Jalen Brunson turned Madison Square Garden into his personal stage on Tuesday night, dropping 39 points as the New York Knicks blew out the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 to grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round series. What started as a tight contest turned lopsided after halftime, and by the final buzzer the crowd was heading out into the Manhattan night buzzing about the chance to finish the job on the road.
According to ESPN, Brunson went 15-for-23 from the field and handed out eight assists as the Knicks methodically pulled away in the fourth quarter. The NBA’s official box score confirms the 29-point final margin and shows New York shooting 57 percent as a team while winning the battle on the glass 59-39, numbers that tell you just how one-sided the finish became. The win pushed the Knicks ahead 3-2 in the series with the next matchup looming.
Brunson Took Over
The detailed box score at CBS Sports shows OG Anunoby adding 17 points and Karl-Anthony Towns stacking up 16 points and 14 rebounds, giving Brunson plenty of support in the starting lineup. Off the bench, Jose Alvarado chipped in 12 points and Jeremy Sochan scored 10, contributions that helped keep Atlanta from mounting any serious push once New York grabbed control. As reported by the New York Post, the Knicks defense tightened late, turning stops into transition chances that the Hawks simply could not match.
What’s Next
The series now heads back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday night, where the Hawks have to win to force a deciding Game 7 while the Knicks can clinch the matchup with a road victory, per ESPN. If New York can replicate Tuesday’s rebounding dominance and defensive focus, Atlanta will need a far cleaner offensive performance and fewer turnovers to keep its season alive.
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