.

They are second in the Eastern Conference and the Spurs are fourth in the West.

Pascal Siakam maintained his impressive form to be named MVP of the series after recording 31 points and three blocked shots on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Siakam scored over 30 points in three of four victories for the Pacers, who won the series 4-2.

The Pacers will face Western Conference winners the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, which begin on Thursday.

Siakam, a nine-year veteran who won the title in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, said: “After a bad game five, we wanted to bounce back and I have 100% belief in my team-mates. Whenever we’re down, we find a way, and we did that tonight.”

Looking back to when he was an NBA champion, Siakam said: “That year was my third year, I was this young kid. I thought it was going to be easy [to get back].

“I appreciate it even more now because I know how hard it is to get here.”

Speaking about Siakam, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle added: “So deserving. The guy has been a rock of consistency all year.”

Tyrese Haliburton also starred for the hosts, adding 21 points, 13 assists and three steals, while Obi Toppin scored 18 points off the bench.

“It’s a special feeling to do it with this group,” Haliburton said. “We got to the same spot last year and we fell short. We worked our tails off to get back here.”

For the Knicks, OG Anunoby top-scored with 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points as the visitors fell short after conceding 18 turnovers.

The first quarter was a tight affair as the Pacers led 25-24 before stretching their lead to four points by the end of the first half.

Pacers took control in the third quarter, which began with a 9-0 run, to end the Knicks’ resistance and claim the series win.

Indiana remain one win from clinching the Eastern Conference finals but the Knicks claimed a 111-94 home win to cut their deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Karl-Anthony Towns played through a knee injury to record 24 points and 13 rebounds as the third-seeded Knicks led throughout.

“I looked at the game and it was ‘game five, do or die’,” Towns said. “That was pretty much all I needed to see.”

Bennedict Mathurin registered 23 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the fourth-seeded Pacers, who host game six on Saturday (01:00 BST, Sunday).

We have no room for error,” Towns added. “Our backs are against the wall and every game is do or die. If we don’t bring that energy or execution, our season will be over.”

Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half as New York led 56-45 at half-time, before pushing their advantage to 90-73 heading into the final quarter.

Indiana crept to within 12 points with just over eight minutes remaining, but Josh Hart answered with consecutive baskets and Mikal Bridges hit a jumper to make it an 18-point margin.

Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton had 30 points and 15 assists in game four but was kept to eight points on Thursday, with six assists.

“Rough night for me,” said the 25-year-old point guard. “I’ve got to be better setting the tone and getting downhill. I feel I didn’t do a great job of that.

“They picked up the pressure a little bit and applied more as the game went on. Put it on me, I’ve got to be better in game six.”

Haliburton registered 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in the first half of a 130-121 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana.

Haliburton finished with 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds without a turnover, making him the first player to record stats of 30-15-10-0 in an NBA post-season game.

The Pacers lead 3-1 in the Eastern Conference play-off finals.

Victory in game five at Madison Square Garden in New York at 01:00 BST on Friday will secure their place in the Finals for the first time since 2000.

“I felt like I let the team down in game three [a 106-100 home defeat], so it was important for me to just come out here and make plays,” Haliburton said.

“Guys put me in position to make plays and play my game. It was a big win for us.”

Pascal Siakam scored 30 points and Bennedict Mathurin 20 off the bench for fourth-seeded Indiana.

Jalen Brunson scored 31 points for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns, who injured his left knee for the second consecutive game and was hobbling at the finish, scored 24 points and OG Anunoby 22.

“We scored 120 points but our defence wasn’t good enough,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

“Haliburton’s a great player. You don’t guard great players in this league individually. It’s your entire team. And if one guy is not doing their job, everyone is going to look bad.”

The winners of the best-of-seven series will play the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals, which begin on 5 June.

The Thunder lead 3-1 in the Western Conference play-off finals.

Defeat would have left the Knicks 3-0 down in the seven-game series, but New York – who were 20 points down towards the end of the second quarter – now only trail 2-1.

Karl-Anthony Towns starred with 20 points in the fourth quarter to snatch a crucial 106-100 victory.

With his side trailing 80-70 at the end of the third quarter, Towns – who played fewer than 28 minutes in game two – scored 15 points in the first four minutes of the quarter before adding a further five.

“When I got a chance to do what I do in the fourth, I was going to make sure I seized the opportunity,” Towns said.

“I just wanted to go there to give our team a chance to win. I’m just happy I was able to do that.”

New York survived a late Pacers surge to hold on for a hard-fought win, with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart securing the victory with scores in the final seconds.

“He made some big plays for them,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said of Towns.

“We couldn’t get stops when we needed them. And offensively, we didn’t have our usual pop.

“We didn’t have the ball movement that we usually do.”

Game four will take place in Indianapolis on Tuesday at 20:00 local time (01:00 BST on Wednesday).

The three-time All-Star scored the Pacers’ first 11 points at Madison Square Garden as they claimed their sixth consecutive play-off win away from home.

Game three in the best-of-seven series takes place in Indianapolis at 01:00 BST on Monday.

“I just came out aggressive,” said Siakam, who has averaged more than 20 points in six consecutive seasons and won the NBA title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

“We’re a team. It doesn’t matter who scores. That’s what I love so much about this team.

“I got it going early and the guys did a good job of finding me. Another night, it will be somebody else. That’s what makes us special.”

Myles Turner scored 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

The fourth-seeded Pacers led by 10 points with two minutes 25 seconds left, but two free throws from OG Anunoby, five points from Jalen Brunson and a Josh Hart lay-up with 14 seconds left brought the Knicks to within one point at 110-109.

But Aaron Nesmith and Turner scored two free throws apiece for the Pacers to secure victory.

Brunson finished with 36 points to set a Knicks post-season record of 19 30-point games, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges both scored 20 points and made seven rebounds.

Bridges said: “I know it is 2-0 but it is still a long series. We just have to find different ways to advance.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 2-0 in the Western Conference finals.

The winners of each conference finals will meet in the NBA Finals from 5-22 June.

Jalen Brunson ended the night with 41 points for the Knicks and helped them to lead 69-62 at half-time.

The hosts continued to pull away and were 14 points clear with two minutes and 51 seconds left to play.

However, Indiana scored six straight three-pointers – five by Aaron Nesmith – before Tyrese Haliburton forced overtime with a two-point shot on the buzzer.

Momentum remained with the Pacers in overtime as they recorded a famous victory at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m so proud of the resilience of this group, we’ve shown it all year. We’ve had to win in so many different, random, unique ways and we just kept going, kept fighting, and man, that’s fun,” Haliburton told TNT.

“We played a lot of games where it felt like the other team had control.

“It ain’t over until it’s over, until it hits zero. That’s a hell of a win. But I really do think there’s a lot for us to improve on.”

Haliburton thought he had won the game in regulation time when attempting a three-pointer – even mimicking Hall of Famer Reggie Miller’s infamous ‘choke’ celebration – but replays showed his toe was on the line and it only counted for two.

It is the fourth time the Pacers have won from being 15 points or more behind during the post-season.

“There’s obviously a disappointment when you fall short,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.

“We got to be ready for game two, and that’s all you look at. So, the disappointment, we’ve got to turn that into more determination.”

The second game of the best-of-seven series takes place in New York at 01:00 BST on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – who led Oklahoma City Thunder to victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the Western Conference finals – has been named as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2024-25.

The Celtics, the reigning NBA champions, were 3-1 down in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final and missing star player Jayson Tatum, who went off injured in game four and has had surgery on a ruptured Achilles.

However, they earned a convincing 127-102 win at TD Garden thanks to Derrick White’s 34 points, and 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds from Jaylen Brown.

Game five will take place in New York on Friday at 20:00 local time (Saturday 01:00 BST).

“We made winning plays on both ends of the floor,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “They made enough plays to win – gave us another chance to play.”

The Timberwolves beat the Warriors 121-110 to secure a 4-1 Western Conference semi-final play-off series win.

Julius Randle scored 29 points and Anthony Edwards contributed 22 points and 12 assists for the Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves will play the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference final, with the former leading their series 3-2.

“It’s great,” said Randle. “We’ve had a season full of adversity. Coach (Chris Finch) said at the end of the regular season that we didn’t do anything as far as trades or firing coaches. We just stuck together and we got through it together.

“I’m super proud of our team, everybody that stepped up in some type of way this year. We’ve got to keep going.”

The Warriors did not won a game since losing star player Stephen Curry to a hamstring injury in game one.

“Injuries are part of the play-offs,” said coach Steve Kerr. “I learned a long time ago that the play-offs are really about health and then just guys stepping up and making some big shots, big plays in key games. That’s what decides every series.

“We’ve been on both ends of that. There’s no sense in dwelling on it, and I don’t want to take anything away from what Minnesota just accomplished.”

The Knicks stormed back from 14 points down in the third quarter to go 3-1 up in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final and are in sight of the finals for the first time since 2000.

The Celtics also lost forward Jayson Tatum, who scored 42 points before being carried off in the fourth quarter with what coach Joe Mazzulla described as a “lower body injury”.

The six-time All Star, who was later seen being taken to the Madison Square Garden locker room in a wheelchair, will have a scan on Tuesday to assess the damage.

“He’ll get the MRI and we’ll see what it is,” said Mazzulla.

“Obviously you’re always concerned about someone’s health. It’s two-fold, we’re concerned about his health and where’s he’s at. And then we’re concerned what we’ve got to do better in game five.”

The Knicks can clinch the series with a win in Boston on Thursday (00:00 BST).

Boston, who won game three on Saturday, started strongly with Tatum and Payton Pritchard leading the charge.

A Derrick White three-pointer gave the Celtics their biggest lead of the night early in the third quarter (72-58) but from then on the Knicks took over, taking an 88-85 lead into the final quarter.

Brunson controlled matters and when OG Anunoby grabbed a steal off Tatum in the incident that left the Celtics star writhing in pain before making a dunk, the Knicks were 118-106 ahead.

“I was just in a flow and doing whatever. I wasn’t really trying to take over. It was just ‘whatever we’ve gotta do’,” Brunson said.

“We didn’t quit, kept fighting. And that’s what’s most important. Whenever you get in a hole you can’t quit.”

Timberwolves edge closer to Western Conference final

The Minnesota Timberwolves went 3-1 up in their Western Conference semi-final series against Golden State Warriors thanks to a 117-110 win on the road.

Anthony Edwards finished with a 30-point tally in the win over the Warriors, who are missing injured star player Stephen Curry.

The Timberwolves hit 17 unanswered points in the the third quarter which helped them build an 85-68 advantage which they never looked like losing.

A win on their home court in game five on Thursday (02:30 BST) will see them advance to the finals.

Edwards revealed a half-time dressing down by Minnesota coach Chris Finch had sparked the second-half revival.

“We came out like we had won the series already, and when we went in at half-time coach said we were playing like losers,” he said.

“He told me I wasn’t defending at a high level, and needed to do better offensively, so in the second half I tried to do that.”

The Celtics blew 20-point third-quarter leads in the first two games of the best-of-seven series in Boston as the Knicks mounted stunning comebacks against the reigning NBA champions.

But the visitors made no mistake in New York, moving into a 71-46 lead at half-time and remaining ruthless to see out a vital victory.

The Celtics rediscovered their three-point shooting ability that deserted them in the first two games, hitting 50% of their shots from beyond the arc in Madison Square Garden.

Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points, while star Jayson Tatum added 22. Jalen Brunson hit a game-high 27 points for the Knicks.

“I don’t think we came with the mindset of being satisfied, but I think it was just subconsciously satisfied being up 2-0,” Brunson said. “Just not the way we need to approach the game.”

Game four is in New York on Monday.

Timberwolves grab series lead over Golden State Warriors

Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 36 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves moved into a 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors.

Edwards scored three three-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves came from behind to claim a 102-97 victory.

It means the Timberwolves could have the opportunity to win the series at home next Wednesday, should they take game four on Monday.

“We’re just winning the possession battle in clutch time now,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.

“We’re not giving the ball back on cheap turnovers. We’re not giving up as many or any second-chance opportunities.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr added: “The team defence was really good, held them to 102. That’s a pretty good number. We couldn’t quite contain them, especially in the fourth, and that was the difference.”

Jalen Brunson made two free throws with 12.7 seconds remaining to give New York a 91-90 lead, before Mikal Bridges knocked the ball away to deny Boston a last-gasp chance.

Josh Hart had a game-high 23 points for New York, who trailed by 20 points in the third quarter and by 16 in the fourth in Boston.

The Knicks lead the reigning NBA champions 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after finishing 10 wins behind their opponents in the regular season.

“I got up there, heard the noise and then I just tried to block everything out. And then I made two,” said Brunson – who finished the night with 17 points and a game-high seven assists – on his decisive foul shots.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Knicks, while Bridges scored all of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.

After coming back from 20 points down in an overtime win in game one, New York did not take the lead in game two until the last two minutes.

“We started slowly, got in a big hole, dug our way out and then guys made a lot of tough plays,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“[Our players] were at their best when their best was needed down the stretch.”

Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each scored 20 points for the Celtics, who will travel to New York for game three on Saturday.

“They made the necessary plays to win,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said of the Knicks.

“We put ourselves in position to do that and we just didn’t make the plays.”

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder levelled their semi-final with a 149-106 home blowout win against the Denver Nuggets.

After losing on a three-pointer in the closing seconds of game one, Oklahoma City scored 45 points in the first quarter and tied the NBA play-off record for the most points in a half with 87.

MVP favourite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the game with 34 points before watching the fourth from the bench.

“We knew what was at stake tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We came out desperate.”

“I didn’t really look at tonight as a response as much as I looked at tonight as just us being who we are, and that’s how we’ve been all season,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said.

After his 42-point performance in game one, Denver’s Nikola Jokic tallied just 17 points and eight rebounds in game two before fouling out in the third quarter.

“We got punked,” Denver interim coach David Adelman said.

“They came out with the right intensity and we didn’t. We aren’t just going to flush this. We have to play better and we know that.”

The Celtics, the reigning champions, were on the wrong end of an 108-105 overtime defeat at home in the opening match of their Eastern Conference best-of-seven series.

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points for the Knicks, who fought back from being 20 points behind during the third quarter.

“This team has fought all year, and been a pretty good road team,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“It’s one game. There’s a lot of emotional highs and lows in the play-offs, but no matter what happens you have to keep moving forward.”

Brunson missed a lay-up with three seconds left in regulation while Jayson Tatum, who was the joint-top scorer for the Celtics with 23 points, missed a long-range effort at the buzzer with the score at 100-100 before the Knicks sealed the win in overtime.

“We left some of their good shooters open,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “There’s detail stuff that we have to be better at.”

Game two in the series will be played at 19:00 local time (00:00 Thursday BST) in Boston on Wednesday.

The Thunder, who finished top of the Western Conference, were beaten 121-119 by a visiting Nuggets side inspired by Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon.

Jokic registered 42 points, 22 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets, while Gordon – after Chet Holmgren missed two free throws for Thunder – went up the other end and scored a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds.

Gordon finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Denver were 13 points behind at one stage of the fourth quarter but ended it with a 19-6 run to go 1-0 up in the series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top scored for Thunder as he tallied 33 points,10 rebounds and eight assists.

“I didn’t think our execution was as clean as it can be,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “But we’ll learn from it. It’s a series.”

Game two of the series will take place at 21:30 local time (03:30 Thursday BST) in Oklahoma on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old, who last week was named the Clutch Player of the Year, found the bucket with 4.3 seconds left on the clock to give the Knicks a 116-113 victory in game six.

The victory means the Knicks will face 18-time Championship winners and defending champions the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-final play-offs.

“I stay poised and I rely on the trust and the composure that my team-mates give me,” Brunson said.

“None of this happens without them.”

Brunson finished with four rebounds and seven assists alongside his 40-point haul, with Mikal Bridges scoring 25 points and OG Anunoby adding 22 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Clippers level series against Nuggets

James Harden recorded 28 points as the Los Angeles Clippers took their play-off against the Denver Nuggets to game seven with a 111-105 victory in Inglewood, California.

The Clippers needed to win in game six to keep their play-off hopes alive but they struggled against a fine display from Nikola Jokic, who weighed in with 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Denver.

But Harden stole the show, adding eight assists and six rebounds as the Clippers aim for their first NBA Championship.

“James did a great job setting the tone early, scoring the basketball and getting downhill and making the right play,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.

“Norman [Powell] made some big shots at the end and Kawhi [Leonard] was steady throughout the game. I thought those guys really stepped up and came ready to play.”

The game-seven decider is on 4 May (00:30 BST).

Recent signing Doncic scored 32 points while the NBA’s all-time leading scorer James added 31 as the Lakers came from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win.

Doncic, who also had 12 assists and eight rebounds, scored five points in overtime as the Lakers improved to 9-2 record since he made his debut last month.

The Lakers, who top the Western Conference Pacific, now begin a four-game road trip against current NBA champions the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

‘Like watching Cirque du Soleil’

Image source: Getty Images

Image caption: Steph Curry’s shot was seen by a crowd of 18,413, the largest to see a Nets game at Barclays Center

Steph Curry starred again with another basket from near the halfway line as the Golden State Warriors beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-119.

Curry was 38 feet from the basket with 0.3 seconds left in the first half when he turned and scored, on his way to a 40-point haul.

“Most people can make that shot luckily,” team-mate Draymond Green said. “We all knew that shot was going in. That’s a different thing. It’s like watching Cirque du Soleil or something.”

“That one, that’s not in the practice routine,” Curry said.

“It did surprise me, though. That’s why I just ran to the locker room.”

Meanwhile, there were wins for the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks, the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets.

James scored 33 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the Lakers ended the Knicks’ five-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden.

Shortly after the game finished, reports emerged that five-time NBA All-Star Doncic could be joining James on the west coast.

ESPN reported Anthony Davis, an NBA title winner with the Lakers in 2020, would head to Dallas as part of the deal, along with guard Max Christie.

The Mavericks would also get a 2029 first-round draft pick, while Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris will head to the Lakers.

The three-way trade also reportedly includes the Utah Jazz, who would get Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and a pair of second-round picks in this year’s draft.

Slovenian Doncic, currently sidelined with a calf injury, has averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the Mavericks since being traded from the Atlanta Hawks in 2018.

The 25-year-old has been an NBA All-Star for the past five seasons and finished as the league’s top scorer in 2024 to help his side reach the NBA finals.

Though Doncic could be seen as James’ long-term successor, the 40-year-old showed he can still compete at the highest level with a standout display in New York.

“He led tonight with his spirit, his force, his voice,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick.

“Obviously he played a fantastic statistic game, but from the beginning it was very clear that he was on a mission.”

Elsewhere, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Jokic scored 28 points with 13 rebounds and 17 assists as the Denver Nuggets won 107-104 against the Charlotte Hornets, who suffered a fourth successive defeat.

Aaron Wiggins scored a career-high 41 points as Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the the Sacramento Kings 144-110.

Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points as the Washington Wizards ended a 16-game losing streak with a 105-103 victory at the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Utah Jazz ended an eight-game losing run of their own with a 113-99 home win over the Orlando Magic.

The Atlanta Hawks were beaten 132-127 by the Indianapolis Pacers, despite 34 points and 17 assists from Trae Young.

Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns starred for the Knicks, with the latter becoming just the third player in team history to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive games.

The Knicks, whose record improved to 24-10, were missing star point guard Jalen Brunson for the first time this season because of a calf issue. Back-up guard Miles McBride sat out with a tight left hamstring.

The Jazz had raced into an 18-8 lead before falling to a fifth straight loss (7-25).

Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic scored 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists for his 14th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Atlanta Hawks 139-120.

In Detroit, the Pistons’ 105-96 win over the Orlando Magic was overshadowed by a potentially serious leg injury suffered by Jaden Ivey.

The star point guard scored 22 points before injuring his left leg early in the fourth quarter when Orlando’s Cole Anthony collided with his leg while diving for a loose ball.

Ivey’s team-mates were visibly upset when he left the court on a stretcher.

The Toronto Raptors ended an 11-game losing streak with a 130-113 victory against the Brooklyn Nets, while the New Orleans Pelicans slipped to an 11th consecutive loss in a defeat by the Miami Heat.

The Washington Wizards disposed of the Chicago Bulls 125-107, while the Sacramento Kings overtook the Philadelphia 76ers with a late comeback win in California (113-107).

The Houston Rockets returned to winning ways with a 110-99 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, who have now won 17 of their past 21 games, including 11 of their 13 in December.

Washington, without injured leading scoring Jordan Poole, were led by Justin Champagnie’s 31 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double.

Among eight Saturday night NBA games, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 132-122 despite the hosts being without LeBron James, who was missing because of illness.

Anthony Davis scored 36 points with 15 rebounds while Austin Reaves added 26 points and 16 assists for the Lakers.

Sacramento were playing one day after head coach Mike Brown was sacked and interim coach Doug Christie could not prevent the Kings falling to a sixth consecutive defeat.

Elsewhere, Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder earned a 10th straight regular-season victory by beating the Charlotte Hornets 106-94.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander again led visiting Thunder’s scorers with 22 points, while Jalen Williams added 20 points as Charlotte lost for a seventh successive game.

Reserve Jonathan Kuminga led with 34 points and Stephen Curry contributed a further 22 as the Golden State Warriors won 109-105 against the Phoenix Suns in San Francisco to end a three-game losing run.

Hosts the Denver Nuggets survived a fourth-quarter rally by the Detroit Pistons as Nikola Jokic scored 37 points and Jamal Murray added 34 in a 134-121 win.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each scored 32 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers earn a 114-111 win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

The Portland Trail Blazers recorded a 126-122 home victory over the Dallas Mavericks, who were without star player Luka Doncic for another game because of a calf strain.

Jalen Johnson made 28 points and 13 rebounds as the Atlanta Hawks won a third successive game with a 120-110 win at home to the Miami Heat.

There was also a 116-111 win for the Chicago Bulls over the Milwaukee Bucks as Josh Giddey returned from a four-game absence to record a 23-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to help end the Bulls’ three-game losing streak.

The Knicks recorded an emphatic 121-106 win against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden to finish East Group A unbeaten and secure home-field advantage in the quarter-finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Josh Hart contributed a triple-double of 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Despite defeat, the Magic clinched the East wild card berth on points differential over the Celtics, who also finished the group stage with a 3-1 record.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard starred as the Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 128-107 to clinch East Group B undefeated.

Antetokounmpo – NBA MVP in 2019 and 2020 – scored 28 points with seven rebounds and eight assists while Lillard scored 27.

The Bucks scored 23 three-pointers during their seventh-consecutive victory and will host the Orlando Magic in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, a 37-point performance from Luka Doncic inspired the Dallas Mavericks to overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 and secure the West wild card spot.

They will travel to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round after they thrashed the Utah Jazz 133-106 to clinch West Group B over the Phoenix Suns.

The Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks – who won East Group C ahead of the Celtics – on Wednesday.

The Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors will contest the last quarter-final after winning their groups despite final-game losses to the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets respectively.

The quarter-final victors will advance to semi-finals played on 14 December in Las Vegas, with the final three days later in the city.

In Tuesday’s other games, the LA Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 127-105, the Phoenix Suns defeated the San Antonio Spurs 104-93 and the Cleveland Cavaliers thrashed the Washington Wizards 118-87.

The Philadelphia 76ers won on the road at the Charlotte Hornets (110-104) while the Toronto Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers 122-111.

The Knicks, leading by six points with 29 seconds remaining, looked poised to clinch the series before Maxey’s late burst, including a remarkable 34-footer from the logo which sent the game into overtime.

The Sixers then triumphed in a back-and-forth tussle in New York to peg the Knicks back to 3-2 in game five of the best-of-seven series.

“Season on the line, we fought for 53 minutes and never gave up,” said Maxey.

“Even when we were down late, guys still went out there and made plays – that was big time.”

Maxey’s heroics were accompanied by a triple-double from Joel Embiid, who scored 19 points while recording 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

A pumped-up Maxey could be seen roaring with delight during the electric encounter.

“I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn’t like,” he said.

“I’m a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing.”

Jalen Brunson top-scored for the Knicks with 40 points.

Game six takes place in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Elsewhere, the injury-hit Milwaukee Bucks triumphed in their must-win tie with the Indiana Pacers, winning 115-92.

The Bucks, trailing 3-1 in the series and missing injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, looked to be heading for defeat after the Pacers raced into a 31-23 lead in the first quarter.

But the Bucks, led by Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis’ 29 points apiece, took control in the second and third quarters before seeing out victory.

Game six takes place in Indiana on Thursday.

In the other Eastern Conference game, Donovan Mitchell sunk 28 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged Orlando Magic 104-103 to take a 3-2 lead.

The Magic had fought back from 2-0 down to level the series after recording emphatic wins in games three and four in Florida, but the Cavaliers’ win ensures they will have the chance to clinch the series in Orlando in game six on Friday.