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In the opening game, the Hawks struggled to contain Karl-Anthony Towns. His dominance continued into the first three quarters of their Monday matchup, setting the stage for what seemed like another strong performance.
However, as the game entered its critical fourth quarter, Towns found himself sidelined as the focal point of the offense. The Knicks, who had built a comfortable 12-point lead, watched it slip away as the Hawks mounted a comeback, ultimately snatching a 107-106 victory at the Garden. This pivotal win now gives the Hawks the home-court edge in this tightly contested best-of-seven series.
Towns, a key player throughout the game, was surprisingly quiet during the final 12 minutes, attempting only two shots as the Knicks’ offensive rhythm faltered. They were only able to muster 15 points, shooting a mere 22.7 percent in the closing quarter.
“The opportunity just didn’t come around shooting,” Towns explained, finishing the game with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and eight rebounds. “But at the end of the day, I trust everybody in this locker room to shoot the ball. The opportunities weren’t available for me in the fourth and it was fine.”
“The opportunity just didn’t come around shooting,” said Towns, who finished with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and eight rebounds. “But at the end of the day, I trust everybody in this locker room to shoot the ball. The opportunities weren’t available for me in the fourth and it was fine.”
Atlanta supposedly didn’t have anyone to deal with Towns, although Jonathan Kuminga was up to the job Monday, producing 19 points off the bench and helping to keep the ball out of Towns’ hands in crunch time.
There were plenty of culprits in the final quarter. The Knicks couldn’t slow down CJ McCollum. Mikal Bridges opted for a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer with the Knicks down a point instead of attacking. OG Anunoby missed two clutch free throws.
It didn’t help that Towns was such a nonfactor, especially after he lit up the Hawks for 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists in Game 1 and played so well against them during the regular season.
It became the Jalen Brunson show. He took eight shots and made three of them in that fateful final stanza. The Knicks also did a lot of settling, attempting 11 3-pointers. They hit three of them.
“We could’ve flowed better, for sure. We could’ve done that,” Towns said. “But at the end of the day, I have to watch the tape. When you’re so into the game, it’s hard to give a great assessment about it.”