Knicks crush Hawks to advance

The Knicks didn’t just close out the Hawks on Thursday, April 30. They detonated the series. New York beat Atlanta 140-89 in Game 6, won the matchu(nba.com)cond round. The score was wild enough. The way it happened was worse for Atlanta — the game was basically over by halftime. (nba.com) ### How bad was it? Historically bad. The Knicks led 83-36 at the break, which made this the large(nba.com)s in the first quarter and 43 more in the second, while Atlanta managed just 15 and 21. A closeout game is supposed to feel tense. This one felt like a scrimmage by the middle of the second quarter. (espn.com) ### Who drove the blowout? OG Anunoby was the headline scorer with 29 points in just ove(nba.com)recap notes he posted his second triple-double of the series. New York’s box score was ridiculous across the board: 58% shooting, 33 assists, 56 rebounds, and 16 steals. That’s not one hot hand. That’s a team landing every punch. (cbssports.com) ### What went wrong for Atlanta? Pretty much the whole offensive structu(espn.com), and they turned the ball over 19 times. New York turned those mistakes into runouts and easy points, which is how a playoff game turns into a 51-point loss. Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 21 points, but by then the game had long since slipped away. (thescore.com) ### Was the series actually this lopsided? Not at first. That’s the part tha(cbssports.com)ht turn into a real problem for New York. But the Knicks answered by winning three straight, including a 126-97 win in Game 5 and then this demolition job in Atlanta. So the series tightened for a minute, then snapped back hard. (nba.com) ### Why does this matter beyond one game? Because it changes the shape of the East bracket. The Knicks are b(thescore.com)ht season, and they’re there early while other East series are still unresolved. That matters in the playoffs — not just for rest, but for preparation. New York now gets time to scout and recover instead of scrambling into a Game 7. (nba.com) ### So who do the Knicks get next? That part was still unsettled af(nba.com) York through, but its second-round opponent had not yet been finalized. So the immediate takeaway isn’t matchup talk. It’s that the Knicks handled their business fast and now get to wait while the rest of the conference catches up. (nba.com) ### Is there one number to remember? Yes — 83-36. That halftime score tells the whole story. A 51-point(nba.com)k didn’t edge past Atlanta. The Knicks erased any suspense, set a playoff record, and walked into the second round looking far more dangerous than they did a week ago. (espn.com) ### Bottom line The Knicks advanced because they were better over six games. They became scary because of how they fin(nba.com) moment a contender is supposed to look sure of itself. (nba.com)