Game Recap: 2026 NBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 5 – NYK vs. ATL; W; ATL: 97, NYK: 126
We already knew this: The Atlanta Hawks are no match for the New York Knicks. Last night, the Knicks pulled ahead in this first-round series, defeating Atlanta 126-97 at Madison Square Garden. They got the job done, retaining momentum with a chance to advance in Atlanta tomorrow.
Jalen Brunson saw a lot of Dyson Daniels throughout this series, but last night, not even the tightest double-team could hold Brunson back. The Knicks captain scored 39 points, and in his playoff career, his 14 35-point games are the most in Knicks history and rank third among all point guards in NBA history.
The formula is simple. Brunson couldn’t combat the double-team he faced in Games 2 and 3, so in Game 4, the Knicks finally ran their offense through Karl-Anthony Towns. Because the Hawks don’t have any players who can guard Towns, they need to put at least two men on him. That leaves Daniels or CJ McCollum to face Brunson alone, which happened often in Game 5.
“I’m always just thinking about impacting winning,” Towns said. “As long as I can do that every single day I step on the court, I just think about, ‘How can I help my teammates be the best version of themselves with my game,’ and do whatever it takes to help our team be in a position to win.”
McCollum isn’t a strong defender, but Daniels is. Despite his offensive struggles, he shot 7-for-11 from the field yesterday. Generally, he is not a reliable shooter, which means that whenever the Knicks line Towns up at center, they have one more scoring option on the court than the Hawks.
That said, the Knicks made it clear last night that the Hawks don’t have a single player as talented as Towns or Brunson. When the duo is at its best, Atlanta can’t keep up defensively. Yesterday, the Knicks found their groove from the opening tip. They took a 35-22 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.
The Knicks got cocky, or didn’t want it enough, or lacked desperation in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and the first half of Game 3. But that won’t happen again; the Knicks have been in the driver’s seat since the second half of their third game against Atlanta.
“We talked about it throughout the course of the year,” said head coach Mike Brown. “You’ve got to go through some adversity throughout the course of the year to see what you’re made of as a group, see how you’re gonna respond. You’ve just got to keep fighting.”
Yesterday, the Knicks led by as many as 32 points, secured a 21-rebound advantage, allowed just four fastbreak points, and permitted a mere six points off turnovers. They did all the little things right, holding the Hawks under 100 points for the second straight time. They truly played a complete team game.
“Our guys have been through a lot so far this year, and they continue to go through it,” Brown said. “They’ve been through it as a group. There is nothing that will deter the group. They’re a veteran group that knows what they want and how to get it, no matter what’s in front of them.”
En route to their 29-point win, the Knicks held McCollum, Atlanta’s best scorer in this series, to six points. Meanwhile, Jalen Johnson notched a team-high 18 points, which paled in comparison to Brunson’s 39. Additionally, Towns and OG Anunoby each recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds.
Anunoby has arguably been the Knicks’ best player in this series. He is averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds per game, and he is a threat everywhere beneath the hoop. He can nail corner threes, dunks, and mid-range shots. He can also penetrate double-teams with his strength and agility.
“He’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA,” Towns said of Anunoby. “This series has been great for him to show the world, on a big stage, something that we always thought he was. When you have someone like that who is good offensively and even better defensively, weirdly enough, it’s special.”
Anunoby’s best skill is his defense, which he has showcased throughout this series. Yesterday, his 105.8 defensive rating was the second-best among Knicks starters, and New York outscored Atlanta by 19 points during his time on the court. Only Mikal Bridges, who struggled in the first three games of this series, had a better defensive rating, at 103.8.
Bridges impacted yesterday’s game in his own way, and he didn’t do it with his offensive production, scoring just seven points. It looks like his spot in the starting lineup is permanent, and he played 27 minutes yesterday. Although Miles McBride earned a +19 rating, he shot 0-for-4 from the field, so Jose Alvarado backed him up with 12 points in as many minutes.
Alvarado’s emotional antics proved auxiliary to Brunson’s 39 points, and that isn’t just because Alvarado is Brunson’s backup point guard. Alvarado, who called Brunson “twinkle toes” after the game, aggravated many Hawks players and served a big role in their poor 10-for-17 shooting performance from the free-throw line. Alvarado annoys opponents. He embodies the New York spirit and energy.
There will be plenty of Knicks fans in Atlanta tomorrow. The Knicks need to harness that New York spirit and use it as fuel against the Hawks in Game 6.
Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, 4/30 at 7 PM (6 PM CDT) (ESPN, ESPN App).
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Knicks
