The Knicks had this one in their hands, then let it slip away in one of the most painful ways possible. In Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2026, New York led by eight with 5:26 left and still controlled the flow before Atlanta ripped off a late surge to steal a 107-106 win and tie the series 1-1.
CJ McCollum powered the Hawks with 32 points, while Jalen Brunson’s 29-point night wasn’t enough to save New York from a fourth-quarter collapse that turned a winnable game into a brutal lesson. The Knicks were ahead 91-79 late in the third before the finish unraveled.
The Knicks took it a little lightly
GettyJalen Brunson of Knicks
This was the kind of team that thought the game would eventually swing in their favor. New York had a 32-23 lead after the first quarter, and they were still in charge deep into the third, but the urgency vanished when Atlanta started gradually reducing the deficit.
The Hawks simply stayed in the fight, and that really did matter because the playoffs are unforgiving to any drop of edge. Such a lapse is exactly what can turn a home playoff game into a lost opportunity.
Noah Eagle with the Hawks-Knicks Game 2 call for NBC. 🏀🎙️ #NBA
The Knicks had the talent to finish this one off, but their late-game scoring and body language suggested they were looking at the next possession as the one that would resolve everything. Meanwhile, Atlanta continued to fight, and New York kept blinking.
The shots were not falling when it mattered most
GettyNew York Knicks’ Mikal Bridges
Truth is in numbers. Atlanta made their shots at a very high rate of 72.2% in the fourth quarter, while on the other hand, the Knicks could only convert 22.7% of their attempts during the entire period. Such a difference is extremely large, and in fact, it explains how a late lead can be so rapidly undone.
Although Brunson continued to bring about scoring opportunities, New York through away many possessions through missing jumps shots and having empty trips in the very last stretch, the last of which was the game winner for Mikal Bridges when he missed at the buzzer. When a team whiffs at the basket at the critical time, it’s almost the same as if they helped the opponent win themselves in a playoff game.
At first, Knicks manufactured good shots. But when the heat of competition got to them, shots stopped falling.
The Hawks played like a team on revenge, while the Knicks looked flat
Atlanta came out playing with greater focus, more passion, and with a stronger will to win. Even though McCollum got 32 points and hit the key shots, it was the Hawks’ overall aggressive play that made the bigger impact.
They erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit and ended up winning with a 15-6 run. Jonathan Kuminga brought 19 points off the bench, Jalen Johnson 17, and Onyeka Okongwu 15, demonstrating that this was not just a one-star rescue operation.
On the other hand, the Knicks seemed slow to react and passive when the game was close. The Hawks craved the moment more, and that was the deciding factor.
Three Key Takeaways From Knicks Frustrating Loss to Hawks