NBA morning recap, 2026-05-10
Two games, two totally different scripts. New York turned three pointers into a demolition derby in Philadelphia, while Minnesota had to win the unglamorous parts of the box score to hold off San Antonio.
New York Knicks 144, Philadelphia 76ers 114
New York did not drift into a hot shooting night, it built one. The Knicks buried 25 threes on 44 attempts, a 57% clip, and the volume mattered as much as the percentage when the scoreboard started to tilt early. Philadelphia never found a counter rhythm, finishing 8 for 35 from three, and you cannot survive a math problem that steep.
The other quiet separator was how clean the Knicks were with the ball for a team letting it fly. They logged 33 assists against 11 turnovers, and that ratio tells you the threes were coming out of advantage, not desperation. Philadelphia actually kept its turnover count low too, just 10, but the possession quality diverged once New York kept spraying to the corners and the wings with pace.
On the glass, the Knicks controlled the shape of the game. They won rebounds 47 to 30, which kept their shooting binge from turning into a runout trade. Philadelphia’s best chance was always going to be manufacturing extra trips, but New York took that away, then added a steady parade to the line with 21 free throws made.
If you are looking for the snapshot stat that summarizes the night, it is this, 25 made threes plus a plus 17 rebound margin is not a recipe for a close finish. It is a warning flare.
Minnesota Timberwolves 114, San Antonio Spurs 109
This one was the opposite, not a shooting showcase, but a possession grind where each team tried to win its own category. Minnesota’s edge came at the line and on the boards. The Timberwolves hit 20 of 22 free throws, 91%, and those were the points that stopped San Antonio’s steals fueled push from becoming a full takeover.
San Antonio made a real game of it by turning defense into chaos. The Spurs racked up 13 steals and added 3 blocks, and the disruption showed up in Minnesota’s 17 turnovers. When a team is taking the ball out of your hands that often, you usually lose, unless you dominate the parts of the night that do not require dribbling.
That is where Minnesota’s rebounding showed up. The Timberwolves grabbed 49 boards to the Spurs’ 41, and those extra finishes mattered because the shooting numbers were not dramatically separated. Minnesota went 10 for 27 from three, while San Antonio managed only 6 for 26, 23%, which limited how fast the Spurs could erase the free throw gap.
Also note the assist count, Minnesota finished with 20 assists to San Antonio’s 17. It is not a blowout number, but it suggests the Timberwolves were still able to play some organized basketball even when the game got messy.
Across the league
Two nights like this can live in the same postseason calendar. One game was decided by shot profile and spacing, the other by free throws, rebounds, and whether you could survive a turnover storm. If Sunday is any hint, the teams that can win in multiple ways are going to be the ones still playing when the matchups tighten.
