The New York Knicks took a commanding 3-2 lead in their first-round series after a 126-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown highlighted both execution and mentality after his team’s second straight double-digit victory, pointing first to Atlanta’s response and his group’s defensive focus.
“I’m sure Atlanta feels like they can play better and we know they could play better. One of the things that we said we got to do, we got to box out and we gave up five offensive rebounds, which to that team is huge because they’re one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league. But we talked about boxing out.”
New York controlled the glass throughout the night and limited Atlanta’s second-chance opportunities, a key emphasis in Brown’s game plan.
“Our guys did an unbelievable job on the glass. I tell you, OG and KAT were monsters between the two of them… Seven 22 defensive rebounds. They both had a double double. They were phenomenal. It’s huge for us to keep these guys off the glass. It’s huge for us to keep them out of transition. They had four fast break points.”
Brown also stressed how limiting live-ball turnovers shaped the game’s flow against a Hawks team built on pace.
“They’re going to come even faster, harder in Game 6. Our guys did a good job of taking care of the basketball and our guys did a nice job of taking care of the basketball, but more importantly, when we did turn over, they weren’t really live ball turnovers that can hurt you in transition.”
Offensively, New York adjusted to Atlanta’s defensive coverage by attacking inside and maximizing efficiency in the paint.
“We have to take what the defense gives us. So great job finishing at the rim. Great job of taking care of the ball when we’re hitting the paint and great job of spacing the floor so we’re able to finish at the rim.”
Jalen Brunson’s 39-point performance was another central point in Brown’s evaluation of the win.
“Jalen phenomenal especially in that fourth quarter, 39 points on 15 of 23. But just as importantly, eight assists and one turnover. It’s big game from a big-time player.”
Brown also emphasized the Knicks’ ability to respond to adversity throughout the series.
“They’re resilient and we talked about it throughout the course of the year. You got to go through some adversity throughout the course of the year to see what you’re made of as a group.”
He also praised Brunson’s decision-making against defensive pressure and the team’s collective control in late-clock situations, calling it a sign of maturity as the series shifts back to Atlanta for Game 6.
