Madison Square Garden has seen playoff villains before. On Tuesday, CJ McCollum stepped into that role, scoring 32 points and leading a furious late rally as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the New York Knicks 107-106 to even their first-round series in the NBA playoffs.
A Hawks Rally That Almost Slipped Away
The Hawks trailed the entire second half and were down 12 after three quarters. McCollum’s jumper with 2:09 left gave Atlanta its first second-half lead of the series at 101-100. He added another basket for a three-point cushion, and when Jalen Brunson tied it with a three, McCollum answered again—105-103 with 33 seconds remaining.
Jonathan Kuminga chipped in 19 off the bench, Jalen Johnson scored 17, and his basket with 10 seconds left pushed the lead to four. McCollum then missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining, but Mikal Bridges’ jumper at the buzzer fell short.
“It’s a long game,” McCollum said. “You’ve got to play to zero.”
Knicks Let One Slip
Brunson led New York with 29 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 18, and Josh Hart filled the box score with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. But the Knicks, chasing a fourth straight trip to the second round, let history slip.
They had been 40–1 in playoff games since the shot clock era when leading by 12 or more after three quarters. The only prior loss was Reggie Miller’s legendary 25-point fourth quarter in 1994. Now, McCollum has joined that short list of heartbreakers.
Towns, quiet in the first half with four points, erupted for 14 in the third as New York built a 78–64 lead. The Knicks still led by eight with under five minutes left. But Atlanta’s young core—the same group that sparked their post-All-Star break surge—finally made plays.
McCollum, acquired in January from Washington in the Trae Young trade, ignored the jeers after a nose-to-nose confrontation with Jose Alvarado and delivered the kind of closing act that silences a Garden crowd.
What’s Next
The Hawks head home with momentum and a tied series, hosting Game 3 on Friday. The Knicks leave New York knowing they let one slip, and Hart summed it up plainly: “In the playoffs you can’t give away games.”
Atlanta didn’t just steal one—they reminded the Knicks that this series is far from decided.
