Hawks rally ties series
- Atlanta erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth to beat the Knicks and even the series 1-1 tonight. (x.com) - The game featured a 12-point fourth-quarter comeback that flipped home-court momentum in Game 2. (x.com) - The series is now a pick’em heading into Game 3, signaling a tighter matchup than seeding suggested. ( )
Atlanta walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 107-106 win in Game 2 on April 20 after wiping out a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter. (nba.com) (espn.com) CJ McCollum scored 32 points for the Hawks, and New York managed only 15 points in the fourth quarter while shooting 5-for-22 in the period. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, including 10 in the final quarter. (espn.com) (nba.com) The result evened the first-round series at 1-1 and sent it to Atlanta for Game 3 at State Farm Arena on Thursday, April 23. The Knicks had won Game 1, 113-102, before losing home-court advantage two nights later. (nba.com) (espn.com) Betting markets moved with it. The Athletic reported Game 3 had shifted to a pick’em, a sharp change for a matchup that opened with the higher-seeded Knicks holding home court and the stronger regular-season record. (nytimes.com) (sports.yahoo.com) That swing put more weight on a series that already looked closer than the seed line suggested. New York finished 53-29 in the regular season, while Atlanta went 46-36, and the teams split their four regular-season meetings 2-2. (nba.com) Game 2 also gave Atlanta a late-game formula to carry south: defend Brunson’s supporting cast, survive his shot-making, and lean on McCollum to close. ESPN’s recap said McCollum keyed the late rally as the Hawks turned a game they trailed 91-79 entering the fourth. (espn.com) (usatoday.com) For New York, the collapse revived pressure on an offense that stalled at home in the final 12 minutes. The Knicks were 30-10 at home in the regular season, but they now head to Atlanta needing at least one road win to take the series back. (espn.com) (nba.com) The next test comes fast. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night in Atlanta with the series reset, the margin down to one point, and home-court edge no longer sitting with the Knicks. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)
