NBA: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The New York Knicks’ dreams of winning the Emirates NBA Cup are over, as they fell to Trae Young (22 points, 11 assists) to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday 108-100. New York has now lost two of their last three games and is now 15-10 on the season while the Hawks improved to 14-12.
The Knicks fell flat in the second half
NBA: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
New York entered the halftime break with a seven-point lead, but a disastrous second half on both ends led to a remarkable turnaround from Atlanta. The Hawks outscored the Knicks 61-46 in the second half.
The Knicks struggled defensively and on the glass, which gave the Hawks second-chance opportunities that they did not pass up on. The Hawks secured 22 offensive rebounds compared to the Knicks’ 12.
The Hawks dominated the interior scoring, as they logged 66 points in the paint, largely because of the surplus of offensive rebounds. Three Atlanta players recorded double-digit rebounds, with Jalen Johnson leading the way with 15. Clint Capela added 13 and Onyeka Okongwu grabbed 11 off the bench.
Jalen Brunson struggled against the stifling Hawks’ defense
NBA: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Hawks’ head coach Quin Snyder had a clear game plan to slow down Jalen Brunson. He matched Brunson’s minutes with defensive stalwart Dyson Daniels, and the strategy paid off for Atlanta as Brunson scored just 5-for-15 shooting.
Brunson struggled to get going for most of the night, especially in the second half. In the third quarter, Brunson went 0-for-4 from the floor, committed a turnover, and was a -16.
The hope is that this trend does not continue into the games ahead, as Brunson has had a phenomenal season overall and is a central part of their success.
Knicks did not shoot the ball well against the Hawks
NBA: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Despite the Hawks shooting just 9-for-31 from three, they were able to win thanks to a dominant showing in other areas of the floor, while the Knicks struggled to score.
Overall, they shot just 11-for-42 from three-point range. Their free throw woes also continued against Atlanta, as they hit just nine of 15 shots from the charity stripe. New York is now shooting 60.7% from the free throw line over their last three games.
Brunson wasn’t the only Knick that struggled to score. OG Anunoby shot just 1-for-9 from three and 5-for-17 overall, and Mikal Bridges was just 1-for-5 from three. Bridges and Josh Hart were the only Knicks starters to shoot above 50% from the field.
Overview
The Knicks were unable to advance to the semifinals of the NBA Cup at the hands of the Hawks. They will now head on the road to Orlando to face the Magic on Sunday, who lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in their quarterfinal game on Tuesday.