The New York Knicks came into Atlanta and dominantly whooped the Hawks Saturday, winning by a final score of 121-105. New York has won four of their last five games and are now 49-28 on the season, while Atlanta falls to 36-41.
The Knicks were excellent from three-point range
The Knicks won this game by their lights-out three-point shooting, as seemingly nobody could miss for them from start to finish. Overall, they shot blistering figures across the board, with 53.6% shooting from the floor and 51.7% from three.
Every starter for New York made multiple three-pointers, including Delon Wright. He finished with 10 points and two made threes as New York is now 4-1 with him as a starter.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the way in scoring for New York with 30 points and 11 rebounds. He dominated every part of the court and found his stroke from outside, knocking down two threes.
OG Anunoby continued his stretch of offensive excellence with another 20-point game. He had 24 points and three blocks while shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 2-for-4 from three.
Josh Hart had a near triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. He also had four steals and was effective shooting the ball, which is a huge sign for the Knicks’ offense going forward as they look to find their rhythm before the playoffs.
The Knicks played great defense throughout
The stifling Knicks defense shut the Hawks’ offense down from start to finish. They played excellent defense on Trae Young, who finished with just 16 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the floor and 1-for-7 from three.
Atlanta was ice cold from three-point range, as they shot just 31.1% from downtown. New York also forced 15 Hawks turnovers, to which the Knicks scored 18 points off of those turnovers.
Defense has been a big concern around this Knicks team all year, but they dominated on that end the floor and shot blistering marks on offense to pile on to it. If New York can bring this defensive pressure more consistently, they will be a true force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
Overview
The Knicks dominated the Hawks from start to finish and are closer than ever to clinching the No. 3 seed in the East. More good news for the Knicks is forthcoming, as their captain and leader Jalen Brunson is expected to make his return after missing 15 games with an ankle sprain on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.