Knicks lead Hawks 3-2

The Knicks didn’t just win Game 5 — they grabbed the series by the throat. New York beat Atlanta 126-97 on Tuesday, April 28, at Madison Square Garden, turning a 2-2 first-round matchup into a 3-2 Knicks lead. That matters because Game 5 in a tied NBA playoff series is usually the swing game, and this one wasn’t some last-second escape. It was a rout. Brunson got hot, the Knicks controlled the glass, and Atlanta never really made the game feel unstable. (nba.com) ### Why was this such a big swing? Because the series looked balanced four days earlier. Then New York stacked two straight convincing wins and suddenly Atlanta went from even footing to elimination pressure. The scoreboard tells the story — 126-97 is not a squeaker, and the Knicks now have two chances to finish the series, starting Thursday, April 30, in Atlanta. (nba.com)takeaways)) ### What did Brunson actually do? He was the engine for everything. Brunson scored 39 points in 34:44, shot 15-for-23 from the field, hit 3 of 5 from deep, and added 8 assists. That’s the kind of line that bends a playoff game around one player’s decision-making — score when the defense is late, create when it collapses, and keep the whole thing orderly. (nba.com)offense shape. (nba.com) ### Was it only Brunson? No — and that’s the scarier part for Atlanta. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. OG Anunoby added 17 points and 10 boards. The Knicks also got useful bench scoring from Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson. Basically, Brunson supplied the star turn, but the rest of the roster made sure it didn’t become a one-man show. (nba.com) ### Where did the game tilt? Right away. New York led 35-22 after the first quarter and never gave Atlanta a real opening. By the end, the Knicks had shot 57.0% from the field and outrebounded the Hawks 48-27. That rebound gap is the blunt-force number here. It means extra possessions for New York, fewer second chances for Atlanta, and a game that kept getting more physical and more one-sided as it went. (espn.com) ### What went wrong for Atlanta? The Hawks were too shaky in too many places at once. They shot 44.6% overall, just 31.0% from 3, and got only 6 points from CJ McCollum on 3-for-10 shooting. Jalen Johnson scored 18, Dyson Daniels had 17, and Onyeka Okongwu plus Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 16 each, but none of it changed the feel of the game. Atlanta had decent individual lines without any collective control. (nba.com) ### Does the margin matter going into Game 6? Yes — not because Tuesday’s score carries over, but because it changes the emotional math of the series. A close loss can leave a team thinking one bounce fixes everything. A 29-point loss usually forces bigger questions — rotation tweaks, shot quality, pace, who can actually settle the offense when New York starts dictating terms. (nba.com)n flip and more like a series the Knicks are now steering. (nba.com) ### So what should you watch next? Watch the first six minutes of Game 6. If the Hawks can’t get cleaner offense and keep Towns and the Knicks’ wings off the glass, this can end fast. If they do, the pressure swings back to New York in a Game 7 at the Garden. But right now the simple version is the right one — the Knicks were better, deeper, and calmer in the biggest game of the series so far. (nba.com)