For nearly two weeks, the Knicks toyed with our emotions. Game One of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series with the Hawks was a mostly by-the-books win. Then our rosy dreams of championship glory were dashed by a choke job, a one-point loss in Game Two, and an even worse one-point stinker in Game Three. A disconsolate portion of the fanbase wondered: If they struggle against the sixth-seeded Hawks, how could they possibly clear the next two hurdles to reach the Finals? To which the Knickerbockers
replied, Not so fast, you fickle fans!
Game Four was a reassuring 16-point win, and Game Five was a 29-point blowout. As they took the floor at State Farm Arena for a closeout game, we wondered which version of the Knicks would show up. We cautiously hoped they’d continue their momentum from the previous two contests. We did not expect the largest halftime lead in playoff history (83-36), or the largest lead after three quarters in playoff history (117-64), or the most points scored in Knicks playoff history. When the final buzzer granted mercy to the Hawks, New York had completed perhaps the most dominant playoff game in NBA history with a 140-89 win. Bring on the Celtics or Sixers!
Clearly, the Hawks were intimidated by the moment. In the first minute and a half, they committed two turnovers and watched the Knicks jump to a 5-0 lead. After that, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who received the NBA’s Most Improved Player trophy before the game) led his cohort on a 9-0 run, but then OG Anunoby said Nahhh. OG sizzled, making all of his field goal attempts to score eight of the next 10 points for New York. Overall, he capped an amazing series with 29 points, seven boards, four steals, and +42 while shooting 11-14 in his 27 minutes.
Atlanta coach Quin Snyder needed a timeout at 6:40, with his team trailing 15-11. Whatever he doodled on his whiteboard didn’t help. From there, the guests scored eight straight, capped by their captain going into his bag of tricks and finishing high off the glass for a contested layup. About three minutes after his first timeout, Atlanta’s skipper took another, hoping to inspire his team out of a 12-point hole.
Josh Hart (14 PTS, 5 RBS, 27 MIN) was a game-time decision with a sore back, but as expected, he suited up for the chance to close out the Birds. Early on, he and Mikal Bridges took turns bringing the ball up the court and letting Jalen Brunson play off-ball. Cap finished his night with 17 points on 12 shots and eight assists in 29 minutes.
The Knicks closed the frame ahead 40-15, thanks to a 31-4 run that featured buckets by Anunoby, Brunson, and Bridges, a triple by Brunson, and a Mitchell Robinson alley-oop (plus a wicked block of a driving CJ McCollum). Unfortunately, Mitch seemed to injure his ankle when fighting for rebounding position and left the game late in the quarter, heading for the locker room. That was the only complaint in a brutal first frame for the Birds, who coughed up the ball eight times, missed five of six three-point attempts, and scored just four points in the last six minutes of the period.
Continuing the good vibes, Jose Alvarado picked off an Alexander-Walker pass to start the second quarter. From there, New York scored eight straight on their way to a 22-4 run that gave New York a 43-point lead at the 6:42 mark. Not only were our heroes raining buckets (68% FG, 55% 3PT), but they played their feistiest defense of the season. Even Jordan Clarkson played clamp-down defense! New York had 11 steals and had forced 13 giveaways, and there were still seven minutes left to play in the half. The score reached 72-22 when Anunoby scored on an and-one drive.
Rest easy, employees. Jim “Eye in the Sky” Dolan was impressed.
While OG made the free throw, things got spicier than Magic City wings. Mitch, having returned from the locker room, tangled with Dyson Daniels, who was rightfully sore with his team trailing by 50 points. After benches cleared, the players were separated, and the two main offenders were ejected. Watch it below, Joe, and say a prayer that it doesn’t result in a suspension for Mitch.
The rest of the quarter was as much of a laugher. New York was outscored 14-12, but managed to finish the half ahead, 83-36. That’s right: the Knicks scored 40 points in the first quarter and 43 in the second, while the Hawks scored 15 and 21, respectively. What happened in that half was positively X-rated.
Fun Fact: playing 28 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns attempts four field goals tonight, making one—but he shot a perfect-10 from the charity stripe, on the way to his second career postseason triple-double: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and one block. A weird statline, certainly, and one that doesn’t quite indicate what a monster game the big man had. Atlanta was hopeless against him.
Through the half, the good guys had outshot the villains (65%-31% FG, 44%-22% 3PT), outrebounded them 24-15, stole the ball 12 times, forced 14 turnovers, won the paint 36-12, and beat them on fast breaks, 18-3. Anunoby led all scorers with a playoff career-high of 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting (plus seven boards and four steals, for Pete’s sake). Second-highest scorer? Mikal Bridges with 16—and he’d finish 24! Nice rebound game after what’s been a rough series. For the home team, Jalen Johnson had 11 points and would finish with 21.
They started the second half with a 12-2 run. The lead reached 61 points, the largest lead in playoff history. Here’s the proof—and remember, Atlanta is a professional basketball team and playing an elimination game. Simply stunning:
From there, Atlanta managed a 16-8 stretch, but New York had no reason to sweat. Coach Mike Brown kept all the starters in until 5:24, when he swapped Clarkson and Miles McBride for Anunoby and Bridges. His counterpart, Snyder, said defense be damned and sent in Buddy Hield to launch some shots. At the 2:45 mark, Brown subbed in Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Ariel Hukporti. With three quarters in the books, New York was ahead 117-64.
In the fourth, Brown emptied his bench, giving postseason minutes to Tyler Kolek, Shamet, Pacome Dadiet, Jeremy Sochan, and Mohamed Diawara. Snyder went with Corey Kispert, Jonathan Kuminga, Zaccharie Risacher, Tony Bradley, and Keaton Wallace—and the reserve Knicks had still outscored Atlanta by the midway mark. While the more expensive players enjoyed the game with grins all around, the back-ups brought it home with ease.
Congratulations to the Hawks for an impressive run through the last leg of the season, for giving the Knicks a challenge for three games, and, most of all, for ridding themselves of that deadbeat Trae Young. Especially that last one. Eff that guy.
Up Next
Sir Matthew Miranda is sharpening his pen to treat you lot to a ripe recap. The Knicks will face whoever survives the Celtics-Sixers series—at this moment, Philly leads by 15 in the third quarter and trying force a Game Seven. Me? I’m going to bed with a big dumb smile on my face. Thanks, Knickerbockers.
