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Kessler will remain sidelined for the final game of the season, which will allow Omer Yurtseven to remain in the starting center spot. This will be a sixth straight absence for Kessler to end a disappointing season for the second-year big.

While quiet during the second half of Game 2, Randle’s performance in the first half helped the Timberwolves erase a double-digit deficit. He scored 18 points before halftime, combining with Anthony Edwards to score 38 of the Timberwolves’ 64 points. Randle finished with solid percentages and was one rebound shy of a double-double, performing much better than he did in Saturday’s Game 1 defeat. The Timberwolves host Game 3 on Thursday night.

Edwards is still getting his stamina up to par after missing a large portion of the final month of the regular season. And playing at altitude may not have helped in Saturday’s series opener, but he was better in Game 2. Edwards scored 20 points in the first half and finished with a 30-point double-double as part of a complete stat line. As a result, Minnesota heads home with the series tied at one game apiece. Game 3 is on Thursday night.

Anunoby had a tough night at the foul line, and every point makes a difference in a game the Knicks lost by one point. There was an injury scare during the second half, but it appeared to be nothing more than Karl-Anthony Towns stepping on Anunoby’s left foot. After spraining his left ankle during Game 1, he played 38 minutes on Monday. He should play similar minutes in Thursday’s Game 3, with the series tied at one game apiece.

Hart has recorded double-doubles in each of the Knicks’ first two games of this postseason, while also doing an admirable job of defending Atlanta star forward Jalen Johnson. In Game 2, the Knicks forward’s stat line was missing only a blocked shot, and he shot nearly 50 percent from the field. Hart and the Knicks will look to regain the momentum when the series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday.

Despite shooting nearly 67 percent from the field, Towns only attempted 12 shots in Game 2. That’s one less than his total in Game 1, but that 25-point effort was supplemented by a 10-of-10 night at the foul line. Towns did not attempt a free throw on Monday, and the Knicks need to do a better job of ensuring that he’s getting his touches. Atlanta does not have the size to deal with Towns, especially with Jock Landale (ankle) unavailable, but that doesn’t matter if the Knicks don’t look to exploit the advantage.

Brunson may have scored 29 points, but the Hawks made him work for every one. The Knicks’ guard needed 26 field-goal attempts, and he shot 6-of-16 from inside the arc. No other Knick attempted more than 12 shots, something that cannot happen if New York is to play deep into the postseason. Now with the series tied at one game apiece, the scene shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday.