Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his game-high 35 points in the first half Monday night for the New York Knicks, who remained red-hot by routing the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night in New York.

The Knicks, who eliminated the Atlanta Hawks with a 140-89 win in Game 6 of a first-round series last Thursday night, became just the second team in NBA history to end one series and begin another with consecutive victories by at least 30 points.

In 1986, the Boston Celtics beat the Hawks 132-99 to end an Eastern Conference semifinal series before routing the Milwaukee Bucks 128-96 in Game 1 of the conference finals. The Celtics went on to win the NBA title.

These Knicks, who won the final three games over the Hawks by a combined 96 points, are the first NBA team to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points apiece.

New York picked up Monday where it left off on both ends of the floor against Atlanta.

New York shot 63.1 percent (53-of-84), a franchise record for a playoff game. The Knicks shot 51.4 percent (19-of-37) from 3-point land, their best mark ever for a playoff game in which they hoisted at least 30 attempts.

The Knicks also allowed fewer than 100 points for the fourth straight game.

OG Anunoby had 18 points while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges added 17 points each. Starters Towns, Bridges and Josh Hart all exited late in the third quarter while Brunson and Anunoby sat the entire fourth.

Paul George scored 17 points for the 76ers, who advanced to the conference semifinals by overcoming a three games to one deficit against the Celtics — the first such comeback in Philadelphia history.

Joel Embiid had 14 points while Tyrese Maxey scored 13 points. VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. each added 12 points.

The 76ers took a one-possession lead five times in the first quarter, but Brunson hit the go-ahead basket for the Knicks every time, including the 3-pointer with 3:57 left that put New York up for good at 21-19.

The Knicks went ahead by double digits for good at 49-37 on Towns’ 3-pointer with 6:43 left in the second. Brunson ended the half on his own 11-3 run to extend New York’s lead to 74-51.

The Knicks led 109-78 at the end of the third and led by as many as 40 in the fourth.

–Field Level Media

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma reflected Monday on his game-ending dispute with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley at the end of a Final Four defeat last month, saying, “I just feel like a dumbass for the way it played out.”

The Gamecocks prevailed 62-48 on April 3 in Phoenix, earning a spot in the national final and ending the Huskies’ perfect season.

As the final seconds ticked down, the two head coaches walked toward each other as though they were about to shake hands.

However, Auriemma didn’t put forward his hand, instead making a comment to Staley, who reacted angrily, and the two had to be separated. Auriemma was led away, but he soon came back past Staley, who continued to shout at him.

In his postgame interview, Auriemma complained about the Gamecocks’ physical play, adding, “Their coach rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referees some names you don’t wanna hear.”

His initial apology the next day didn’t mention Staley by name. Several days later, Auriemma apologized again, singling out Staley and saying he spoke with her about the incident. Staley issued a statement, saying she had moved on from the dispute.

On Monday, Auriemma said of actions on following the loss, “When I walked into the locker room afterward with the coaches, you are just shaking your head, thinking five more seconds, you couldn’t keep it in for five more seconds. … We are all human, and we all do dumb s—.”

The sports media and social media went after Auriemma in the days after the game.

“I didn’t see a lot of it, but (the reaction) is to be expected,” Auriemma said. “Maybe some of it was warranted and some of it was people lying in the weeds waiting for that for that moment.

“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done for the game, it’s what you just did. Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in today and it usually is one-sided. …

“I brought the criticism on myself, I didn’t bring the commotion that came after that on myself.”

Auriemma, 72, owns the all-time NCAA basketball record for coaching victories with 1,288. The Huskies have won 12 national championships during his tenure, the latest in 2025. The Final Four defeat to South Carolina last month snapped the Huskies’ 54-game win streak, and UConn ended the season 38-1.

–Field Level Media

Alex Freeland and Kyle Tucker homered in support of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who worked six quality innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers won the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Houston Astros 8-3 on Monday.

The Dodgers won their second game in a row following a season-worst four-game skid. The Astros had won three of their previous four games.

Freeland keyed a two-run second inning with his second home run of the season, while Tucker ignited a four-run third by leading off that frame with his fourth long ball. The Dodgers did that damage against Astros right-hander Ryan Weiss (0-3), who followed opener Steven Okert and stranded the bases loaded in the first before scuffling the rest of his outing.

Freeland tied the score at 2-2 with his opposite-field shot to left-center field with one out in the second. Shohei Ohtani then walked and scored from first when Will Smith (3-for-5) smoked a double to left-center that Astros left fielder Zach Cole tracked at the wall but couldn’t squeeze.

The Dodgers pulled away an inning later. Tucker lined a 1-1 fastball from Weiss 376 feet to right-center, extending the lead to 4-2. After Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim singled before Freeland walked to load the bases, Ohtani produced a fielder’s-choice grounder that plated Pages.

Freddie Freeman capped the outburst with a single to right that scored Kim, with Ohtani also coming home when Astros right fielder Cam Smith committed a fielding error on the play.

Weiss allowed an RBI single to Freeman in the fifth that drove home Freeland, who finished 3-for-4 with a walk. Weiss allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

Yamamoto (3-2) surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the first before finding his groove. Jose Altuve delivered an RBI single in the first that scored Yordan Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes gave Houston a 2-1 lead when he scored on a Yamamoto wild pitch.

Yamamoto needed only seven pitches to retire the Astros in order in the second, and he faced the minimum in the third and fourth innings. Cole smacked his first home run with one out in the fifth, but Yamamoto closed his outing by allowing three runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.

Yordan Alvarez finished with two of Houston’s six hits.

–Field Level Media