Knicks Fall to Hawks in a Tale of Two Halves

Despite scoring 65 points in the first half and having what once was a 23-point lead, the Knicks let Dejounte Murray and the Hawks complete the comeback and win 112-99 in Madison Square Garden.

New York got out to a scorching hot start, scoring 32 points in the first quarter. The offense was humming and the Knicks were playing with a frenetic pace, constantly getting out in transition and looking to push the ball down the court.

The two lone sources of offensive output for the night, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson were major factors from the opening tip-off. Both players dished out 5 assists and did their fair share of scoring; Barrett finished with 19 and Brunson with 20. 

Throughout the game, Barrett and Brunson got very little offensive help from the rest of the Knicks. Julius Randle had 14 points on 4-12 shooting, going 0-3 from three-point range. Ever since the 2021 Knicks-Hawks playoff series, it seems like Atlanta has figured out the key to stopping Randle. Evan Fournier finished the game with only one made shot - a three-pointer. 

Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickly did their best to try and contribute, Toppin scoring 12 points and Quickley finishing with 11 points and 4 assists, but neither was really able to get going, partially due to a lack of minutes from Coach Thibodeau.

On the defensive side of the ball, center Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein were major factors. Robinson finished the game with 3 blocks and Hartenstein finished with 4. At least in the first half, these big men played an invaluable role in keeping the Hawks out of the painted area.

The Knicks shot the ball well from behind the arc in the first half, going 6 for 12 from behind the arc, and built up a 23-point lead. Things were going well for New York, but midway through the second quarter, things began to change.

Led by newly acquired all-star Dejounte Murray, the Hawks began to crawl back into the game and chip away at the Knicks’ lead. By the end of the quarter, Atlanta had cut the lead down to 8 points and the momentum had completely switched in the Hawks’ favor.

Coming out of halftime it was all downhill for the Knicks. They were hopeless on defense, giving up 32 points in the third quarter, and their offense went completely ice cold.

The main architect of the Knicks’ demise was one man - Dejounte Murray. He would finish the game with 36 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 6 steals, and 1 block. Murray lead the league last year in steals, with 2 a game, and he proved in the contest why he is one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders. He also helped to stretch the floor making 5 threes, more than all the Knicks starters combined.

Trae Young, known Knick killer, had a quiet night by his standards, partially due to leaving the game for a stretch due to an injury in the third quarter. Young finished with 17 points and 7 assists, but he did this on 7 for 22 shooting. Thibodeau had a good game plan to keep Young in check, but unfortunately, that met Murray had free range the entire night.

This loss was another frustrating example of something that has haunted this Knicks team throughout this season. The team will show stretches of fantastic basketball - players are running in transition, the ball is moving around in a free-flowing offense; everyone is hustling. However, New York then follows up this period of great basketball with an equal and opposite stretch of extremely poor play. There will be no ball movement, a slow, grinding pace, and lackadaisical effort. 

Thibodeau needs to find a way to ensure that his team plays solid basketball for four quarters. Although the Knicks are only one game under .500, at 3-4, the New York media has no problem with turning on a coach if a team starts to go through a bad stretch - just ask Steve Nash.

Following this loss, the Knicks will be heading on a road trip to take on a very talented, albeit struggling, Sixer team. New York will look to snap their three-game losing streak against Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center.