Hawks stun Knicks
- Atlanta completed a comeback to even their first‑round series with New York in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden. (sports.yahoo.com) - The upset was powered by CJ McCollum, who was branded “MSG’s new villain” after the road win. (sports.yahoo.com) - The result tightened a first‑round window where favorites still lead most series, changing tempo for New York’s outlook. (nytimes.com)
Atlanta erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit Monday night and beat New York 107-106 at Madison Square Garden, leveling the first-round series at 1-1. (nba.com) CJ McCollum scored 32 points for Atlanta, including the go-ahead jumper in the final minutes, after the Knicks led 91-79 early in the fourth and 106-100 with 1:58 left. (espn.com) The Hawks won the fourth quarter 28-15, and the official box score listed New York’s biggest lead at 14 points before the finish flipped the game. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) That result changed the shape of a series that opened with New York’s 113-102 Game 1 win on Saturday, when Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 25. (nba.com) It also sent the matchup to Atlanta split instead of 2-0, with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday, April 23, and Game 4 for Saturday, April 25. (nba.com) McCollum became the focal point at the Garden after a third-quarter exchange with Knicks guard Jose Alvarado drew technical fouls and turned the crowd on him. (nba.com) (nydailynews.com) Yahoo Sports called McCollum “MSG’s new villain,” a label that fits the recent history of this building, where Trae Young became a playoff antagonist for Knicks fans during Atlanta’s 2021 run. (sports.yahoo.com) The bracket still largely favors higher seeds across the first round, but New York no longer has the cushion a home sweep would have created. (nytimes.com) Now the series shifts south with the Knicks chasing back the game they let slip at home, and the Hawks carrying a one-point road win that reset everything. (nba.com)
