Knicks 128, Hawks 125: But if Thibs was coaching….

Tonight’s game in Atlanta between the New York Knicks (22*-9) and the Hawks (15-18) had it all: playoff atmosphere; a 36-16 double-double by Karl-Anthony Towns; Trae Young threatening to steal another

win from the Knicks down the stretch; and yet another Knicks youngster making the most of an opportunity. What a time to be a Knicks fan.

The Birds came into the game having lost five straight and won just five home games. They lost last night to the Heat on this court, but there were no signs of fatigue early on. New York weathered a cold start, traded the lead 10 times, and closed the period up 33-27 behind Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. In the second, New York tightened their defense, dominated the glass, and pulled away with a balanced attack—highlighted by a ton of free throws by Towns and strong bench minutes from McCullar—to take a 68–55 advantage into halftime. Brunson and Towns powered New York’s offense as the lead grew to 18, but Atlanta cut the margin to 98–89. And in the fourth, after Atlanta snatched a brief lead, Brunson and Anunoby delivered in the final minutes to seal the Knicks’ win, 128-125.

Towns had a big night, recording 36 points on 8-15 shooting (3-6 from three) and a near-perfect 17-18 from the free throw line. He dominated the boards with 16 rebounds in his 30 minutes. Brunson finished with 34 points on 15-29 shooting (4-11 from three), plus five assists in 38 minutes. Huge buckets from him down the stretch.

Anunoby finished with 15 points on 3-10 shooting (2-5 from three, 7-7 from the line) and collected 10 rebounds, dished five assists, and recorded three steals and a block in 38 minutes. He’s gotta be a front-runner for DPOY. Fellow wing Mikal Bridges got 14 points on 6-13 shooting (2-6 from three), and a team-high eight assists with just 1 turnover. And Mohamed Diawara, starting with Josh Hart injured, recorded five points on 2-7 shooting (1-3 from three) with five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 16 minutes.

But the guy the podcasts will be talking about tomorrow? Kevin McCullar, Jr. Drafted late in 2024, the talented forward from Kansas has been hampered by a knee injury. Tonight was the first significant opportunity of his career and he squeezed it for all the juice. Off the bench, he finished with 13 points on 4-7 shooting (3-6 from three, 2-5 from the line), added eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 23 minutes. More than that, Mike Brown trusted the youngster in pivotal moments tonight. Read more about it below.

As for the Hawks, Onyeka Okongwu led the team with 31 points on 10-16 shooting (6-10 from three) and grabbed 14 rebounds in 36 minutes. Despite the fantastic statline, he fouled out when the Hawks needed him the most. Jalen Johnson, who’s having a tremendous season, posted 20 points on 7-16 shooting (1-3 from three) and 12 assists with two turnovers, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 37 minutes. Dyson Daniels scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting, plus nine assists, eight rebounds, and two steals. And the villainous Trae Young recorded just nine points on 2-10 shooting (0-4 from three). He had 10 assists, five turnovers, and two steals.

First Half

Adjusting for the absence of Josh Hart, coach Mike Brown inserted rookie Mohamed Diawara into the starting lineup. The youngster blocked Trae Young’s first drive, but missed three field goals in his five minutes on the floor. So, a mixed bag but not necessarily a disaster.

For Atlanta, Onyeka Okongwu hit a pair of triples and Jalen Johnson blocked a Karl-Anthony Towns layup attempt to help Atlanta take a 10-7 lead by the eight-minute mark. The lead would not stand. New York missed five of their first seven shots but warmed up after that chucky start. OG Anunoby connected on two from deep, and Brunson, Towns, and Bridges would all hit from yard, too. The teams traded punches and there were ten lead changes before the quarter was done.

Clearly, Brown wants to see what his young players have to offer. He’s given more minutes to Diawara recently, and his first substitution tonight was sophomore Kevin McCullar, Jr., for Diawara, at 6:40. Soon after, McCullar grabbed a Clarkson miss, was fouled, missed two free throws, and grabbed his own miss, but dribbled into a steal by Daniels. In five minutes, McCullar grabbed four boards (three offensive) and was a +5.

Thanks to a 25-footer by Brunson at the end of the frame, the Knicks took a 33-27 lead into the second quarter.

The Hawks scored six points quickly in the second. Their defense tightened up, and great switching by Bridges and Kolek forced the Hawks into a shot clock violation. Better D and more offensive rebounds sparked a 12-4 run by the Knicks, who would go up by as many as 14 in the quarter.

Towns feasted in the paint, not necessarily getting buckets but drawing fouls. He’d already been to the free-throw line nine times with seven minutes left to halftime. Around then, McCullar checked back in, hit his first shot of the night (a corner three), grabbed two more rebounds, and tossed a nice pass that Bridges shot for three. Then with two minutes to go, Robinson tossed a rebound to McCullar, who raced the rock up the floor, pulled up to the arc, and let it fly with the confidence of Steph Curry. And it went in. Here’s where someone observes, “If Thibs was coaching. . . . ”

When Bridges picked off a Daniels pass and then alley-ooped a Clarkson pass, State Farm Arena rumbled with cheers. Knicks fans travel! The place was packed with orange and blue jerseys.

The hapless home team missed seven of nine shots to finish the quarter, while Brown opted to close the quarter with a lineup of four starters plus McCullar. Bold move, Mike! The youngster rewarded his coach’s confidence by stealing the ball from Daniels and then altering a layup by Alexander-Walker to preserve a 68-55 lead at intermission. And someone quips, “If this were Thibs. . . . ”

The Knicks outshot the Hawks from the field (49% vs. 42%) and from three-point range (38% vs 33%). Both teams tried 21 threes. New York dominated the glass, 31-21, including an 11-6 edge on offensive rebounds, and they won the paint 34-24. KAT and Okongwu had 16 points apiece to lead all scorers.

Second Half

Atlanta showed some fight out of halftime, with contributions from Johnson, Daniels and Alexander-Walker. Turnovers and tepid play by Trae Young squashed any meaningful attempts at a rally.

New York continued to score at will, with Brunson dropping two more treys and racking up 15 points in the quarter; and Towns added 11 points, thanks to six more freebies, and a few more boards. Diawara added a three-pointer of his own, which gave the rookie four straight games with a longball. Another stint from McCullar brought more tantalizing play: seven points on a driving layup, a triple, two made free throws, plus two defensive rebounds and a steal.

Their lead reached 18 before the Knicks started to rest on their laurels. Atlanta’s Johnson scored 13 points, with buckets from all over the floor, and dished out dimes. Okongwu and Alexander-Walker chipped in, too, and their efforts trimmed the score to 98-89 at the break.

To start Q4, the Knicks got silly with the fouls, allowing the Hawks to creep back within five. Around the eight-minute mark, Towns—who was already cooking a 30-point burger—played excellent defense on an Okongwu drive, disrupting the layup and coming away with a defensive rebound. Given how frequently we’ve knocked his D, we’ve gotta highlight his positive efforts. This was a big play, too, because it dampened the momentum that Atlanta was building. Hat’s off to KAT for that.

With six minutes to go and the score separated by six, Brunson, Clarkson, Bridges, McCullar, and Robinson were on the floor for New York. McCullar’s three-point attempt rattled around inside the rim before winging off, almost giving the youngster 16 points. After that, Kolek relieved him but missed on a drive, and Alexander-Walker scored from deep. Three-point game.

Young, who had been on the bench while Atlanta did their damage, returned to pick Brunson’s pocket. He made two free throws to make this a one-point game with four minutes left. Needing a score, Anunoby took the ball straight at Okongwu for a bucket and a three-point play.

Okongwu responded with two longballs. Atlanta went ahead by two with two to go. Captain Clutch evened the score with a floater, and following a Young miss, he drilled a triple. New York up by three. The Knicks fans in Atlanta were raucous. Then Kolek put Young on the line for two, then Walker stripped Brunson for a pick-six. Hawks by one, 48 seconds left. Now the Hawks fans were raucous. The fight wasn’t just on the floor, it was in the stands, too!

Brunson missed on a 16-footer, but Anunoby grabbed the Knicks’ 19th offensive board and was fouled by Okongwu, his sixth. Anunoby drained both freebies and Brown sent in Robinson and McCullar for rebounding. McCullar again!

Bridges deflected a Young pass out of bounds. 15 seconds to go. The birds inbounded the ball, and Anunoby plucked the ball right out of Johnson’s hands. OG was fouled and made two from the stripe to secure Atlanta’s sixth straight loss. What a game.