The Knicks vs. Hawks Game 2 tips on Monday at 8:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden, and the series already has a clear first question. Can the Hawks change the style of the game, or does this keep turning into a Knicks half-court win?
The Knicks took Game 1 by a 113-102 score and did it by controlling the second half, winning at the free-throw line, and getting the cleaner offense from their top players.
Game 1 was not perfect for either side. The Hawks had stretches where their guard-guard screening actions gave the Knicks real problems, especially in the second quarter. But once the Knicks adjusted, the game changed.
The Hawks scored only 19 points on 24 possessions in the third quarter, shot 8-for-23 in that period, and turned it over five times. That was the stretch that really decided the opener.
The main stars did what they were supposed to do. Jalen Brunson had 28 points and seven assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. For the Hawks, CJ McCollum scored 26, Jalen Johnson had 23, and Onyeka Okongwu finished with 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
The box score says the Hawks had enough offense from the main group. The bigger issue was what happened around that. The Knicks got more from the bench, got more stops late, and won the free-throw battle 25-12.
Injury Report
Knicks
OG Anunoby: Probable (left ankle sprain)
Hawks
Jock Landale: Out (right high ankle sprain)
Onyeka Okongwu: Questionable (right knee inflammation)
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
The first reason is simple. Game 1 already showed where the Knicks can lean if the game gets tight. Brunson got to 28 points, Towns got to 25, and the Hawks still never fully solved either matchup. Brunson was able to control pace late, and Towns punished size mismatches while also getting to the line 10 times. When the opener slowed down, the Knicks had the two best half-court scorers on the floor.
The second numbers edge from Game 1 was at the line and on the bench. The Knicks outscored the Hawks 25-12 in free throws, and their second unit won its minutes. Jordan Clarkson gave them eight points in under 12 minutes, Miles McBride hit two threes, and Mitchell Robinson changed the game with size and rim protection even without big scoring numbers. The Hawks’ bench did not match that. Jonathan Kuminga had eight, Gabe Vincent had two, and the rest of the reserve group did not give enough scoring or resistance.
From a matchup angle, the key for the Knicks is to keep doing what worked after halftime. The Hawks tried to use smaller screening actions to get Brunson involved and create confusion. The Knicks answered by being more physical, switching some of those actions better, and crowding the paint harder. Josh Hart’s work on Jalen Johnson also helped a lot, because it let Towns guard a weaker shooter more often and stay closer to the rim. If the Knicks keep those assignments, they can make the Hawks work much harder to get to their offense.
The other big point is control. The Hawks want a game with more pace, more transition, and more broken possessions. The Knicks do not. Game 1 stayed closer to the Knicks’ style once the second half started. If they keep turnovers down, make the Hawks score against set defense, and keep getting Towns into actions against mismatches, they should be in good shape again.
Why The Hawks Have The Advantage
The biggest reason to think the Hawks can respond is that they did find things that worked in Game 1. McCollum scored 26 on 11-for-20 shooting. Johnson had 23. Okongwu hit four threes and finished with 19. The Hawks were not shut down for 48 minutes. They had a bad third quarter and lost the free-throw margin badly, but there was enough offense there to believe Game 2 can be tighter if they clean up the details.
The other reason is tactical. Their smaller screening actions did bother the Knicks for stretches, and the Knicks admitted after the game that those actions were a problem until they adjusted. That gives the Hawks a real Game 2 path. They can go back to those actions, use McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker more actively off the ball, and keep trying to drag Brunson into tougher defensive possessions. If they make the Knicks defend laterally instead of just loading the paint, the game changes.
The biggest adjustment they need is ball movement. Quin Snyder said it clearly after Game 1. The Hawks need more ball movement and more threes when they cannot get to the rim. That tracks with the numbers. In the third quarter, when the Knicks took control, the Hawks got stuck too often and did not get enough clean kick-out shots. Game 2 should be about quicker decisions, more drive-and-kick, and less waiting for one player to bail out the possession.
They also need more from the bench. The Knicks got enough from Clarkson, McBride, and Robinson to keep control when the starters sat. The Hawks did not get that same lift. Kuminga has to be more aggressive getting downhill, and the second unit as a whole has to give the Hawks more scoring punch. If the bench minutes keep breaking toward the Knicks, the margin gets hard to close.
X-Factors
Josh Hart is a big one for the Knicks after Game 1. He had 11 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and defended Johnson for long stretches. That matchup helped the Knicks a lot because it let Towns spend less time chasing stronger creators and more time around the paint. If Hart gives the Knicks that same two-way game again, it will be harder for the Hawks to move Johnson around as freely.
Jordan Clarkson is another key player for the Knicks because he gave them offense off the bench at the right time. He scored eight points in less than 12 minutes, and his minutes were part of the run that put the Knicks in control. The Hawks will keep attacking him defensively, but if he scores efficiently again, the Knicks’ second unit gets a real edge.
Okongwu is the biggest swing player for the Hawks because he was very good in Game 1 and now comes in questionable. He had 19 points, eight rebounds, and hit four threes. That kind of spacing from the center spot changes the game because it pulls the Knicks’ bigs into tougher decisions. If he is limited or cannot go, the Hawks lose one of their best Game 1 positives.
Dyson Daniels is another one because the Hawks need more offense from him if they want to level the series. He had only four points in Game 1, even though he added nine rebounds and 11 assists. The passing was there. The scoring was not. If Daniels can turn a couple of those touches into paint pressure or corner finishes instead of just moving the ball, the Hawks get a much more balanced attack.
Prediction
Game 2 should be closer. The Hawks found some things that worked, and they have clear areas to clean up. They need a better third quarter, better bench scoring, and more ball movement when the Knicks load the paint. But the bigger picture still leans Knicks. Brunson and Towns were the two hardest covers in Game 1, the bench edge went their way, and the defensive adjustments after halftime were strong.
If the Hawks do not swing the free-throw margin back and do not get more from Daniels or the bench, they are going to be playing uphill again. The safer read is another Knicks home win, with the Hawks hanging around before the half-court offense and late-game control win out.
Prediction: Knicks 112, Hawks 106
