Veteran CJ McCollum storms Madison Square Garden for the Hawks against the sad Knicks
New York remains the favorite against Atlanta, but this type of defeats reveal its serious shortcomings.
The Atlanta Hawks reacted when it seemed impossible. Led by a decisive CJ McCollum, the Georgia team came back to beat the New York Knicks 107-106 in the second game of the first-round series, equalizing the matchup (1-1) with an unexpected victory at the Madison Square Garden.
McCollum scored 32 points and was the main protagonist of an electric finish. The shooting guard led the comeback in the final quarter, although he almost became the villain after missing two free throws with 5.6 seconds left. Still, the Knicks failed to take advantage of the last possession: Mikal Bridges missed the final shot, and the victory flew to Atlanta.
The game completely changed in the decisive stretch. The Hawks had been trailing throughout the second half and were 12 points down at the end of the third quarter. However, they gradually closed the gap until a basket by McCollum made it 101-100, the first visitor's lead in the entire second half. From there, the game was a back-and-forth battle.
After a three-pointer by Jalen Brunson tied the score, McCollum responded with another shot for 105-103 with 33 seconds remaining. Shortly after, Jalen Johnson extended the lead with a basket with 10 seconds left that seemed definitive.
In addition to McCollum's leadership, Atlanta found support in their bench players. Jonathan Kuminga contributed 19 points off the bench, while Johnson added 17 on a crucial night for the team's young players.
For the Knicks, Brunson finished with 29 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18. The center was particularly influential in the third quarter, scoring 14 points to push his team to a 78-64 lead. New York led by eight with less than five minutes to play but failed to close out the game.
The game also had tension. McCollum got into a heated exchange with Jose Alvarado in the third quarter, resulting in technical fouls for both players in a hostile atmosphere at the Garden.
The Hawks, led by McCollum
The victory reinforces McCollum's impact since his arrival in January, in the trade that sent Trae Young out of Atlanta. The shooting guard took on the role of offensive leader and, in this second game, outperformed Brunson in the second half to steal a game that seemed lost.
Now, the series moves to Atlanta, where the Hawks will try to capitalize on the momentum of this comeback in the third game.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El veterano CJ McCollum asalta el Madison para los Hawks ante unos tristes Knicks
