ATLANTA — The New York Knicks’ starting lineup may have been staring at the final straw that could break the camel’s back late in Monday’s nail-biter against the Atlanta Hawks.
The score was 90-90. There was 5:28 left. New York head coach Mike Brown put out his starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns — a collection of talented individuals that, by every metric over the last two seasons, plays better split up than together, despite the resources invested to create this group. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder trotted out his starters — CJ McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels — a collective that has been amongst the league’s best since it was put together around the trade deadline.
One of two things was going to happen: The Knicks starters were either going to bring home a much-needed victory and end a monthlong winless drought against teams with winning records, or they were going to give doubters more ammo as to why this group shouldn’t play together anymore with the playoffs nearing.
New York battled adversity in those final minutes, including a 5-point deficit. Conversely, it showed a resilience that has become a staple of this team since it was put together, like quickly tying the score. By the end, the Knicks starters buckled down and, on both ends of the floor, were able to finish off the Hawks’ starters to win the game 108-105.
“It was great,” said Towns, who scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting. “Obviously, give credit to all of our teammates who put us in the position to be there and have a chance to win. We have one of the best closers in the NBA in (Brunson), so you feel good about your chances. We were just ready for the moment.
“It was funny. I thought, in the moment, I’d have to hit a big shot for us to win, and it ended up being three assists. I just accepted what the defense gave and (Brunson) hit the shots, which he’s been known to do when the game matters.”
The Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns two-man game generated easy offense for the Knicks down the stretch. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
The two-man game of Brunson and Towns brought New York home offensively. The guard and big man spread out the Atlanta defense with Towns receiving the ball in the high post or on the wing and finding Brunson as he used the space Towns created to either cut or curl around and receive the ball. The Hawks defense had no answer. Brunson, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, went on to score 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter after struggling to put the ball in the basket through three quarters. The two worked in unison to generate easy offense for New York down the stretch.
The Brunson-Towns duo hasn’t been as deadly as many thought it would be when it was put together two summers ago. It’s often been one or the other generating offense on their own, and little of the two working in sync to put defenses in a bind. Brunson and Towns, even before the fourth quarter, did a good job working off one another in the victory, creating advantageous offense in the pick-and-roll as Towns was guarded by a center.
With less than a week until the playoffs, the duo being able to dance as one is a good development if it holds with the level of consistency that presented itself Monday night.
“KAT and Jalen … they did what they were supposed to do,” Brown said. “It’s no secret that we put them in the two-man game, and those guys delivered on the offensive end of the floor along with everyone else.”
On the other side of the ball, the Hawks spent a bulk of the final 5:28 trying to target Brunson and Hart. The latter had a quiet outing for the first three quarter but was a huge reason New York was able to stifle Atlanta’s offense. Hart and Brunson forced two turnovers when the Hawks tried to target the duo in the pick-and-roll. Furthermore, Hart had shut down Alexander-Walker, who couldn’t be stopped all game, on an isolation possession that helped seal the deal for New York.
“To be honest, it’s all about how you respond,” Brunson said of Hart. “Things aren’t going to be perfect. You’re going to have bad stretches. You’re going to have things that don’t go your way. You’re going to do things that seem easy but don’t go your way. It’s all about how you respond.”
And maybe more importantly than all … the vibes. In a game that felt like a playoff game before the playoffs — and very well could be a first-round matchup — the Knicks were engaged during timeouts. They were talking and asking questions. They were supportive. There was a palpable energy with this group that, quite frankly, feels like it lacks it at times.
The Knicks, at times, feel like a team that is disjointed and not always together. They can feel like a group of individuals rather than a team willing to give it all for one another on some nights. That wasn’t the case Monday, and if this win unlocks something right before the playoffs with the spirit of this group, better late than never.
“Our guys stayed with it, and there wasn’t a panic,” Brown said. “The bench was really, really good. Just the chatter. Guys were encouraging one another and uplifting one another. Jose (Alvarado) hadn’t played the last couple of games, and he was more into the game than anyone else. His words were really good and helped during the times when we got down.”
The starters rising to the occasion, a win against a good opponent and a team acting as one, the final 5:28 in Atlanta may be a moment we look back at down the line if the Knicks are on the cusp of achieving their postseason aspirations. Sometimes, one moment can change a lot. We’ve also seen this New York team look one way one night and completely different another. So, who knows what is ahead.
The real Knicks will have to reveal themselves soon.
