Knicks blow out Hawks in Game 5

Jalen Brunson scored 39 points Tuesday night, and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. (apnews.com) (nba.com) The win gave New York a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series after Atlanta had gone up 2-1 with one-point wins in Games 2 and 3. Game 6 is set for Thursday, April 30, in Atlanta. (nba.com) (espn.com) Brunson shot 15-for-23 and added eight assists with one turnover. OG Anunoby finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. (nba.com) (apnews.com) Atlanta got 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists from Jalen Johnson, while Onyeka Okongwu scored 16. Dyson Daniels added 17 points, and the Hawks finished with 97 after scoring 107, 109 and 114 in their three previous games this series. (foxsports.com) (nba.com) The shape of the game changed early. New York led 35-22 after one quarter, pushed the margin to 16 by halftime, and stretched the lead to 32 in the second half. (espn.com) (apnews.com) That followed another lopsided Knicks win in Game 4, a 114-98 result in Atlanta. Over the last two games, New York has outscored the Hawks by 45 points. (espn.com) (apnews.com) The series has looked tighter than the margin suggests because Atlanta stole Games 2 and 3 by a combined two points. Across five games, though, the Knicks have outscored the Hawks by 54. (nba.com) (espn.com) New York is now one win from reaching the second round for a fourth straight season. If the Hawks force Game 7, it would be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, May 2. (apnews.com) (nba.com) For one night, there was no late-game drama at all. The Knicks turned a series that was wobbling four days ago into one they can finish on Thursday. (nba.com) (espn.com)