Knicks Secure Win Against Hawks with Strong Defense

The Hawks looked comfortable for the first 24 minutes, but then things changed dramatically.

It was the Knicks’ tightened defense that led them to a 113-102 win, effectively shutting down Atlanta in the second half.

“We didn’t have any lapses in our play,” Miles McBride pointed out. “In the second half, they struggled to find space and get into their spots. It felt like they really tightened things up. We made it tough for them to move the ball.”

Despite a great start, the Hawks faltered, scoring only 47 points in the last 24 minutes, with most of that coming after a late tie.

The Knicks held Atlanta to just 19 points in the third quarter—quite telling of their defensive efforts.

Late in the shot clock, Atlanta was forced into a challenging three-pointer. After hitting 8 of 16 three-point attempts in the first half, they managed only 6 of 21 afterward.

“Their pick-and-roll gave us some trouble early, but we adjusted well in the second half,” coach Mike Brown noted. “We were a bit lax at points earlier in the game, but our physicality and communication changed for the better in the second half.”

Following the game, the Knicks emphasized their need to maintain physicality throughout the series and improve their rebounding.

While they outrebounded Atlanta by five, they only had a slight edge in the paint (44-42).

Nickell Alexander-Walker managed just 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Meanwhile, Jalen Johnson tallied 23 points, hitting 8 of 19. The Knicks successfully made him work for his shots.

Maintaining solid defense like they displayed in the second half is crucial.

“We’ve got to show up every night with that intensity,” McBride stressed, finishing with a team-best plus-12 on the night. “That’s just non-negotiable.”

This was, at least, a positive beginning for the Knicks.