Towns’ first playoff triple-double lifts Knicks over Hawks, series tied at 2-2
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ATLANTA — Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists Saturday night, steering the New York Knicks to a 114-98 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena and leveling their first-round matchup at two games apiece.
The 28-year-old center, who wears No. 32 in tribute to Magic Johnson, produced his first triple-double in 54 career postseason outings. Johnson recorded 30 such performances in the playoffs.
New York, beaten by a single point in each of the previous two contests, reclaimed home-court advantage by shifting its offense through Towns. Acting as a high-post facilitator, he repeatedly hit cutters and corner shooters, feeding OG Anunoby for five of the forward’s 22 points. Anunoby also collected 10 rebounds.
“Opportunities showed up and my teammates capitalized,” Towns said postgame, adding that boosting those around him “is one of the best parts of winning.”
Head coach Mike Brown noted that the Knicks “tweaked our early offense” to funnel the ball to Towns more often, a move that paid off immediately. New York jumped in front early, built the margin to 19 in the third quarter and never trailed after halftime.
With Jalen Brunson struggling from the field but finishing with 19 points, Josh Hart anchored the defense. Hart spent long stretches on CJ McCollum and Jalen Johnson, contributing to Atlanta’s 10-for-41 night from three-point range. The Knicks also tightened the perimeter around newly crowned Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Defeat would have placed the Knicks on the brink of elimination and amplified speculation that Brown might adjust his starting lineup, particularly regarding Mikal Bridges’ recent slump. Instead, New York heads back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Tuesday carrying renewed confidence.
“We refocused on what was required tonight,” Brunson said. “The key is going out there, playing hard and not worrying about failure.”
Source: ESPN
