ATLANTA — Captain Clutch was back.
After two consecutive dud performances from Jalen Brunson — and after he struggled for most of Monday’s game against the Hawks — the point guard emerged as he often does: when it matters most.
Brunson scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter of a 108-105 victory over the Hawks, including the biggest buckets of the evening — a go-ahead pull-up jumper with 30 seconds remaining, and then the final free throws with 1.2 seconds left.
“It wasn’t necessarily going his way the whole night. But he stayed with it and did what great players are supposed to do and carried us home down the stretch,” coach Mike Brown said.
Still, the victory was in doubt after the final buzzer, as the referees reviewed a banked-in half-court heave from Atlanta’s CJ McCollum — which would’ve sent the game into OT. But the attempt was determined invalid because it occurred after the buzzer, and the Knicks left here with their biggest win in more than a month.
It was also a lesson learned for Brown, who advised Brunson to hit his final free throw with 1.2 seconds left rather than miss on purpose and burn the clock. That almost came back to burn the Knicks. Almost.
Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NBAE via Getty Images
“It’s tricky. If he misses it, obviously it’s a long heave. But if you foul him on the rebound or you foul him when he’s turning to heave it now they get three free throws,” Brown said. “It’s something we’ve talked about before — it’s still a toss-up situation. … The whole thing was at worst they’ll tie it and we’ll go to overtime. Lesson learned on a couple possessions down the stretch.”
Other than the pre-buzzer dramatics, the game served as a reminder of Brunson’s greatest strength come playoff time — the ability to create for himself in the most pressurized situations off the dribble — and that the Knicks, despite their flaws, have an equalizer for sticky situations.
Until that fourth quarter, Brunson was misfiring. He shot just 11-for-26 for the evening — albeit often in a facilitator role with 13 assists — hounded by Atlanta double-teams and All-Defensive selection Dyson Daniels.
But the Knicks deployed a two-man game with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in clutch time, allowing the point guard to shake off the double teams. And it unlocked a powerful offense down the stretch.
“I thought we did a great job today of utilizing [the two-man game with myself and Brunson],” said Towns, who finished with 21 points, 12 boards and six assists. “When the game got dicey, the coaching staff and our teammates leaned on us to have that two-man game show up when we needed it the most. And it worked. We have a good rapport where I think that, what you saw at the end of the game with me and JB allows him not to have so much pressure on him and allows me to help him out and do what I do best, cause gravity which allows him to get a step on a defender and that’s all he needs to score.”
This result mattered to the Knicks. That was obvious. After five straight losses against teams with winning records — and with the playoffs around the corner — Brown used his likely playoff rotation with heavy minutes for his two top performers — Brunson (39 minutes) and OG Anunoby (37).
With Charles Oakley watching from the third row, the Knicks were stuck in the mud until about midway through the third quarter, when they used a 20-8 run to recover from a double-digit deficit.
New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Then it became Brunson time.
“The ball found a way to go in the hoop for me,” he said.
Both teams were motivated. It carried the look and feel of an important NBA game in April, a rarity. There were playoff implications.
The scorching-hot Hawks (45-34), winners of 18 of their last 20 games before Monday, are trying to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in three years. They’re trying to secure the fifth seed.
The Knicks (51-28) clinched a postseason berth but are still in the mix for seeds Nos. 2-4. The victory Monday meant greater emphasis on Thursday’s game at the Garden against the Celtics, with the No. 2 seed still very much in play.
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 6, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NBAE via Getty Images
Beyond the seeding implications, the Knicks need to build momentum heading into a postseason with the highest expectations since at least Jeff Van Gundy roamed the sideline.
As owner James Dolan made clear in January, it’s Finals or bust.
“We put the antennas up for the rest of the league as well,” Towns said. “They know what we can do.”
But even though everybody knows what New York’s closer can do, it’s hard to stop Brunson down the stretch. The Hawks became the latest victim — but also the first victim in a while for the point guard.
“It’s huge to know a guy like Jalen can shoot and score the way he does,” Brown said. “On top of that, he’s crafty.”
Crafty and clutch.
