The Knicks just put on one of the greatest playoff performances in NBA history. New York closed out Atlanta on Thursday night 140-89, and the final score barely captures how one-sided this was.

The Knicks led 83-36 at halftime. That 47-point advantage is the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history, breaking a record that had stood since Cleveland built a 41-point cushion over Boston in 2017. The only time any team has led by more at the half in any NBA game, regular season or playoffs, was a Dallas regular-season blowout in 2020. The final margin of 51 points ties for the sixth largest in postseason history.

OG Anunoby scored 26 of his 29 points before the break. Mikal Bridges bounced back with 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his second triple-double of the series with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming the first Knick to accomplish that in a single playoff run. Just a couple days ago he was only the fourth Knick ever to record a playoff triple double.

Atlanta committed 19 turnovers, shot 38%, and never found anything resembling a foothold after New York went on a 35-6 run that effectively ended the game before most fans had finished their first drink. When the lead hit 50 points with more than four minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Hawks had visibly stopped competing.

A second-quarter altercation between Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels resulted in both players being ejected, and an official was knocked to the floor in the chaos. The reactions across social media say everything.

Rough night for Atlanta fans.

New York shot 65% from the field in the first half and 58% for the game. The Knicks franchise had never scored 140 points in a playoff game before Thursday night. Their offense was practically perfect, their shooting was historic, and their defensive pressure forced Atlanta into collapse. If that version of this team shows up in the next round, whoever they get has a serious problem on their hands.

We’ll find out soon if this is a team hitting its ceiling too early or finding its groove at the right moment.

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🏀 Betting the Round 1 Elimination Games

Every game is a potential elimination game now as we start to wrap up our Round 1 matchups. The Knicks and Timberwolves joined OKC and the Spurs in the second round last night, but we have three Game 6’s tonight, one Game 7 tomorrow, and as many as three more on Sunday.

Paolo Banchero Over 5.5 Assists (+110)

Franz Wagner is out for Game 6 with a calf strain, which effectively makes Banchero the primary creator for Orlando. He has been trending in this direction regardless, averaging 6.6 assists over his last ten games and clearing 5.5 in 7 of those.

His usage rate was already among the highest for forwards in the league. It will likely climb further tonight with close to 40 minutes in an elimination game. He will see constant interior attention from Detroit's defense and when double-teams arrive, the kick-out assists follow. Detroit ranks 17th defending the forward position for assists, a small soft spot in an otherwise elite defense. Getting plus money here is good business.

Toronto Raptors Moneyline (+152)

The home team has won every game in this series. All five of them. Cleveland holds a 3-2 lead and enters as the statistical favorite, but they have not found a solution for the Scotiabank Arena environment in three tries this season.

The Cavaliers average 119.5 points per game on the season but their shooting percentages have dropped each time they have played in Toronto. The Raptors' defense tightens at home, and a desperate team playing in front of their own crowd in an elimination game is a dangerous combination at plus money. Back Toronto to force a Game 7.

Rui Hachimura Over 11.5 Points (-110)

Hachimura has cleared 11.5 points in all ten of his last ten games, averaging 15.7 during that stretch. His playoff role has expanded significantly with Luka Doncic sidelined, logging 37 minutes in Game 5 while shooting 66.7% from three. He ranks in the 100th percentile for three-point percentage among forwards and 96th in effective field goal percentage.

Houston is missing Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet, forcing different defensive rotations that have struggled to contain Hachimura. When Houston's defense collapses on LeBron, Hachimura gets the looks, and he has been converting them. This line has not yet caught up to his current role.

🌲 The Pine Line

🏀 March Madness is about to get bigger. The teams that will actually benefit might surprise you.

🎰 The No. 2 transfer portal prospect just gambled with his $5 million deal. Now he’s dealing with the consequences.

⛳️ It’s official, PGA’s biggest rival just had the rug pulled out from under them. Nobody has a good answer for what happens next.

✈️ The NHL’s most groundbreaking coach is on the market. Her next move could make history all over again.

⚾️ This wasn’t an ordinary game in Baltimore. When was the last time you saw multiple slams in a game?

🏒 The Most Exciting Stanley Cup Playoffs Ever?

by Ed Egros 👉️ Follow on X @EdWithSports

If you’ve found yourself more sluggish throughout each day this week but can’t figure out why, I have your answer:

There have been so many overtime games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that you’re losing sleep over it.

Lots of Free Hockey

Entering Thursday, there have been 12 overtime games already.  It feels like a lot, especially given we haven’t even started the Second Round yet.  It also sounds extreme when you consider 48% of the playing time the score has been tied, the highest percentage in the expansion era.

But, in 2017, 18 games went to overtime in the First Round alone, the most in any one round in NHL history, and there were 17 such games in 2013.

What we’re seeing now is exciting, but it’s not unprecedented yet.

From a Betting Perspective

Hopefully you haven’t been betting puckline favorites too often.  Underdog pucklines or moneyline wagers have been far more profitable, even when you're laying serious juice.

But is this round predictive of the rest of the playoffs, or will we start to see more blowouts soon?

What History Suggests

In that record-setting year of 2017, we had five OT games in the Second Round.  2013 also saw five OT contests in the next round.  That is how many you would see in a typical year.

Just because an opening round is incredibly dramatic doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way until the Cup is hoisted.  

What About 2026?

Two of the favorites to win it all in Colorado and Carolina swept their first-round foes and will resume playing soon.  Any power metric will show how much better the Avalanche are than the rest of the league.

The Hurricanes and Lightning make up that second tier, so jumping back into puckline favorites in a few days may be profitable.

Friday’s Slate

Until then, let’s look at Friday’s games and share what Jaxon and I recommend for puckline and moneyline bets:

Canadiens +1.5 vs Lightning (-257)

There’s nothing like backing a home team to cover, especially when it includes a raucous environment like the Bell Centre.

Tampa Bay missing defenseman Victor Hedman has turned out to be significant.  For a team that loves to score in transition, Montreal has been able to clog the neutral zone and limit clean breakouts.  

The Canadiens also own a shooting rate of 12.9% this season, second-best in the league.  The Habs may not win, but they will keep it close.

Bruins +1.5 vs Sabres (-250)

The Bruins love relying on one-timers and slapshots.  The second-hardest shot of the season, clocked at 103.03 mph, belongs to Boston’s Morgan Geekie.  The team’s 66 shots ranging from 90 to 100 mph ranks ninth in the league.  

The approach has been successful enough against Buffalo to keep these games close.  Add to that a defense that limits high-danger shots and you have another instance where the underdog can bite.

🤔 Still not sure what to bet on?

Use the Parlay Generator on our home page for instant picks or discover player props on the consistency sheets! Pine Sports has the tools to give you an edge when it matters most.