The Atlanta Hawks took advantage of a hot start on Thursday to take down the New York Knicks 109-108 and take a 2-1 series lead.
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As the game began, the Hawks quickly got to work on offense and jumped out to a lead. CJ McCollum and Jalen Johnson led the way on both ends as Atlanta finished the opening quarter with a 12-point lead.
That lead expanded to 18 as the second quarter rolled along, but Jalen Brunson and the Knicks showed signs of life. By halftime, the lead had been cut to eight.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair of scoring runs. Both squads put up mostly similar numbers, but the Knicks were ice-cold from beyond the arc.
In the final quarter, it looked like the Hawks would cruise to the victory. But Brunson and the Knicks once again came alive at the perfect time.
Clutch time became a nail-biting battle as the lead had dissolved completely. A quick 5-0 swing gave New York a one-point lead with less than 20 seconds to play before Brunson air-balled a crucial mid-range jumper and gave Atlanta the ball.
That’s when McCollum hit a sweet mid-range pull-up to give the Hawks the lead with 12 seconds to play. On the final possession, Brunson drove right towards the baseline before being doubled and turning the ball over.
McCollum finished the game with 23 points and five rebounds while Johnson put up 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
For the Knicks, OG Anunoby had 29 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while Brunson had 26 points and four assists. The Knicks finished the game with just 10 three-point makes in 35 attempts.
James Parker contributed to this story.
