Jalen Brunson’s Late Buckets Push New York Knicks Past Surging Atlanta Hawks, 108-105
The New York Knicks traveled to Atlanta, GA, last night to face off against a red-hot Atlanta Hawks team on their home court in State Farm Arena. The Hawks have been tearing through the NBA recently, having won 18 of their last 20 games. The playoff energy was high in the building, and it was clear both teams were ready to play. The Knicks have faced recent struggles on the road and were hoping to put an end to their woes.
A First Half That Stayed Close
The Hawks started with a quick 5-0 lead only two minutes into the first quarter. Soon after, Karl-Anthony Towns came down and sank a three-pointer from the top of the key off an assist from Josh Hart, to get the Knicks on the board. A nice assist from CJ McCollum helped Jalen Johnson connect from beyond the arc, putting the Hawks up 10-5. Towns was able to find Mikal Bridges on a cut to the basket to tie the game up at 10.
The Knicks went up 16-10 off back-to-back three-point baskets with six minutes left in the quarter. Nickeil Alexander-Walker then hit a contested three-pointer with 3:34 to go in the quarter to put Atlanta back in the lead 25-24, forcing Head Coach Mike Brown to call a timeout. After the timeout, OG Anunoby hit a corner three to put the Knicks back on top, 27-25.
Johnson tied the game up at 29 with 1:41 left in the quarter with a beautiful fade away jumper over Brunson. The quarter ended with a put-back by Bridges off a Brunson missed floater to end the quarter 32-31. The second quarter remained competitive as the Knicks led for most of the way, extending their lead. A second three-pointer from Miles McBride (6 pts, 2 rebs, 2 ast) also assisted in a Knicks push to remain in the lead.
The Hawks were able to go on a 12-0 run led by Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels (11 pts, 12 rebs, 3 ast, 2 stl), and Johnson, giving Atlanta a 46-43 lead. Alexander-Walker had a phenomenal game, finishing with 36 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in 39 minutes of play. The Hawks were able to outscore the Knicks in the second quarter 26-21, to take a 57-53 lead into halftime.
The Knicks Fight Hard to Regain Control in the Third
The third quarter started with a made jumper from Towns to bring the Knicks to within two. Towns finished with yet another double-double on the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds, adding 6 assists. With 8:15 remaining in the third quarter, a made three-point basket from Alexander-Walker put the Hawks up 66-61, followed by a made three-pointer from McCollum, who contributed 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists.
The Knicks were forced to call a timeout, to which Johnson (21 pts, 11 rebs, 5 ast) responded with a massive dunk on Towns and Anunoby in the lane to give the Hawks a 10-point lead, 71-61. Towns came back with 8 straight points, forcing Head Coach Quin Snyder into a timeout. After the timeout, Towns continued to go to work, closing the gap even more, bringing the Knicks to within three, 74-71. A hustle play by Robinson led to a Hawks’ turnover, allowing Bridges to score an easy layup on the other end, bringing the Knicks to within one.
Brunson was able to get his defender off the ground with 1:34 left in the third quarter, allowing an easy dish to an open Robinson for two to give the Knicks the lead again, 75-74. Brunson then extended the Knicks’ lead, 78-74, by sinking a three from the top of the key with 1:24 to go in the quarter. He finished the game with a double-double, also with 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 13 assists in 39 minutes of play.
With less than a minute to go in the quarter, Towns had his shot attempt blocked by Onyeka Okongwu (12 pts, 8 rebs), who came down on the offensive end and made a three-pointer, giving the Hawks the lead 79-78. With 1.4 seconds left, Brunson passed the ball to an open Anunoby (22 pts, 5 rebs), who sank a three over McCollum, putting the Knicks back on top 81-79.
Alexander-Walker vs Brunson In the Fourth
Robinson got the fourth quarter going by blocking a three-point attempt by Okongwu that turned into a dunk by Anunoby on the offensive end, putting the Knicks up 83-79. A mid-range jumper from McCollum on the baseline against McBride tied the game at 83 with a little over nine minutes to go. A three-point boom from Johnson gave the Hawks another lead with a little over eight minutes left in the game, forcing New York into another timeout.
Alexander-Walker and Brunson traded baskets from beyond the arc, as the Hawks maintained the lead with a little over five minutes remaining. Robinson was able to tie the game at 90 by sticking with a put-back off a missed layup from Landry Shamet. A Hart turnover at the four-minute mark led to an Alexander-Walker three-pointer that extended the Hawks’ lead, 97-92. To which Brunson responded on the other end with an and-one, bringing the Knicks to within three.
Alexander-Walker sank another three-point bomb off of an inbound pass, to which Brunson responded with a cut to the basket off of a Towns pick and roll for an easy basket. Again, Brunson came down off of a Towns pick and roll, but this time Alexander-Walker went behind the screen and was tripped, there was no call, and Brunson stepped back to make another three with a little over two minutes left in the game, putting the Knicks in the lead 102-100.
A runner from McCollum tied the game at 102. With less than 40 seconds remaining in the game, Mike Brown put the ball in Brunson’s hands. Defended by McCollum, Brunson pulled up at the corner right extension of the free-throw line, and sank a pull-up jumper over McCollum to make the score 104-102. McCollum hit a three with 1.5 seconds remaining to bring the Hawks to within 1.
Brunson made two free throws to give the Knicks a three-point lead, and McCollum made a half-court three-point shot attempt to tie the game at the buzzer, but upon review, it was determined he did not release the ball in time, and the Knicks left Atlanta with the victory, 108-105.
FAQ Section
Q: What was the final score?
A: 108-105
Q: Who was the MVP of the game?
A: Jalen Brunson
Q: What was the turning point?
A: During the final six minutes of the third quarter, the Knicks mounted a 17-6 scoring run to erase a 10-point deficit.
What’s Next For Each Team?
The New York Knicks (51-28) will return to Madison Square Garden where they will finish out the regular season with a three-game homestand. They will take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday. The Atlanta Hawks (45-34) sit fifth in the Eastern Conference and trail the Cleveland Cavaliers for the final home-court advantage spot in the first round. They will face off against the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
