New York, NY—The New York Knicks took firm control of their first-round playoff matchup, cruising past the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 on Tuesday night to grab a 3-2 series advantage.
Jalen Brunson led the charge with 39 points, falling just short of another 40-point postseason performance that would have added to his growing franchise legacy. After being relatively quiet earlier in the series, Brunson took over late, pouring in 17 points in the fourth quarter to eliminate any hope of an Atlanta comeback.
With back-to-back dominant wins, the Knicks have shifted the tone of the series dramatically. After the Hawks edged ahead 2-1 with narrow one-point victories in Games 2 and 3, New York has responded with authority, winning Game 4 by 16 and following it up with an even more decisive performance at home. Tuesday’s contest was never truly in doubt in the second half, as the Knicks maintained a double-digit cushion throughout.
Support came from across the lineup. OG Anunoby delivered a strong two-way performance with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 16 points, 14 boards, and six assists, helping New York control the tempo and dominate inside.
On the other side, Jalen Johnson paced Atlanta with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, and Dyson Daniels added 17. However, the Hawks struggled to find consistent offense, particularly from CJ McCollum, who had been instrumental in their earlier wins but was limited to just six points.
New York set the tone early, shooting efficiently out of the gate and building a 35-22 lead by the end of the first quarter. They widened the gap before halftime behind another scoring burst from Brunson, heading into the break up 64-48 while shooting nearly 60% from the field.
The Knicks continued to pull away in the second half, and any remaining suspense disappeared when Brunson sparked a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter, stretching the lead past 25 points and effectively sealing the outcome.
Now one win away from advancing, New York heads to Atlanta with a chance to close out the series in Game 6. If needed, they would return home for a Game 7—but based on the momentum swing, that scenario is looking increasingly unlikely.
