ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta Hawks erased a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat the New York Knicks 128-122 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at State Farm Arena.
After Atlanta carried a narrow 34-32 lead out of the first quarter, New York seized momentum in the second. The Knicks outscored the Hawks 30-16 as Atlanta shot just 6-of-18 from the field and committed seven turnovers, giving New York a 62-50 halftime advantage.
“Coach told us to stay aggressive and trust the way we play,” said Zaccharie Risacher. “We knew if we picked up the energy defensively, the offense would come.”
The Hawks responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Knicks 37-28 to trim the deficit to 90-87 entering the fourth. Risacher fueled the rally, scoring 12 of his game-high 32 points in the period.
Atlanta continued its surge in the fourth, though the Knicks repeatedly answered. New York led 106-100 with 7:59 remaining after a Mitchell Robinson dunk before the Hawks erupted on a 12-0 run to take control.
The Knicks pulled within one possession twice late in the game. Josh Hart cut it to 114-112 with 3:24 left, and OG Anunoby’s three-point play made it 119-117 with 1:17 remaining. Jalen Brunson then scored on a dunk with 55 seconds left to bring New York within 121-119.
Atlanta sealed the win at the free-throw line, knocking down six late foul shots.
“We had control of the game and let it slip,” Brunson said afterward. “Against a team like that, you can’t lose focus for stretches.”
Brunson finished with 25 points and 7 assists, while Miles McBride added 22. Robinson contributed 10 points and 9 rebounds.
Along with Risacher’s 32-point performance, C.J. McCollum added 19 points and Onyeka Okongwu posted 14 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.
