The Hawks dropped Game 1 of their first-round series against the Knicks in front of an expectedly electric crowd at Madison Square Garden, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way.
The first quarter was the Brunson show. He simply could not miss, even with the Hawks playing about as good of defense as you can ask for, pouring in 19 points. Despite that, Atlanta hung around, trailing by just six, with CJ McCollum leading the way. He was easily the Hawks’ best offensive presence in Game 1, finishing with 26 points. Without him, this one probably gets out of hand early.
Jalen Johnson added 23 points and seven rebounds, while Onyeka Okongwu chipped in an efficient 19 points on just nine shots, knocking down four of his six attempts from deep.
The second half belonged to Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 19 of his 25 points after the break, quieting — at least temporarily — some of the postseason criticism that’s followed him. Towns has been a problem for the Hawks all season, averaging nearly 30 points and 13 rebounds in his matchups against Atlanta. The lack of size and depth in the frontcourt — especially without Jock Landale — was evident in Game 1 and figures to remain a major issue throughout the series.
But the concerns don’t stop there. Atlanta’s depth, as a whole, was a problem. The Hawks managed just 13 points off the bench, and outside of Jonathan Kuminga, the second unit was essentially nonexistent. There’s simply no path to winning a seven-game series if that continues, and the solutions might not be conventional. It’ll be interesting to see if Quin Snyder shakes things up in Game 2, possibly turning to players who didn’t even see the floor in the opener.
Atlanta also has to get something offensively from Dyson Daniels. He finished with just four points on 2-of-7 shooting, missing both of his attempts from beyond the arc. He’s going to be on the floor regardless because he’s the Hawks’ best defensive option against Brunson, but he doesn’t need to score 20. If he can give them 10–15 points, that could be the difference in these tight games.
It’s never ideal to drop Game 1, especially after the long buildup, but the Hawks didn’t play particularly well in any phase and still had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. In a seven-game series, the goal is simple: steal one on the road and handle business at home. That opportunity is still very much alive heading into Game 2.
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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
