The New York Knicks once led the Atlanta Hawks by 18 on Saturday, but a desperate Hawks team stormed back to take the lead with less than a minute to go. Alas, the Knicks stood tall and persevered, defeating the Hawks 128-125 to improve to 22-9 on the season.
OG Anunoby came up clutch for the Knicks
The Knicks blew an 18-point lead by allowing the Hawks to shoot too many threes. Atlanta knocked down 17 threes on the night, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker (25 points) and Onyeka Okongwu (31 points, six threes) being the catalysts for them.
However, the Knicks deployed OG Anunoby to be their savior in the clutch, and his efforts ultimately helped secure the victory. It was a quiet offensive night for him with just 15 points on 3-for-10 shooting, but he made plays defensively to save New York.
With the Knicks up by 1 with about 15 seconds left in regulation, Anunoby intercepted a Trae Young pass to Jalen Johnson to secure the possession. He would knock down both free throws to put the Knicks up 3, and Alexander-Walker would miss a clean look from three to force overtime, preventing a disastrous collapse for New York.
Anunoby’s defensive value continues to be off the charts. Even on nights he doesn’t have his offense going, it doesn’t affect his defense, and it was his timely plays that saved the day.
Kevin McCullar Jr. was very impressive in the win
With Josh Hart out for at least the next three games, head coach Mike Brown will have to go deeper in his bench to find a guy who can provide a spark. That guy on Saturday was Kevin McCullar Jr., the second-year wing who got his first significant action and made the most of it.
McCullar scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. He also recorded two steals and knocked down three triples, making his mark in nearly every facet of the game.
It was an impressive outing by the forward, and credit to Brown for giving him the opportunity and trusting him in clutch situations. The Knicks may have just gotten deeper if McCullar can regularly make a strong impact.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns showed out for the Knicks
The Knicks’ All-Star duo made sure to make their presence felt on Saturday, with both players having big offensive games.
Brunson scored 34 points on 15-for-29 shooting, including four three-pointers. Additionally, he shot zero free throws in the contest, making his work exclusively with his shot-making. It was his clutch shots down the stretch that helped propel New York to victory.
Karl-Anthony Towns had an impressive showing as well, leading all scorers with 36 points and 15 rebounds on 8-for-15 shooting from the floor. Towns forced his way to the line 18 times and knocked down 17 free throws, getting strong work at the charity stripe.
Overview
While it wasn’t the prettiest of wins for the Knicks, they will be happy to be walking out of Atlanta with the win. Their next game is on the road in New Orleans, where they will take on the struggling Pelicans on Monday.