Brunson, Towns Propel Knicks; Cavaliers Surge Past Raptors in Opening Games
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Knicks 113, Hawks 102
The New York Knicks protected home court Saturday night, pulling away late for a 113-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson set the tone immediately, sinking his first six attempts and piling up 19 points in the opening quarter. He finished with 28. Karl-Anthony Towns took over after intermission, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the second half as New York created decisive separation.
“We did a great job as a team just fighting and continuing to find ways to score and also impact winning,” Towns told the Associated Press.
OG Anunoby supplied 18 points, while Josh Hart contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds to keep the Knicks balanced on both ends. Game 2 is scheduled for Monday night, again at the Garden.
“We know they’re going to be ready for Game 2, so it’s a quick turnaround and extreme focus,” Brunson said.
Hawks Falter After Halftime
Atlanta matched New York shot for shot early but struggled once the pace slowed in the third quarter. CJ McCollum scored 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 23, yet the Hawks’ offense stalled long enough for the Knicks to seize control.
A 10-0 Knicks burst pushed the margin to 106-87 in the fourth. Atlanta responded with an 11-0 run, but the rally came too late.
“I like the way we came back at the end of the game,” coach Quin Snyder said. “They were resilient in that situation; it was just too little, too late.”
Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113
In Cleveland, the Toronto Raptors learned how quickly a playoff game can tilt. A 27-9 Cavaliers run bridging the second and third quarters turned a close contest into a comfortable 126-113 win for the home team in their series opener.
RJ Barrett paced Toronto with 24 points, Scottie Barnes followed with 21, and Jamal Shead—starting for the injured Immanuel Quickley—added 17 and five three-pointers. The surge, however, belonged to Cleveland’s Max Strus, who scored 11 during the decisive spurt and energized the crowd.
“If we allow our opponent to score 126 points, it’s going to be tough to beat them,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We were way too stagnant tonight.”
Game 2 takes place Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Source: Hoops Wire
