Hawks shock Knicks

Atlanta erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit Monday night and beat New York 107-106 at Madison Square Garden, tying the first-round series at 1-1. (nba.com) CJ McCollum scored 32 points, hit the go-ahead jumper with 34 seconds left and finished with six assists in 35 minutes. Jalen Brunson scored 29 for New York, and Mikal Bridges missed a fadeaway at the buzzer after McCollum missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining. (espn.com) The Knicks led 92-80 after three quarters and had been 39-0 this season when leading by at least 12 entering the fourth. Atlanta won the final period 28-15, with Jonathan Kuminga adding 19 points off the bench and Jalen Johnson scoring 17. (nba.com) The game also turned McCollum into the latest Madison Square Garden target. He traded words with Knicks guard Jose Alvarado in the third quarter, both players drew technical fouls, and the crowd aimed chants at McCollum that ESPN said are usually reserved for former Hawks guard Trae Young. (espn.com) McCollum said after the game, “I’m no villain, I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife,” then called the reaction “a sign of respect.” Josh Hart took the other side for New York, saying, “This is a game we should have won.” (espn.com) (nba.com) The series had opened with New York’s 113-102 win on April 18, when Brunson scored 28 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 25. Two nights later, Atlanta left Manhattan with the split and home court moving to Georgia for Game 3 on Thursday, April 23. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The result also moved the betting market. ESPN’s odds page listed Atlanta as a 1.5-point home favorite for Game 3 on April 23, and ESPN Betting reported New York’s championship odds fell to 22-1 after the Game 2 loss while Atlanta’s moved to 100-1. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) What looked like a routine Knicks hold became a one-possession series in 48 minutes. By Thursday night in Atlanta, McCollum will walk into Game 3 with the score tied and a new role in New York’s playoff story. (nba.com)