The New York Knicks came to Atlanta with one thing on their mind — ending the Hawks’ season. They did exactly that, and they did it in historic fashion. By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks had already stormed out to a 40-15 lead. At halftime, they were ahead by 47 points — the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history. It was the Knicks’ third straight win after trailing 1-2 in the series, with each of those early losses coming by just one point. New York didn’t just close the door on Atlanta — they slammed it off the hinges.
The Hawks were their own worst enemy, shooting a dismal 12-for-39 from the field and just 4-for-18 from three-point range. The real eyesore, however, was the 14 first-half turnovers that helped fuel New York’s historic lead. The Hawks’ only sign of life came in the form of a second-quarter altercation between Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels and New York’s Mitchell Robinson. With the Knicks already leading by 50, tempers flared and both players were ejected. It was a fitting moment — the Hawks had nothing left to play for but pride, and even that boiled over. The Knicks showed up, showed out, and never looked back.
When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard told the whole story — New York 140, Atlanta 89. The Knicks’ 51-point victory is tied for the sixth-largest margin of victory in NBA postseason history. New York now turns their attention to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they will await the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series. One thing is certain — whoever comes out of that matchup will have a battle on their hands.
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Chief Editor