Knicks’ Second‑Half Rally
- New York rallied behind a big second half to take their playoff opener. - Jalen Brunson scored 28 points with seven assists, OG Anunoby added 18 points, and Josh Hart posted 11 points and 14 rebounds. - Social clips noted Karl‑Anthony Towns poured in 19 second‑half points in the comeback narrative (x.com).
New York opened its playoff run with a 113-102 Game 1 win over Atlanta on Saturday night after Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for 19 second-half points. (apnews.com) Jalen Brunson finished with 28 points and seven assists, OG Anunoby scored 18, and Josh Hart added 11 points with 14 rebounds at Madison Square Garden. (espn.com) The Hawks trailed by just two at halftime, 57-55, before Towns flipped the game after the break and finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. (newsday.com) New York entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, while Atlanta arrived as the No. 6 seed after going 20-6 after the All-Star break. (espn.com) The game was also the Knicks’ first postseason opener under coach Mike Brown after four playoff trips in five years under Tom Thibodeau, including the franchise’s first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000 last season. (ny1.com) Atlanta still got 26 points from CJ McCollum and 23 from Jalen Johnson, but the Hawks could not hold their first-half push once New York regained control in the third quarter. (abc7ny.com) The social-media focus on Towns’ second half matched the box score: he scored 19 of his 25 after halftime in a game New York used to protect home court. (x.com) Game 2 is set for Monday night in New York, with the Knicks already holding the one thing they wanted from the opener: the series lead. (nba.com)
