The Atlanta Hawks pulled off a stunning comeback Monday night, rallying past the New York Knicks 107-106 in Game 2 to even the playoff series at 1-1.
Trailing by 12 entering the fourth quarter, Atlanta erupted with a 28-15 closing run led by CJ McCollum, who scored 32 points and delivered multiple clutch baskets in the final minutes. The Hawks used an 11-0 run to seize control, capped by back-to-back buckets from McCollum that silenced Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson answered with a game-tying three, but McCollum responded again before Jalen Johnson threw down a late dunk off a block by Nickeil Alexander-Walker to put Atlanta up four with 10 seconds left.
The drama was not over. Brunson drilled another three, McCollum missed two free throws with four seconds remaining, and New York got one final chance. Josh Hart pushed the ball ahead to Mikal Bridges, but Johnson contested Bridges’ jumper at the buzzer, preserving the win.
Atlanta shot a blistering 72.2 percent in the fourth quarter and held New York to just 15 points in the final frame, the Knicks’ lowest-scoring fourth quarter of the season.
The comeback also made history. Entering Monday, road teams trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter were just 31-1,296 in playoff games during the shot clock era.
Now, the series heads to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday with momentum suddenly on the Hawks’ side.