Hawks Stun Knicks in Thrilling Game 2 NBA Playoff Matchup

Atlanta Hawks Stun New York Knicks in Thrilling Comeback

The Atlanta Hawks, led by veteran guard CJ McCollum, staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat the New York Knicks 107-106 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Monday night. The Hawks evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece, with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday night in Atlanta.

The teams traded leads throughout the fourth quarter before the Hawks pulled ahead in the final minutes. McCollum scored six of his game-high 32 points in the last two-plus minutes to seal the victory. The Hawks’ comeback was fueled by a 15-6 run, which saw them overcome an eight-point deficit in the last five minutes.

The Knicks had led as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but the Hawks responded with a strong finish. Jalen Brunson hit a floater with 5:26 left to put his team ahead by nine points, but the Hawks scored on their next three possessions to pull within one point. McCollum then drove past Brunson for the go-ahead layup with 2:08 left.

The Knicks tied the score at 103-103 before McCollum put the Hawks ahead for good with a fadeaway jumper from the left baseline with 33.5 seconds left. The Hawks secured the win on a dunk by Jalen Johnson, who was fed by Nickeil Alexander-Walker after a block by Mikal Bridges.

The final score was 107-106 in favor of the Hawks, who shot 72.2% (13-for-18) in the fourth quarter to outscore the Knicks 22.7% (5-for-22). The teams’ bench players contributed significantly, with Jonathan Kuminga scoring 19 points for the Hawks and Jalen Brunson scoring 29 points for the Knicks.

Source: Al Jazeera