Content Layer: The 65-10 Run That Buried Atlanta in 18 Minutes
Atlanta led 9-5. Then the floor caved in. New York ripped a 65-10 run that ate the rest of the half, dragged Q1 to 40-15 on a closing 35-6 stretch, and pushed the halftime board to 83-36 — a 47-point gap that broke the NBA postseason record for largest halftime lead. The Hawks never crossed that ditch. By the third-quarter buzzer the score read 117-64; the fourth was a 12-minute formality.
OG Anunoby was the detonator. He scored 26 of his 29 points before halftime, finishing 11-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from three in 27 minutes, with 7 rebounds, 4 steals and a block. Mikal Bridges added 24 on 10-of-12 (83.3% FG) in a bounce-back close-out after a quiet series. Karl-Anthony Towns logged a 12 / 11 / 10 triple-double, his second of the series — making him the second Knick ever with multiple postseason triple-doubles, joining Walt Frazier (4).
Mike Brown's lineup shot 58.8% from the field and 36.1% from three while Quin Snyder's rotation collapsed under 38% shooting. New York outrebounded Atlanta 46-35 and posted 16 steals. Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels were ejected on offsetting techs after a first-half scuffle that broke out with the Knicks already up 50 — Anunoby's pair of free throws had just made it 50-point territory at 4:39 of Q2.
Key Numbers from the Series-Clinching Liquidation
- Halftime — NYK 83, ATL 36; +47 margin, the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history
- End of Q1 — NYK 40, ATL 15; Knicks closed the quarter on a 35-6 run after going down 9-5
- End of Q3 — NYK 117, ATL 64; +53 spread before bench-clearance time
- Final margin — NYK +51 (140-89); largest playoff win in Knicks franchise history
- Anunoby line — 29 pts on 11-14 FG (78.6%), 4-6 from three (66.7%), 7 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk in 27 min; 26 of 29 in the first half
- Bridges line — 24 pts on 10-12 FG (83.3%), bounce-back close-out after series slump
- Towns line — 12 / 11 / 10 triple-double, 3 stl, 1 blk in 28 min; 2nd of series, only Walt Frazier (4) has more in Knicks postseason history
- Brunson line — 17 pts, 8 ast, 1-6 from three; following his 39-pt G5 on 15-23 shooting
- Field-goal split — NYK 58.8% vs ATL sub-38%; Knicks 36.1% from three
- Rebounds — 46-35 NYK · Steals — 16 NYK
- Bench depth — 15-of-15 Knicks scored; full roster on the board
- Series shape — NYK trailed 2-1, won three straight by an average of 30+ points
| Player | Team | Line | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| OG Anunoby | NYK · F | 29 pts · 11-14 FG · 4-6 3PT · 4 stl | ↑ Detonator |
| Mikal Bridges | NYK · F | 24 pts · 10-12 FG (83.3%) | ↑ Bounce-back closer |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | NYK · C | 12 / 11 / 10 · 3 stl · 28 min | ↑ 2nd triple-double of series |
| Jalen Brunson | NYK · G | 17 pts · 8 ast · 1-6 3PT | ↑ Distributor mode |
| Quin Snyder (HC) | ATL · bench | 51-pt loss · sub-38% FG | ⇓ Offseason starts |
| Robinson / Daniels | NYK / ATL | Ejected Q2 · offsetting techs | ⚠ Garbage-time scuffle at +50 |
Link Layer: The Fallout
Atlanta is out. The #6 Hawks held a 2-1 lead and lost three straight, capped by a 51-point home liquidation and zero second-half answer once Anunoby ran the half on his own. Quin Snyder's offseason starts now — with a sub-38% shooting night and a 65-10 lights-out stretch as the postmortem. Atlanta's 83-36 deficit at halftime is the largest the franchise has ever faced in a postseason game.
The Knicks lock a fourth straight Eastern Conference Semifinals berth. Mike Brown gets two extra days of rest, a healthy Anunoby on a 4-of-6 three-point night, and a Towns who just stacked back-to-back triple-doubles in elimination territory. The rotation enters round two intact, with all 15 names on the scoresheet and no third-quarter minutes burned by starters.
The 4-2 close moves the East Semis bracket forward without New York burning a Game 7. Their opponent is the survivor of Celtics-76ers, tied 3-3 after Philadelphia's 106-93 Game 6 win in Philadelphia. Game 7 is Saturday May 2 at TD Garden, time TBD. Boston defends home court for round-two seeding; Philadelphia has won the last two and rides Maxey's 30-point Game 6.
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