CJ McCollum scored 32 points and delivered a string of clutch baskets in the final minutes, lifting the Atlanta Hawks to a 107–106 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The win levels the first-round playoff matchup at one game apiece.
The veteran guard put Atlanta in front for the first time in the second half with a jumper that made it 101-100 with 2:09 remaining. He hit another shot for a three-point cushion, and after Jalen Brunson responded with a tying three-pointer, McCollum knocked down a mid-range jumper to push the Hawks ahead 105-103 with 33 seconds left.
Jalen Johnson’s driving layup extended the margin to four with 10 seconds on the clock. McCollum then missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds to go, but New York’s last chance ended when Mikal Bridges’ pull-up jumper rattled out at the buzzer.
Jonathan Kuminga provided 19 points off the bench, while Johnson finished with 17 for the sixth-seeded Hawks, who will host Game 3 on Thursday. Atlanta entered the fourth quarter trailing by 12 and still faced an eight-point deficit with under five minutes left before closing on a decisive run.
Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18, including 14 in the third period as New York built a 78-64 lead. Josh Hart compiled 15 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
McCollum, acquired in a January deal that sent Trae Young to New Orleans, shrugged off hostile chants from the crowd after exchanging words with Jose Alvarado—both received technical fouls in the third quarter—and outdueled Brunson down the stretch.
New York is seeking a fourth consecutive trip to the conference semifinals, a streak the franchise last achieved from 1992 through 2000. The Knicks had held the lead throughout the second half until McCollum’s late takeover flipped the script.
Source: ESPN
