The New York Knicks raced to a historic 47-point halftime advantage and routed the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 on Thursday night in Game 6 of their first-round series at State Farm Arena, clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
New York limited Atlanta to 36 points before the break, forced 14 turnovers and hit more than 60 percent of its shots overall, including 44 percent from beyond the arc. The Knicks poured in 83 first-half points, eclipsing the Hawks’ output by the intermission and establishing the largest halftime lead ever recorded in an NBA postseason game.
Forward OG Anunoby led the early onslaught with 26 points in the opening two quarters, at one stage single-handedly outscoring the Hawks. Teammate Mikal Bridges, who had struggled throughout the series, added 16 first-half points after failing to top 11 in any previous game.
Atlanta briefly held an 11-9 edge before New York unleashed a 53-point swing over the next 18 minutes. The Knicks opened a 41-point gap with 7:12 left in the second quarter, the quickest any team has built a 40-point lead since play-by-play tracking began, according to ESPN Research. The margin ballooned to 50 at the 4:39 mark, also the fastest rise to a 50-point lead in that span.
The prior postseason record for halftime separation was 41 points, achieved by the 2025 Indiana Pacers and the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks’ decisive victory secured the series and propelled them into the second round, while the Hawks’ season came to an emphatic close.
Source: ESPN
