Rudy can't fail

Gobert again dominates the Nuggets, with help from Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu. Plus: C.J. McCollum ruins the Knicks again and the Raptors strike back.

Good morning. Friday has arrived again. Let's basketball.

Are We Sure C.J. Isn't A Villain?

Or maybe the Knicks are the bad guys – they certainly seem to be owned by one – and C.J. McCollum is the hero. Whatever the case, he keeps hitting big shots against New York in the playoffs. This time it ended up being the game-winner.

Just incredible. McCollum gets to this spot against Deuce McBride and nails the shot. On the other end, Jalen Brunson can't beat Onyeka Okongwu off the dribble on the switch, and Jonathan Kuminga beats everyone to the loose ball on the squeeze-out. And that's how the Hawks win 109-108 to go up 2-1 in the series.

How I'm feeling about my Knicks championship pick right now:

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The Knicks trailed most of the game and mounted a spirited comeback in the fourth. That was the kind of run that's fueled so much valid belief in New York as a team built for the playoffs: the toughness, experience and talent at the top of the rotation give you faith that they can win the tight games. But now they've lost two tight games in a row, which some shoddy execution on both ends to clinch it. Not getting a shot off coming out of a timeout after giving up such a clean shot on the other end is a microcosm of the problem here: the game seems a little easier for Atlanta right now. The Knicks can't keep playing from that hole.