The New York Knicks pounded the paint on Tuesday to secure a 126-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks and take a 3-2 series advantage.
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New York wasted no time getting going on offense, shooting 13-for-20 in the first quarter and scoring 20 paint points in the period. The Hawks had a slower opening and faced a 13-point deficit after 12 minutes.
In the second quarter, Jalen Johnson helped the Hawks find more of a rhythm, but they still couldn’t contain the Knicks down low.
New York still outscored Atlanta in the second quarter to enter halftime with a 64-48 lead.
As the second half commenced, the Hawks maintained pace, but the Knicks maintained a double-digit advantage. The Hawks needed a major momentum change in the fourth quarter.
In the final 12 minutes, the Hawks did their best to put up the right shots to attempt a comeback, but very few of those shots sank. Jalen Brunson made some big plays down the stretch to push the Knicks to their largest lead of the series and grab the win.
He finished the game with 39 points, three rebounds and eight assists while OG Anunoby had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
For the Hawks, Johnson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists alongside Dyson Daniels‘ 17 points and five rebounds.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
