New York Knicks lose to the Atlanta Hawks 107-106, series tied 1-1: Seizing defeat from the jaws of victory

The New York Knicks took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks, and left Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round with a loss, 107-106. The Knicks were in the driver’s seat but choked away a chance to take a commanding series lead.

The starters dominated the first and third quarters, outscoring Atlanta by 14 points in those stretches. But Mike Brown insisted on resting Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns simultaneously to start the second and fourth quarters. The second unit bled away all momentum, letting the Hawks sneak back into the game.

Down the stretch, Jalen Brunson got iso-happy, and the defense failed to hold up. The offense stagnated while the Hawks came roaring back behind CJ McCollum’s 32-point outburst to take the lead. The Knicks got a decent look for Mikal Bridges at the buzzer, after McCollum missed free throws, but it bricked out, and Atlanta held on.

This sort of choke feels eerily similar to the downward spiral against Indiana last year. But it’s important to remember that Atlanta scraped by at the margins with this win. Let’s look at the performances to see what can be fixed to regain control of the series.

It was nice to see Jalen Brunson balance his isolations with playmaking duties. He had six assists before halftime, with many coming from simple swing passes to catch help defenders that leaned too far in his direction.

But near the end of the second quarter, Brunson got into isolation mode. He seemed locked in that mindset for most of the rest of the night. The Captain still scored plenty, but he mixed in misses and costly turnovers.

The Knicks need to play through Karl-Anthony Towns more. KAT only attempted three shots in the first half. He got much more active in the second half, but a lot of his scoring came from offensive rebounds and trailing threes or putbacks. Good things happened on the few post-ups Towns got.

KAT’s defense held up, too. His rotations were crisp until Jonathon Kuminga dragged him too far from the basket to help. My only complaint about Towns is he wasn’t involved enough down the stretch.

It’s important to note that OG Anunoby played excellent defense all game and made big contributions on the defensive glass. He appeared to hurt his ankle again, but played through it.

I mention all of that because Anunoby’s offense wasn’t great. Mike Brown stuck him with the second unit again, and those minutes were disastrous this time. It’s not OG’s fault, though. Once Brown added a facilitator in Jose Alvarado, Anunoby started to get better looks.

Mikal Bridges played a stellar first half at both ends. His defense stuck throughout the action, with the Hawks actively avoiding challenging him.

But Bridges suffered a brutal fourth quarter offensively. He missed multiple wide-open shots, then missed the chance to win the game at the buzzer. Suddenly, his night looks brutal when it could have been celebrated if one more shot had fallen.

Josh Hart started both halves with scoring outbursts. He skated through the paint for six quick points in the first quarter, then knocked down jumpers to kick off the third. He was a consistent force on the glass and added his typical share of tertiary playmaking.

Hart finally started to give Jalen Johnson daylight to score in the second half of this game. He’s played outstanding defense on the All-Star, so far. But Johnson may have found something late.

With 11 points and a technical foul at halftime, Mitchell Robinson established himself as a bully.  The Hawks couldn’t keep him off the offensive glass, and his physicality got under their skin.

Robinson got into a dust-up with Dyson Daniels after committing an offensive foul. Considering how Daniels routinely defends Jalen Brunson, I appreciated Mitch making that statement. Mitch played great basketball and probably should have gotten a few more minutes.

That was a gut-punch of a loss. It felt as if the Knicks were in control for 90% of the game, yet they managed to choke it away. This win could reinvigorate the Hawks right as they head home for the next two games.

But New York could also reclaim their edge with a win. The Knicks won game one by double digits and took a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter this time. I expect Mike Brown to be better about his rotations, and Jalen Brunson to show better decision-making.

That should be enough to win at least one game on the road. I’ll see you next time, Knicks’ fam!