Knicks 114, Hawks 98: Scenes from more Towns, less clowns

And the tri-state area expelled a sigh of relief. The New York Knicks (2-2) took control early tonight and never let go, rolling past the Atlanta Hawks, 114–98, in Game Four of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Behind a dominant, wire-to-wire effort, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded the first triple-double of his postseason career (20-10-10), while OG Anunoby added a 22-point, 10-board double-double. Jalen Brunson dropped 19 points to steady the offense and secure the comfortable, and reassuring, victory.

Showing a marked improvement from Game Three, the Knicks shot well early, converting six of their first nine field goals. Atlanta matched that efficiency at the start, but New York’s wings applied frantic defense that helped the Knicks secure a 15-14 lead at the midway point of the first quarter.

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Defying our cries to always play either Brunson or Towns at all times, head coach Mike Brown inserted Jose Alvarado (6 PTS, 3 STL), Miles McBride (11 PTS, 3-6 3PT), Jordan Clarkson (7 PTS), and Mitchell Robinson (6 PTS, 8 RBS, 15 MIN) to play alongside Josh Hart (10 PTS, 9 RBS, 2 STL) at the 4:20 mark. Luckily for him, his stubbornness paid off. Determined to reclaim their glory, our heroes played at a blistering pace and outrebounded the Hawks more than 2-to-1. Credit Brown for wisely deploying Robinson early, and the big fella brought immediate energy and dominance around the rim.

As New York hit the accelerator, Atlanta wilted under the defensive intensity. The Hawks shot just 7-of-20 in the first quarter and missed nine of their 12 three-point attempts. Thanks to a 14-5 run over the final four-and-a-half minutes, the Knicks closed the period ahead 27-20.

To start the second quarter, Brown rolled out a unit featuring Alvarado, Mikal Bridges (8 PTS, 3-4 FG, 19 MIN), Clarkson, Anunoby, and Towns. The Knicks kept the game in high gear, and Alvarado provided instant energy with a three-pointer and then stripping CJ McCollum (17 PTS, 8-15 FG), leading to an easy bucket.

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Towns burst with newfound vigor, repeatedly attacking the cup and dominating the Hawks’ frontcourt. Even more…

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Publish date : 2026-04-26 01:15:00

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