ATLANTA, GA — Facing elimination, the Atlanta Hawks delivered one of their strongest performances of the postseason, leading nearly wire-to-wire in a 131-121 victory over the New York Knicks at State Farm Arena to extend the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Zaccharie Risacher turned in his best game since the series opener, finishing with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. The rookie helped set the tone for an Atlanta offense that never trailed after the opening quarter.
After the teams finished the first quarter tied 26-26, the Hawks seized control in the second. Atlanta outscored New York 38-29 in the frame to take a 64-55 halftime lead, then widened the gap to 95-78 by the end of the third quarter.
The Knicks refused to go away.
Jalen Brunson scored on a layup with 1:04 remaining to cut Atlanta’s lead to 121-116, and Mikal Bridges buried a three-pointer moments later to make it a two-point game at 121-119 with 41 seconds left.
Atlanta answered with the game’s biggest play. Onyeka Okongwu threw down a powerful dunk on the ensuing possession to restore a four-point lead. Forced to foul, the Knicks watched the Hawks calmly convert 8 straight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
C.J. McCollum added 25 points, while Jalen Johnson recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds. Okongwu finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds, including four clutch free throws in the final minute.
Brunson led all scorers with 40 points, his second 40-point game of the series. Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Bridges scored 14 points but struggled from long range, shooting 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.
The series now returns to Madison Square Garden for Game 6, where Atlanta will attempt to win on the road for the first time in the matchup.
