We saw NBA playoff history Thursday as the New York Knicks obliterated the Atlanta Hawks, 140-89, to slam the door on their Eastern Conference opening-round series.
The Knicks rode a 47-point lead into halftime, breaking the record for the largest halftime margin in a playoff game. They fell just 3 points shy of the largest halftime lead in any NBA regular-season or playoff game and at one point led by 61 points, the largest lead in a playoff game in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97).
Their 51-point final margin of victory was just 7 points shy of tying the playoff record, and their 140 points were the most in franchise playoff history.
OG Anunoby took over from the opening tip, compiling 29 points in 27 minutes while going 11-for-14 from the field. Teammate Mikal Bridges piled on another 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks in rebounds with 11. He added 12 points (10 on free throws) and 10 assists to notch his second triple-double of the series. All three left the court long before the final quarter.
New York will face either the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers in the next round. Here are some takeaways from the Knicks’ Game 6 blowout:
Knicks seemed to want it more
On Thursday, the Knicks turned a basketball court into a slip-and-slide.
Not long into their humiliation of the Hawks, Jalen Brunson sprawled out for a loose ball. Towns followed him, jumping onto Hawks forward Mo Gueye and forcing a jump ball. Jose Alvarado dove for another loose ball. Towns went down for another. Anunoby deflected so many passes that the Hawks stopped looking at his side of the court. On the rare occasion they forgot where he was, he would poke it away again.
Talk of urgency surrounded the Knicks throughout this series. They fell down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series because they messed around with lineups they hadn’t used and played too loosely on offense. In Game 4, they showed up with necessary intensity and, more importantly, focus, an attention to detail that didn’t exist over the first three games. They ran their actions more sharply. They cut with purpose. They set physical screens. But their backs were against the wall. They were urgent because they had no other choice.
They continued that play into Game 5, when they took a series lead. Now, it was the plucky Hawks in a tough spot. The scrappy underdogs who could have punched the Knicks in the mouth. Instead, the Knicks played Thursday as if their season was the one on the line.
They overwhelmed Atlanta in every way they could, on defense, in transition, in their half-court offense. They won 50-50 balls, because they sacrificed their bodies to do so. And now, after a few games of playing with their food, their season will continue because they played with the verve not of a merely good team but of a contender to win the East. — Fred Katz
Bridges bounces back
Did the Knicks’ blowout bring Bridges back to life heading into the second round?
It took his team having one of the biggest beatdowns in modern NBA history, but Bridges showed signs of life in the Game 6 win. He scored 24 points and was a big part of a defense that turned the Hawks into an elementary school team.
New York acquired Bridges with the idea that the Celtics would be its biggest foe in the Eastern Conference over the next few seasons. It needed elite wing defenders to match up with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Bridges was a non-factor offensively going into Game 6, and the chances of the Knicks advancing past Boston for the second straight year (should the Celtics beat the 76ers) without him being a factor seem slim.
The Knicks will likely need a more consistent version of Bridges than what they got against Atlanta, regardless of the opponent. Bridges was benched for the majority of the second halves in Games 3 and 4. Making sure that he’s engaged will be critical to the Knicks’ success going forward, and if it took a blowout win for him to find his confidence again, so be it. It would be a win within a win for New York. — James L. Edwards III
A harsh reality check
How’s this for ridiculous: The Hawks went on a 9-0 run early in the first quarter … in a game in which they trailed by 47 at halftime. In fact, Atlanta was only down 12-11 after five minutes. It seemed like we were ready to lock in for a completely normal, pressure-filled playoff game.
Yeah, not so much.
For Atlanta, everything very suddenly fell apart. The Knicks dialed up the pressure, the Hawks crumbled, and next thing you know, it was a 60-11 run, and the Hawks were down by 50. FIFTY! The Knicks, already up by 47 points at halftime, also opened the third quarter with a 16-2 run.
As somebody who has attended multiple 1 vs. 16 games in the NCAA Tournament, this was the most lopsided basketball game I have ever witnessed. The Knicks did whatever they wanted, and the Hawks could do absolutely nothing about it.
For Atlanta, the only positive is that the Knicks offered them the ultimate reality check on their place in the league. The Hawks won 46 games and two playoff games; that’s a good season based on where they stood entering the year. They have a young core, an incoming lottery pick and cap flexibility. And now, they have no delusions whatsoever that they are anywhere close to contending. — John Hollinger
