The New York Knicks are two wins away from ending a 53-year championship drought, and Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum believes he knows exactly when the franchise transformed into the NBA’s hottest team.
Shortly after the Knicks escaped with a dramatic 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday night, McCollum shared a post on X that quickly caught the attention of New York fans.
“Sick. Knicks have been a different team since this moment,” McCollum wrote.
The post featured video of his game-winning jumper in Game 3 of Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against New York. The shot gave the Hawks a 2-1 series lead on April 23 and handed the Knicks what remains their most recent postseason loss.
Rather than derail New York’s championship hopes, however, McCollum’s heroics may have served as the wake-up call that ignited one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history.
CJ McCollum Highlights Potential Knicks Turning Point
At the time, the Knicks suddenly looked vulnerable.
Atlanta had stolen momentum in the series after McCollum’s clutch shot, putting pressure squarely on New York heading into a pivotal Game 4.
Instead of folding, the Knicks responded like a championship contender.
New York won Game 4 to even the series before taking the next two games to eliminate the Hawks. More importantly, the Knicks never looked back.
McCollum’s social media post appeared to acknowledge what many observers have since recognized — that his game-winner may have marked the moment New York elevated its play to another level.
What looked like Atlanta’s biggest playoff moment may have become the Knicks’ defining turning point.
Knicks Have Not Lost Since Hawks Took 2-1 Lead
The numbers behind New York’s run are staggering.
Since McCollum’s Game 3 winner, the Knicks have reeled off 13 consecutive playoff victories, the second-longest postseason winning streak in NBA history.
Following their comeback against Atlanta, New York swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Knicks then swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, including a memorable Game 1 comeback after trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Now they have carried that momentum into the NBA Finals.
New York won Game 1 in San Antonio before surviving another thriller in Game 2 to seize a commanding 2-0 series lead.
The Hawks remain the only team to beat the Knicks during the 2026 postseason.
New York Continues Finding Ways to Win
Game 2 provided another example of the resilience that has defined New York’s playoff run.
The Knicks appeared in complete control before San Antonio erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Victor Wembanyama’s three-point play with 57 seconds remaining gave the Spurs a 104-102 lead, putting the Knicks on the brink of surrendering home-court advantage.
As they have done throughout the playoffs, New York responded.
Jalen Brunson tied the game on the next possession before drawing a foul after a late Wembanyama turnover. Brunson calmly knocked down the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds remaining.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Brunson and Mikal Bridges added 20 points each.
One final Spurs possession ended with Wembanyama missing a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
“We had to get a stop,” Towns said afterward. “We hadn’t gotten a stop all quarter.”
The Knicks got the stop they needed and moved one step closer to history.
Madison Square Garden Awaits as Knicks Chase Championship
The series now shifts to Madison Square Garden, where New York will host its first NBA Finals game since 1999.
Ticket prices have soared on the secondary market as a championship-starved fan base prepares for what could be a historic week.
For Knicks fans, McCollum’s post served as a reminder of just how much has changed over the last six weeks.
His game-winning shot briefly put Atlanta in control of the first-round series.
Instead, it may have awakened a Knicks team that has not lost since and now stands just two victories away from bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to New York.
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