The New York Knicks had the hot hand on Saturday as they secured a 113-102 Game 1 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
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The game was very competitive early as both sides battled for the lead in the opening quarter. But as the first 12 minutes ticked by, the Knicks got hot while the Hawks lost their momentum. After one quarter, New York was ahead by six.
CJ McCollum led the Atlanta Hawks into the second quarter with strong adjustments on both sides of the floor. Despite a huge rebounding disadvantage, the Hawks outscored the Knicks by four in the second quarter.
The next 12 minutes were a nightmare for Atlanta. While New York maintained a healthy dose of scoring, the Hawks lost all of their rhythm on the offensive end.
They put up just 19 points in the third quarter.
In the final frame, New York led the way for most of the way. Atlanta was actually able to go on a stunning 11-0 run in the final few minutes, but clutch free throw shooting kept the Knicks in front for the victory.
Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 28 points, five rebounds and seven assists while Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and eight rebounds.
For the Hawks, McCollum finished with 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting while Jalen Johnson had 23 points and seven rebounds.
James Parker contributed to this story.
