The New York Knicks secured a dramatic 149-148 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, with Jalen Brunson hitting the go-ahead jumper in the final seconds.
Karl-Anthony Towns led all scorers with 44 points, marking his second consecutive 40-point game and making him the fifth player in franchise history to achieve the feat. Brunson added 36 points and eight assists, helping the Knicks improve to 36-18 before the All-Star break.
Atlanta erased a six-point deficit in the final 10 seconds of regulation, with Trae Young playing a crucial role. Young finished with 38 points and 19 assists, but his potential game-winner in overtime missed, and Georges Niang’s three-point attempt failed to drop.
The Knicks had every starter log at least 42 minutes in a game that pushed both teams to the limit. Towns played just over 47 minutes, while Josh Hart, Precious Achiuwa, and Mikal Bridges all had heavy workloads. Achiuwa contributed 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting, while Hart finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.
Despite the loss, the Hawks received strong performances from their supporting cast. Onyeka Okongwu posted 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Dyson Daniels added 23 points while shooting 10-of-15 from the field. Caris LeVert and Niang each provided 20-plus points off the bench, keeping Atlanta competitive throughout.
New York led by six with 10 seconds left in regulation, but Niang’s three-pointer cut the deficit in half. Towns’ inbounds pass was then stolen by Daniels, who made one free throw before Young tied the game at the line with 2.9 seconds left.
The Knicks remained composed in overtime, with Brunson’s jumper giving them the lead with 11.1 seconds remaining. The Hawks had one last chance, but Young and Niang both missed, sealing the win for New York.
Atlanta heads into the break at 26-29 and will play 10 of its first 12 games after the break at home. However, the Hawks will be without Larry Nance Jr. and Vit Krejci, both sidelined due to injuries.
New York, now third in the Eastern Conference, enters the All-Star break having won nine of its last 11 games.
