New York, NY—–The Atlanta Hawks pulled off a dramatic comeback Monday night, edging the New York Knicks 107–106 to even their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.
Leading the charge was CJ McCollum, who poured in 32 points and delivered in the clutch as Atlanta erased a double-digit deficit in the second half.
“It’s a long game,” McCollum said. “You’ve got to play to zero.”
The Hawks trailed throughout the entire second half and entered the fourth quarter down 12. Slowly, they chipped away before finally breaking through late. A basket from McCollum gave Atlanta its first second-half lead at 101–100 with just over two minutes remaining. He followed with another score to extend the advantage, and after Jalen Brunson tied the game with a three-pointer, McCollum responded again—knocking down a go-ahead jumper with 33 seconds left.
Atlanta appeared to seal the game, though not without late drama. McCollum missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining, giving New York one last opportunity. With no timeouts, the Knicks pushed the ball up the floor, but Mikal Bridges’ final jumper fell short as time expired.
Jonathan Kuminga provided a major lift off the bench with 19 points, while Jalen Johnson added 17, including a key late basket that helped secure the win for the sixth-seeded Hawks. Atlanta will now host Game 3 on Thursday with momentum on its side.
For New York, Brunson finished with 29 points and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 18, including a strong third quarter after a quiet first half.
The Knicks seemed in control for much of the night, building a 12-point lead after three quarters and extending it to 14.
