At this point, three things in life will always be true: death, taxes, and no matter how much talent the New York Knicks have on their roster, they stink. Last night, they had a brilliant chance to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks and threw the game away. The Hawks were excellent down the stretch, but they had a little bit of help from the home team. Let’s dive into last night’s game and what it means for the rest of the series.
Knicks’ Strong Start
After New York dominated Game 1, 113-102, it appeared that the top-end talent might be too much for the Hawks to handle. Josh Hart would stamp his name all over Game 2 early in the first quarter with six points, six rebounds, and three dimes. When Hart is engaged and flying all over the court, it is a great sign for the Knicks’ faithful. They would hold a 32-23 lead after the opening frame.
Despite how great their opponents were playing, the Hawks hung around. CJ McCollum kept his team afloat with 18 points in the first half, including 11 points on an efficient 4/6 shooting from the floor, and 2/4 from downtown. Atlanta would find themselves in a seven-point deficit at halftime, 61-54, after Mikal Bridges hit an 11′ floater to beat the buzzer.
Halftime Adjustments
The Knicks would begin the second half with back-to-back three-pointers from Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns and stretch the lead up to 13. The rest of the frame would be a back-and-forth affair. New York’s lead would get as high as 14, and the Hawks would cut it to as little as seven. It seemed like every time Atlanta would cut it down, the Knicks would answer with a 5-0 run. One of my biggest philosophies in basketball is that a 5-0 run can solve everything. Well, almost everything.
Dallas Cowboys of the NBA
This is where everything goes up in flames. Starting the 4th quarter with a 12-point lead, the Knicks appeared to have everything under control. It would take the definition of a “disaster class” to blow this game. Last night was a horrendous time to have their worst 4th quarter all season. They would score a season-low 15 points, while shooting 5/22 from the floor, 3/11 from three, and 2/4 from the free throw line.
From 4:55 to the 1:33 mark, the Hawks would go on an 11-0 run to turn a 92-100 deficit into a 103-100 lead. Jalen Brunson would step into a huge three-pointer, scoring a team-high 29 points, with 1:21 left in regulation. One team’s star hits a shot on one end, and the opposing team’s star hits one on the other. McCollum would hit a baseline jumper over OG Anunoby with 33.5 seconds left.
Before I get into the last half-minute of the game, I am going to spotlight someone who stepped up when his offensive game wasn’t going last night. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, I tip my cap to you. He has had an excellent season, his first year in the A. Last night, he shot a terrible 3/12 from the floor, but finished the game with three blocks. In the 4th quarter alone, he scored three points, grabbed two rebounds, and had three assists. NAW’s biggest play was denying JB the game-tying shot with 13.6 seconds left.
Jalen Johnson would throw down a two-handed jam with 10.6 remaining that would “seal” a Hawks win. However, Brunson would bang a three to bring the Knicks’ four-point deficit to one. McCollum would go up to the free-throw line to extend the one-point lead back to three. He missed both free throws with 5.6 remaining and Bridges would miss the game-winning shot at the buzzer.
Takeaways From Last Night
For the Hawks, this was almost a must-win. That would have been back-to-back games where Atlanta would hang around and lose convincingly. There’s an old expression that a series doesn’t start until the home team loses. Well, the Knicks have lost home court advantage and they can’t afford to go down 2-1 and have the pressure build.
As for New York, this is a mind-boggling loss. Head Coach Mike Brown had a five-man lineup of Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Bridges, OG, and Mitchell Robinson on the floor for three minutes in the final quarter. The only problem is that the lineup played ZERO MINUTES together during the regular season.
I understand your stars need rest and playing your bench, but in a momentum-swinging game, you put your stars in. This reminds me of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, where the Knicks blew a 15-point lead against the Pacers.
Final Thoughts
Death, taxes, and the New York Knicks blowing golden opportunities. They’d better get their ish together for Game 3 in Atlanta. With this being the first playoff games in ATL since the 2022-2023 season, that place will be rocking. What were your takeaways from last night’s loss? Who wins Game 3?
As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts on the New York Knicks blowing last night’s game to the Atlanta Hawks! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! We hope you’re enjoying your day and look forward to seeing you again soon.
