These are the NBA playoffs of survival, where not even the stars are safe.

The Boston Celtics continued with their strategy of fouling Mitchell Robinson intentionally.

Road, sweet road.

The New York Knicks made major moves to bolster their roster, adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, in the hopes of contending for an NBA title.

Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, Mikal Bridges had 25 points and OG Anunoby added 22 to lead the New York Knicks to a 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night and into the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Karl-Anthony Towns made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and finished with 27 points, Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists and New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 94-93 to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was booed almost every time he touched the ball in Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons.

New York beating Detroit had become something of an NBA certainty, with the Knicks doing it 16 straight times over a span of five years.

In Year 20, Chris Paul started all 82.

The New York Knicks aren’t worried about what their 0-8 record against Cleveland and Boston might mean in the playoffs.

On a night when Josh Hart broke a New York Knicks franchise record that stood for 56 years, he decided to give the game ball to a teammate who played three minutes.

Jalen Brunson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a right ankle sprain, putting the New York Knicks in a tough spot as they try to maintain their position in the Eastern Conference.

New York star guard Jalen Brunson could miss an extended period of time after suffering an ankle injury during overtime in the Knicks' 113-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

The Chicago Bulls plan to retire Derrick Rose’s jersey next season.

Not even two years ago, Rick Carlisle publicly lauded Mike Brown for the job he did on the way to winning the NBA’s coach of the year award.

Karl-Anthony Towns needed some extra time to prepare for playing against the team he always figured he'd be with his whole career.

Someone asked New York coach Tom Thibodeau before Wednesday’s game what else he’s looking to get from Karl-Anthony Towns as this season goes along.

Jalen Brunson thought twice about going 1-on-2 in transition, instead dribbling back outside and flipping the ball behind him to Karl-Anthony Towns, who made a 3-pointer with a defender in his face.

Karl-Anthony Towns was in the Knicks’ building, though not yet on their team.

A person with knowledge of the details says Tom Thibodeau has agreed to a three-year contract extension after leading the New York Knicks to three postseason appearances in his four seasons.

Andrew Nembhard made a 31-foot, tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16 seconds left, Tyrese Haliburton scored 35 points and the Indiana Pacers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the banged-up and short-handed New York Knicks 111-106 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The New York Knicks know when it’s coming.

Julius Randle needs surgery on his right shoulder and will miss the rest of the season, a crushing blow for a New York Knicks team that was surging before the All-Star forward was hurt in January.

The New York Knicks have not made the conference finals since 2000.

New York All-Star guard Jalen Brunson suffered a bruised knee in the opening minute of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The NBA denied the Knicks’ protest of their loss in Houston, two days after New York won a game in large part because of a call that was determined to be incorrect.

OG Anunoby has undergone right elbow surgery and the New York Knicks say the starting forward will miss at least three more weeks.

Bojan Bogdanovic left Detroit to join a now even-more-formidable contender in New York.

The New York Knicks are trading Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers, dealing away a former lottery pick who was loved by fans but never as much by coach Tom Thibodeau.

NBA playoff scoring leader Jimmy Butler was with the Miami Heat for their film session Thursday.

New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat because of a sprained left ankle.

Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 52 points and the Toronto Raptors snapped the New York Knicks’ NBA-leading eight-game winning streak 113-106.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, then Grayson Allen made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 30 seconds left after his superstar teammate fouled out to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-103 victory over the New York Knicks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists as the Milwaukee Bucks remained unbeaten with a 119-108 victory over the New York Knicks.

The Chicago Bulls remain hopeful All-Star guard Zach LaVine will choose to re-sign with them rather than join another team as an unrestricted free agent.

Andrew Wiggins’ critics always focused on what they thought he wasn’t.

Kevin Durant had 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, leading the Brooklyn Nets back from 21 points down to a 110-98 victory over the New York Knicks that strengthened their chances of the best spot possible in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Kevin Durant scored a season-high 53 points, making the tiebreaking 3-pointer in a sensational show for a crowd that included Kyrie Irving, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knicks 110-107.

The Philadelphia Sixers made it two straight wins with their new duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden, beating the New York Knicks 125-109.

Rookie Cam Thomas led Brooklyn back from a 28-point deficit with 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and the Nets stunned the New York Knicks 111-106.

Duncan Robinson scored 25 points while shooting 7 of 11 from 3-point range to lead four Miami players with 20 or more points in the Heat’s 110-96 victory over the New York Knicks.

RJ Barrett scored 32 points, Mitchell Robinson had a season-high 19 and the New York Knicks snapped the Dallas Mavericks’ six-game winning streak with a 108-85 victory.

Evan Fournier scored 26 points, Immanuel Quickley had 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter after New York had blown a 25-point lead, and the Knicks beat a Los Angeles Lakers team missing suspended star LeBron James 106-100.

Julius Randle had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the New York Knicks erased an early 21-point deficit and routed the Milwaukee Bucks 113-98.

Kemba Walker scored 21 points, RJ Barrett added 20 and the New York Knicks hung on to hand the Chicago Bulls their first loss of the season 104-103.

Kemba Walker scored 19 points in his best game with his hometown team and the New York Knicks snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 112-99 victory.

Julius Randle scored 35 points, Evan Fournier made the go-ahead 3-pointer in the second overtime and the New York Knicks outlasted Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics 138-134.

The Brooklyn Nets look like such a title favorite that James Harden felt the need for a reminder they aren’t a title team.

The “Welcome to New York” signs decorating the outside of Madison Square Garden and hanging behind him were nice, though unnecessary.

Chris Paul and his rejuvenated right shoulder scored 21 points and dished 11 assists, Mikal Bridges added 23 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 122-105 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Tom Thibodeau got the New York Knicks back to the playoffs, guiding the team to its second-best record in 20 years.

Trae Young put the finishing touches on his impressive first playoff series with 36 points and nine assists, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 103-89 in Game 5.

Derrick Rose scored 26 points, Julius Randle shook off a miserable first half to lead a third-quarter turnaround and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 in Game 2 to to tie the series.

Doc Rivers can’t fathom criticism of Ben Simmons, especially after the three-time All-Star became just the sixth player in NBA history to have at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a playoff game.

Trae Young silenced a rocking road crowd in New York in his first playoff game.

Trae Young made a runner in the lane with 0.9 seconds left to give the Atlanta Hawks a 107-105 victory over the New York Knicks in a thrilling postseason return for both teams.

It’s being hyped as the largest indoor event in New York since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with a crowd of 15,000 expected at Madison Square Garden.

Just in time for the playoffs, the NBA has told its head coaches that they may choose to not wear masks during games if they have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished ninth in the MVP voting last season.

Alec Burks scored a season-high 30 points in his return from a three-game absence and the New York Knicks kept up their chase of home-court advantage in the playoffs by rallying to beat the San Antonio Spurs 102-98.

The Atlanta Hawks spent three miserable years totally rebuilding their team, all with the idea of finally making a big move this season.

Derrick Rose scored 25 points off the bench, Reggie Bullock added 24 and the New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-100 to snap an eight-game skid at Staples Center.

Julius Randle scored 28 points, Derrick Rose added 25, converting 11 of 15 shots and the New York Knicks held off the Memphis Grizzlies 118-104.

Devin Booker scored 33 points and the Phoenix Suns capped a grueling road trip with a 118-110 victory that snapped the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak.

Kyrie Irving scored 40 points, Jeff Green made two free throws with 3.7 seconds left and the Brooklyn Nets overcome the early loss of James Harden to beat the New York Knicks 114-112.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)MIAMI – The first thing Derrick Rose did in his second stint with the New York Knicks was start handing out assists. Rose made his second Knicks debut Tuesday night in Miami, checking in with 3:27 left in the first quarter and doing so without even having gone through any sort of practice with the team. Rose won the 2011 NBA MVP award, capping his first season under Thibodeau and a 62-20 season for the Bulls. “I think he’s learned a lot about how to manage his body,” Thibodeau said. “I think he’s in great shape.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)NEW YORK – Derrick Rose is reuniting with Tom Thibodeau after a trade that brings him back to New York. The Knicks agreed to acquire the former NBA MVP from the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the details said. The Knicks will send Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick to the Pistons, the person told The Associated Press. Once it is, it reunites Rose with Thibodeau, his coach in Chicago when the guard became the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 in 2011. Rose later spent one season in New York, averaging 18 points in 2016-17, before rejoining Thibodeau again in Minnesota.

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and the Clippers rang up the highest point total of the season against the New York Knicks on Sunday, winning 129-115 for their 10th victory in 11 games. The Clippers shredded the NBA leaders in fewest points per game allowed to break away after leading by one at halftime. The game's start time was moved up four hours by the NBA to 1 p.m., though neither that nor the Knicks' good early shooting seemed to bother the Clippers. Leonard and Jackson each scored 10 points in the period, when the Clippers made five 3-pointers and scored 35 points, taking a 101-91 lead to the fourth. Knicks: The Knicks' previous high for points allowed was 121 to Indiana in their season opener.

Boston Celtics' Kemba Walker (8) shoots against New York Knicks' Mitchell Robinson (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON – Julius Randle scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and RJ Barrett had 19 and 11 on Sunday to help the New York Knicks snap a five-game losing streak and beat the Boston Celtics 105-75. “They’ve played extremely well short-handed, and dealing with a lot of tough stuff with guys being out,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. Walker scored nine points on 3-of-13 shooting, adding three rebounds, four assists and three steals but committing five turnovers. Celtics: The 35 points was the Celtics' lowest-scoring half of the season.

James scored 11 points in 15 minutes. Also on Wednesday, Chicago beat Oklahoma City 124-103, and Denver beat Portland 126-95. BULLS 124, THUNDER 103At Oklahoma City, the Bulls took control in the second quarter and didn’t let up. LaVine scored 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the first quarter while Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 for Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City couldn’t get into a flow, but part of that was because first-year coach Mark Daigneault gave minutes to 13 players.

Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford talks to players during a timeout in the first half of the team's NBA preseason basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. The NBA preseason — a truncated 49-game, nine-day sprint — opened Friday with a five-game slate, action returning to NBA arenas for the first time in exactly nine months. 8 pick Obi Toppin of the Knicks, got their first NBA minutes. Paul George had 10 for the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard managed three in 14 minutes. Both teams shot exactly 30 for 84 from the field, and none of the Clippers' starters logged even 15 minutes.

The teams that didn't qualify for the restart of the NBA season at Walt Disney World could begin voluntary workouts Wednesday, Sept. 23, to start preparing for their next game whenever that is. Karl Anthony-Towns got to work in Minnesota and his old coach started to mold his new team in New York. After six months without one, it felt so good for some NBA teams to practice again that even Allen Iverson might've enjoyed it. “It gives us some sense of continuity, some sense of togetherness,” said Love, who didn’t want to miss the voluntary workouts. Coaches who didn't know what to expect were pleasantly surprised by the level of play they saw.

The person with knowledge of those talks spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce anything publicly. It was not totally unexpected; the Rockets and D’Antoni couldn’t agree on an extension last year, meaning he was coaching this season with no guarantee of his future in Houston. “We’ve got a great organization, great city, great fans, team’s great,” D’Antonio said. “Mike has done some unbelievable things here,” Rockets star James Harden said Saturday night, making clear that he would have liked to have seen D’Antoni come back. Houston’s other star, guard Russell Westbrook, also raved about the type of person D’Antoni is and said he enjoyed his lone season playing under him.

Thibodeau is back in New York as the Knicks new coach. The former NBA Coach of the Year was hired Thursday, July 30,2020, returning to the team he helped lead to the NBA Finals as an assistant coach. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)NEW YORK Tom Thibodeau is back in New York as the Knicks' new coach. The former NBA Coach of the Year was hired Thursday, returning to the team he helped lead to the NBA Finals as an assistant. Thibodeau was an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy when the Knicks reached the 1999 NBA Finals.

Thibodeau is back in New York as the Knicks new coach. The former NBA Coach of the Year was hired Thursday, July 30,2020, returning to the team he helped lead to the NBA Finals as an assistant coach. (AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)NEW YORK Tom Thibodeau brought the Chicago Bulls to their greatest success since Michael Jordan. He has seen what it's like in New York when the Knicks win and wanted to be the coach to make it happen again. Rose then conducted a long search before tabbing Thibodeau to be the 13th different person to coach the Knicks since Van Gundy.