This series is back at Madison Square Garden, and it feels like it needed one more game there. The Knicks looked in control after Game 1, the Hawks won straight one-point games, and then the Knicks punched back in Game 4 with their best execution of the matchup. Now Game 5 becomes the hinge: one team leaves with a 3-2 lead, and the other leaves one loss from elimination. Tipoff is Tuesday, April 28, at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been the Knicks’ best series player so far, averaging 21.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Jalen Brunson is still carrying a major creation load at 25.5 points and 5.3 assists, but the Hawks have made him work harder with traps and pressure. For the Hawks, CJ McCollum is averaging 24.5 points on 51.3% shooting, while Jalen Johnson is at 19.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
Game 4 was the real adjustment point. The Knicks won 114-98, Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. OG Anunoby added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and the Hawks shot only 10-of-41 from three with 18 turnovers. The Knicks did not just shoot better. They played through Towns more, trusted extra passes, and stopped letting every possession become Brunson against a crowd.
Injury Report
Knicks
No players listed.
Hawks
Jock Landale: Out (right high ankle sprain)
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The Knicks’ Game 4 answer was not just energy. It was structure. For three games, the Hawks were sending pressure at Brunson and daring someone else to make the right play. In Game 4, Towns became that player. His 10 assists were the difference between a stuck offense and a connected one. When the ball went through him at the elbow or above the break, the Knicks got cleaner looks for Anunoby, Miles McBride, and Josh Hart. The downside has been Mikal Bridges‘ minutes, who only played 19 last game and is putting up barely 7.3 points.
That matters because Brunson is not getting easy scoring windows. He had 19 points in Game 4, but he also had six turnovers. The Knicks can live with a less efficient Brunson game if Towns is punishing help and Anunoby keeps attacking closeouts. They cannot live with Brunson having to solve every trap by himself.
The other key adjustment was the rotation. McBride played 22:47 in Game 4 and scored 11 points on 3-of-6 from three. Jose Alvarado also gave them six points, two assists, and three steals in 13:51. Those minutes changed the rhythm because the Knicks had more ball pressure and more guard stability. Landry Shamet has fallen out of the rotation, and Alvarado’s role has grown because the Knicks needed a steadier backup point guard presence.
The Knicks also have a clear defensive target: keep the Hawks out of rhythm from three. The Hawks are shooting just 32.0% from deep in the series, and Game 4 was their worst night at 24.4%. If the Knicks continue running McCollum off the line and helping selectively off Dyson Daniels, the Hawks’ half-court offense becomes much easier to guard.
Why The Hawks Have The Advantage
The Hawks still have the proof that they can win close games in this series. They won Game 2 by one point at Madison Square Garden, then won Game 3 by one point at home. Those games were not accidents. They sped the Knicks up late, attacked in transition, and forced enough mistakes from Brunson to steal possessions.
The Game 5 adjustment is about Johnson. The Knicks have pushed him into more scoring decisions and fewer playmaking reads. Johnson is averaging only 4.8 assists after being one of the Hawks’ main connectors all year, and that has tilted the series toward the Knicks’ defensive plan. If Johnson gets back to moving the ball early, the Hawks can unlock Okongwu, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jonathan Kuminga before the defense is set.
McCollum is the other reason the Hawks still have a shot. He has scored 26, 32, 23, and 17 points in the series. Game 4 was his quietest game, and the Knicks made him play through more bodies. The Hawks need to free him with earlier screens, not just late-clock isolations. If McCollum gets downhill before the second defender is in place, the Hawks can get back to the pace that won them Games 2 and 3.
The Hawks also need to stop wasting possessions. Their 18 turnovers in Game 4 became 21 Knicks points. That cannot happen on the road in Game 5. The Hawks are good enough to win if the game is loose. They are not good enough to hand the Knicks that many extra chances.
X-Factors
OG Anunoby is giving the Knicks the two-way production they need. He is averaging 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in the series, while shooting 56.0% from the field and 52.4% from three. Game 4 was another strong one: 22 points, 10 rebounds, and steady defense across multiple matchups. If Anunoby keeps hitting open threes, the Hawks cannot overload on Brunson as aggressively.
Miles McBride is the Knicks’ bench swing. He is averaging 8.0 points in the series, but his shooting has been more important than the scoring number. He is 10-of-21 from three, including a 15-point Game 3 and 11 points in Game 4. If McBride keeps spacing the floor, the Knicks can survive the non-Brunson minutes.
Jonathan Kuminga is the Hawks’ pressure piece. He is averaging 14.5 points and 3.5 rebounds, and Game 3 showed his value with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The problem is the three-point shot. He is only 3-16 from deep in the series. If Kuminga is attacking the rim, he helps. If he is settling, the Knicks win that exchange.
Onyeka Okongwu has been one of the Hawks’ steadier players, averaging 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds. He had 19 points in Game 1 and has been efficient around the rim. The Hawks need him involved as a screener and short-roll passer, especially when the Knicks trap McCollum or Johnson.
Prediction
The Hawks have already shown they can win at Madison Square Garden, so this is not safe for the Knicks. But Game 4 looked like the first time the Knicks found the right offensive balance. Towns as a playmaking hub gives them a cleaner answer to the Hawks’ pressure, and Anunoby’s shooting has changed the floor. The Hawks need a better Johnson game and a better shooting night. I trust the Knicks’ adjustments more.
Prediction: Knicks 111, Hawks 104
