The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs to advance to the second round.
The Knicks had a lead all night, and shortly after tipoff, they ballooned the lead to over 50 points against the Hawks. They ended the first half with the largest halftime lead in postseason history, as the matchup was all but decided after that. New York also scored their most points in a playoff game in franchise history.
While many of the reactions to the Knicks’ historic win came in the first half, throughout the game, social media was buzzing about New York’s performance.
NBA World Reacts To Knicks 50-Point Lead In Win Over Hawks
The Knicks got out to an early lead and didn’t look back. Midway through the second quarter, they had a 50-point lead, which set social media ablaze.
Here are a few of the reactions to the Knicks Game 6 run:
This is a thing that happened.
Knicks owner James Dolan could not believe the score in Game 6
Knicks/Hawks is the first game where the road team scored 100 points before the home team had 50.
While the Knicks had some major struggles through the first few games of the series, it was an all-around team effort for them in Game 6.
Jalen Brunson finished with 17 points and eight assists. Karl-Anthony Towns had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists four his second triple-double of the series, the first time someone has done that for New York. OG Anunoby put up 29 points, while Mikal Bridges had a strong bounce back close-out game with 24 points on 10/12 shooting.
Every single player on the Knicks’ roster got in the game and scored.
As mentioned, New York took an early lead, and never looked back. Now, they are moving on to the second round, either playing the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers.
Mitchell Robinson vs Dyson Daniels Fight In Game 6
While the game was decided roughly ten minutes after tipoff, one of the major storylines from the contest, aside from the historic lead, was a fight between Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels.
Before the altercation, Robinson left the game due to an injury, but shortly after coming back, he was ready for a scuffle.
The incident occurred in the second quarter, once the lead had already ballooned. Robinson and Daniels got tangled up on a free throw, which led to an altercation that eventually saw both of them be ejected.
While those from both teams attempted to control the situation and hold each other back, Robinson didn’t give up. One referee went down in the fracas, but after the two were separated, the game went back to normal, as much of a contest like that could have gone.
Knicks Advance To Second Round Of Playoffs
With the win, the Knicks are now on to the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs, where they’ll either play Boston of Philly, depending on if the Celtics can close out their Game 6, which is happening at the same time as New York’s historic victory.
Here’s what a few of the Knicks’ playoff scenarios could look like, depending on what happens in the other games across the league on Thursday night.
“If Knicks, Celtics & Wolves win tonight: Game 1 Knicks@Celtics Sat NBC 7:30,” New York Basketball wrote. “Otherwise Game 1 most likely Mon OR If Knicks lose tonight: Game 7 Hawks@Knicks Sat Amazon 4pm… …unless it’s only Game 7 Sat-–then NBC 7:30.”
At this point, the Knicks should feel good about a series against either team. They’ve consistently played better than the 76ers in previous matchups, and beat a healthy Celtics team in the playoffs last season, the series in which Jayson Tatum went down with his injury.
But for New York, that’s an issue for a few days away. Right now, they are coming off a historic performance agains the Hawks, and came back after down 2-1 early in the series.
NBA World Reacts To Knicks’ 50+ Point Blowout Vs Hawks In Game 6