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The Knicks vs Hawks first-round playoff series has turned into a thriller. For the second straight game, CJ McCollum broke New York's heart. After his Game 2 heroics at Madison Square Garden, the veteran guard delivered another dagger—this time on his home floor at State Farm Arena.
For anyone watching at Sportsphere24 Updates, this was playoff basketball at its finest. The Hawks built an 18-point lead, watched it evaporate, and then trusted their closer to deliver the knockout blow.
Final Score: Hawks 109, Knicks 108
The Knicks vs Hawks series now stands at 2-1 in favor of Atlanta, with Game 4 scheduled for Saturday back in Atlanta . CJ McCollum finished with 23 points, including the game-winning fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds remaining . Jalen Johnson led all scorers with 24 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists .
At Sportsphere24 Updates, we bring you the full story of a game that swung violently, a bench that sparked a comeback, and a superstar duo that came up just short.
Final Score Box Score
Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 18,118 (sellout)
Series Status: Atlanta leads 2-1
Next Game: Game 4, Saturday, April 25, TBD ET (Atlanta)
Series At A Glance
*if necessary
Introduction: Déjà Vu All Over Again
The Knicks vs Hawks series has followed a bizarre pattern: New York wins Game 1 comfortably, then loses two straight heartbreakers by a combined margin of two points. After Atlanta's 107-106 thriller in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, the Hawks returned home looking to seize control of the series.
For 36 minutes, they did exactly that. Atlanta led by as many as 18 points in the first half and took an 88-80 advantage into the fourth quarter . The Knicks looked flat, frustrated, and on the verge of falling into a 2-1 hole that might have been insurmountable.
Then Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby happened.
The Knicks vs Hawks fourth quarter was a slugfest. New York roared back, tying the game at 105-105 on a Miles McBride three-pointer with 1:41 remaining . Brunson gave the Knicks a 108-105 lead with a three-point play at the 1:03 mark . The Knicks' bench erupted. Madison Square Garden South—the thousands of Knicks fans who had made the trip—believed.
But CJ McCollum had other plans.
At Sportsphere24 Updates, we've seen this script before. McCollum thrives in the clutch, and with the game on the line, he delivered again.
First Quarter: The Hawks' Explosive Start
The Knicks vs Hawks game could not have started worse for the visitors.
New York's offensive struggles from the fourth quarter of Game 2 carried over into the opening frame. The Knicks shot just 35 percent from the field, including a disastrous 1-for-10 from three-point range, while committing six turnovers . Jalen Brunson (11 points) and OG Anunoby (10 points) were the only Knicks to score in the quarter, combining for all 21 of the team's points . Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were held without a point in the opening 12 minutes.
Atlanta, meanwhile, caught fire. The Hawks shot 60 percent from the field and 75 percent from three-point range as a team, opening up an 11-point advantage after the first 12 minutes . The Hawks received contributions from up and down their bench, outscoring New York's reserves 18-0 in the quarter.
The turning point came late in the period. The Hawks outscored the Knicks 27-12 over the final seven minutes of the first quarter, turning a tight game into a runaway with an 11-0 spurt . They closed the period with three straight three-pointers: first by little-used center Mouhamed Gueye, left wide open by the New York defense, followed by two straight from backup forward Jonathan Kuminga .
End of 1st Quarter: Hawks 33, Knicks 21.
Second Quarter: The Knicks Fight Back
The Knicks vs Hawks second quarter was a game of runs—and a preview of the resilience that would define New York's second-half comeback.
Unlike Game 2, where Mike Brown kept Karl-Anthony Towns with the second unit to mixed results, the Knicks coach made a crucial adjustment. Towns opened the second quarter with the reserves, and the big man finally found his rhythm. He recorded his first three buckets of the night and pulled in four boards to help keep the Knicks within striking distance after Atlanta pushed the lead to as many as 15 points .
Just when it looked like the Hawks might run away with the game, McCollum caught fire. The veteran guard scored 11 second-quarter points, pushing Atlanta's lead back into double digits. But the Hawks missed their final five shots of the half, and the Knicks made them pay .
New York closed the period on a 12-2 run, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Miles McBride . The Knicks' bench guard has been a revelation in this series, and his shooting kept New York alive when their stars were struggling.
Brunson finished the half with 11 points. Anunoby had 10. Towns added six points and six rebounds. But the story of the half was the Knicks' bench production—or lack thereof—in the first quarter, and their resiliency in the second.
Halftime Score: Hawks 58, Knicks 50.
Third Quarter: The Punch and Counter-Punch
The Knicks vs Hawks third quarter was a heavyweight fight.
Atlanta pushed the advantage back to 15 points coming out of the locker room, looking ready to deliver a knockout blow . The State Farm Arena crowd was deafening. The Hawks' bench was on its feet.
But the Knicks refused to go away.
New York came surging back, cutting the deficit down to a two-possession game. Brunson took over, scoring 19 points in the third quarter alone . Anunoby continued his efficient scoring. The Knicks' defense tightened, forcing the Hawks into difficult shots.
Mike Brown made another crucial adjustment, switching Josh Hart onto McCollum for the first time in the series. The defensive specialist held McCollum to just two points in the third quarter . It was a masterclass in on-ball defense from a player who has made a career out of disrupting opposing stars.
But Atlanta countered. Every time the Knicks threatened to take the lead, the Hawks had an answer. Jalen Johnson was magnificent, scoring from all three levels and facilitating for his teammates. Kuminga continued his efficient scoring off the bench.
End of 3rd Quarter: Hawks 88, Knicks 80.
Fourth Quarter: A Wild Finish
The Knicks vs Hawks fourth quarter was chaos—and a reminder of why playoff basketball is the best product in sports.
Mike Brown opened the final frame without Brunson and Towns on the floor. The decision backfired initially. The Knicks' first four possessions of the quarter featured three consecutive missed three-pointers and the team's 14th turnover of the night . Atlanta pushed the lead to 96-85 with 8:06 remaining . The game felt over.
Then the Knicks found their touch.
Anunoby and McBride knocked down clutch three-pointers down the stretch . The Knicks chipped away at the lead methodically, possession by possession. With 1:41 remaining, McBride drilled a three-pointer to tie the game at 105-105 . The State Farm Arena crowd fell silent.
Brunson followed with a three-point play at the 1:03 mark, driving to the basket, absorbing contact from McCollum, and converting the free throw to give New York a 108-105 lead . The Knicks' bench erupted. The traveling Knicks fans who had made the trip to Atlanta were delirious.
"You couldn't ask for anything better than that," Knicks coach Mike Brown lamented after the game. "Less than a minute to go in the game and a chance to go up by three" .
But the Hawks had one more answer.
At Sportsphere24 Updates, we've seen this before. Championship teams find a way. And the Hawks, with McCollum leading the way, are starting to look like one.
Jalen Johnson rolled in a shot to cut the deficit to 108-107 . Then, on the Knicks' next possession, Brunson airballed a shot, and the Hawks secured the rebound. A shot-clock violation gave Atlanta the ball back with 16.4 seconds remaining .
The Hawks called timeout. Everyone in the building knew where the ball was going.
McCollum got the ball, isolated his defender, and rose up for a 15-foot fadeaway jumper. The shot was pure. The net barely moved.
Hawks 109, Knicks 108. 12.5 seconds remaining.
The Knicks had one last chance. Brunson took the inbounds pass, but Jonathan Kuminga—who had been magnificent all night—knocked the ball away from the Knicks' star. The horn sounded. The Hawks had survived .
"Picture perfect," McCollum said after the game. "When it was time to get a stop, our guys dug deep and they did what it takes to win in these types of environments" .
Final Score: Hawks 109, Knicks 108.
Knicks vs Hawks Player Ratings
Atlanta Hawks
New York Knicks
At Sportsphere24 Updates, we note that the Knicks' supporting cast disappeared in Game 3. Hart and Bridges combined for just two points . That's not sustainable if New York hopes to win this series.
Tactical Analysis: How Atlanta Won
The Knicks vs Hawks game was decided by three key factors: bench production, defensive adjustments, and closing-time execution.
The Bench Disparity
The Hawks outscored the Knicks' bench 39-15 . Jonathan Kuminga's 21 points were a career playoff high, and his bench production allowed Atlanta's starters to rest while maintaining their lead.
The Hart-on-McCollum Adjustment
Mike Brown switched Josh Hart onto McCollum for the first time in the series in the third quarter, and it worked. Hart held McCollum to just two points in the period . But Brown waited too long to make the adjustment—McCollum had already scored 16 points in the first half.
Closing-Time Execution
With 1:03 remaining, the Knicks led 108-105. They had the momentum. They had the crowd—or what was left of the Knicks fans in the building—on their side. And they couldn't close.
Johnson's putback cut the lead to one. Then the Knicks failed to score on two consecutive possessions: an airball by Brunson and a shot-clock violation. McCollum made them pay .
The Final Possession
Brunson's turnover on the final possession was a microcosm of the Knicks' night. Kuminga knocked the ball away, and the horn sounded before New York could get a shot off . The Hawks' defensive pressure—veer switches, high hands, and aggressive traps—forced the Knicks' star into a mistake.
Historical Context: Records and Milestones
McCollum's Clutch Gene
CJ McCollum has now hit two game-winning shots in this series. He is the first Hawks player since Joe Johnson in 2008 to hit multiple go-ahead field goals in the final 15 seconds of a playoff game within the same series . His 23-point, game-winning performance was his third 20+ point playoff game as a Hawk .
Kuminga's Breakout
Jonathan Kuminga's 21 points were a playoff career high. He became the first Hawks bench player to score 20+ points in a playoff game since Danilo Gallinari in 2021 .
The Refereeing Storyline
Referee Natalie Sago became the third woman to officiate an NBA playoff game, working alongside Marc Davis and Nick Buchert . Knicks coach Mike Brown griped about the officiating after the game, believing the refs missed some calls at the basket.
"They're closing out hard," Brown said of the Hawks. "It's a tough game for the officials to officiate, but I know we got fouled on a few of the tries that didn't get called" .
Post-Game Reaction
CJ McCollum (Hawks guard):
"I got to a spot and did what I had to do to get this win" .
Quin Snyder (Hawks coach):
"They work, they share. That's the thing about this group that I've enjoyed so much" .
Jalen Johnson (Hawks forward):
(On the team's resilience) — The near triple-double was his third 20-10-5 game of the series .
Mike Brown (Knicks coach):
"You couldn't ask for anything better than that. Less than a minute to go in the game and a chance to go up by three" .
Jalen Brunson (Knicks guard):
(On the final possession) — The 19-point third quarter wasn't enough. His turnover on the final possession sealed the loss .
What's Next: Game 4 Preview
The Knicks vs Hawks series continues with Game 4 on Saturday, April 25, back at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Injury Report: No major injuries reported for either team.
At Sportsphere24 Updates, we believe the Knicks are in a dangerous position. Down 2-1 with Game 4 on the road, another loss would send them back to New York facing elimination. The Hawks have all the momentum—and the confidence that comes from winning two straight close games.
The Knicks need Hart and Bridges to show up. They need Brunson to be better in the fourth quarter. And they need to figure out how to stop McCollum when it matters most.
Sportsphere24 Updates Prediction: This series is far from over, but Atlanta has seized control. If the Hawks win Game 4, they'll close it out in five. If the Knicks steal one on the road, we're headed for a classic seven-game series.
Prediction for Game 4: Hawks 110, Knicks 106. Atlanta takes a commanding 3-1 lead.
Final Thoughts
The Knicks vs Hawks Game 3 was a playoff classic—and a painful reminder of how cruel this sport can be for the losing side.
Atlanta built an 18-point lead, watched it evaporate, and then trusted their veteran closer to deliver the knockout blow. McCollum's fadeaway will be replayed for years. Kuminga's steal will be forgotten outside Atlanta, but it was just as important.
New York fought back from double digits multiple times. Brunson was magnificent in the third quarter. Anunoby was the best player on the floor for long stretches. But the supporting cast—Hart and Bridges, in particular—gave them almost nothing.
Now the Knicks head into Game 4 with their backs against the wall. A loss would send them back to New York facing elimination. A win would reset the series and send it back to Madison Square Garden tied 2-2.
The Hawks have all the momentum. They have the home crowd. And they have a closer who is playing the best basketball of his career.
The Knicks vs Hawks series is far from over. But Game 4 will tell us everything we need to know about whether New York has another comeback in them.
Thank you for reading Sportsphere24 Updates, your home for daily basketball stories, analysis, and predictions. We will be back with complete coverage of Game 4 and every step of the NBA playoffs.
Until then, keep your eyes on the ball.