The NBA playoff highlights from April 29, 2026 arrived on a night when three first-round series delivered everything the postseason promises. The Knicks dismantled the Hawks 126-97 at Madison Square Garden. The 76ers stunned the Celtics 113-97 at TD Garden to stay alive. Meanwhile, the Spurs closed out the Trail Blazers in San Antonio. Together, those 3 games produced acrobatic finishes, a chase-down block, a no-look dime, a poster dunk, and a clutch reverse scoop that stood above everything else. Here is every play that mattered, ranked from 5 to 1.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ alley-oop sets the tone for New York’s demolition
The play that told you immediately where the night was going came early in the first quarter. Jalen Brunson threw a perfectly timed lob in transition. Then Karl-Anthony Towns exploded off two feet and threw it down with both hands above the rim. It was fast, clean, and uncontested. Moreover, it came on a possession where the Hawks had barely crossed half-court before the ball was already through the net. As a result, New York shot 57% from the field, poured in 60 points in the paint, and built a lead that was never threatened. That alley-oop was the first signal that Atlanta had no answer for what the Knicks brought on Wednesday night.
OG Anunoby tracks back and pins a Hawks fast break at the backboard
Atlanta tried to respond. The Hawks pushed the pace in the second quarter, cut the deficit, and started generating transition chances. Then OG Anunoby ended that run in a single moment. He read the play from behind, sprinted back at full speed, and pinned the ball clean off the glass. The block instantly shifted energy back to New York. Furthermore, it led directly to a Knicks fast-break score at the other end. Anunoby finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and that block. In fact, it was one of the most complete two-way efforts of the entire first round. In a game decided by 29 points, that one defensive play was the moment Atlanta stopped believing it could compete.
Brunson’s no-look dime splits the Hawks defense for a thunderous slam
Jalen Brunson finished with 39 points on 65.2% shooting. That is the highest-efficiency 39-point playoff game by a Knicks player in the shot-clock era. However, the single play that best captured his awareness came in the third quarter. He drove baseline, drew two defenders, and delivered a no-look pass to a cutting teammate. The cutter caught it in stride and slammed it home with both hands. The pass was the play. It required Brunson to feel the cutter without looking and release the ball at exactly the right moment. He also added 8 assists and just 1 turnover. As a result, the Knicks took a 3-2 series lead with their most dominant performance of the postseason. New York now controls the series heading into Game 6 in Atlanta.
Embiid posterizes a Celtics defender and keeps Philadelphia’s season alive
Across the country in Boston, the 76ers did something few people expected. They walked into TD Garden, dominated the Celtics 113-97, and forced a Game 6 back in Philadelphia. The defining moment came when Joel Embiid caught the ball at the elbow, drove hard left, and dunked over a Celtics defender who had position. Embiid did not care. He went through him. Additionally, Embiid finished with 33 points on 52.2% shooting, 8 assists, and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and 10 rebounds. Together, they gave the 76ers 2 players with 25-plus points and double-digit rebounds in the same playoff game. Boston shot just 28.2% from three and turned the ball over 12 times. A series that looked finished suddenly has life.
The acrobatic reverse scoop by Brunson in traffic is the play of the night
The No. 1 play of the night was also the hardest to explain in words. In the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden, Jalen Brunson caught a pass on the baseline in traffic. He absorbed contact from a defender. Then he twisted his body mid-air to avoid a second defender rotating in. Finally, he finished with a reverse scoop that kissed off the glass and fell through. He was fouled. He made the free throw. The crowd reacted the way crowds react when they see something that should not be physically possible.
Furthermore, the play required Brunson to make three separate mid-air adjustments in under one second. First, the pivot. Then the body turn. Then the touch on the shot all while being hit. It is the kind of finish that earns the top spot not because of what was at stake but because of how difficult it is to execute. On a night full of elite plays, that one stood alone.
What Wednesday’s NBA playoff highlights mean for the weekend ahead
After April 29, three series remain alive and go to a Game 6. The Knicks lead the Hawks 3-2. The Celtics lead the 76ers 3-2. Additionally, the Cavaliers lead the Raptors 3-2 following Cleveland’s Game 5 win earlier in the evening. Every team heading into the weekend faces an elimination game or a chance to close things out.
Source: NBA official stats.
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