The Atlanta Hawks secured Game 1 in a 107-105 victory against the New York Knicks on Trae Young’s game-winning floater after a complete dog fight in Madison Square Garden.
This was arguably the most energizing and entertaining Game 1 that was played in the first round of the playoffs as 15,000 fans rocked Madison Square Garden. The 15,000 fans in attendance were expected to be the largest indoor event in New York since the start of the Pandemic, according to ESPN reporter Malika Andrews.
Knicks fans came out the gate heckling Trae Young by chanting “F— Trae Young” and almost setting a level of nervousness for both teams.
The Hawks got out to an early 11-point lead in the first quarter as Young and company simply outworked the Knicks in the paint through pick and roll sets featuring Clint Capela and John Collins. De’Andre Hunter got his second straight start since rehabbing from his knee injury as he began the game defensively on Julius Randle, holding him to 3 points on 20 percent shooting before being subbed out.
This matchup saw a variety of odd rotations between head coaches Nate McMillan and Tom Thibodeau as both leaned on their bench play for most of the second quarter. As the Hawks bench maintained their lead at arm’s length, the Knicks bench fed off the crowd and rallied as they cut the Hawk’s 11-point lead to two at halftime. New York’s bench scored 34 of their 50 first-half points after the starters shot 26 percent (7-26 Fg) from the field in the first quarter. The Knicks’ bench finished the game outscoring the Hawks’ bench 64 to 31 as they fueled the Knicks throughout the entire game.
The trio of Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, and Alec Burks proved to be deadly against a composed Atlanta defense that had fared well against the starters. Burks went on to finish the game with 27 points, leading all scorers for the Knicks.
The third quarter proved to be the best defensive quarter throughout the games as both teams were held to under 25 points. The Hawks saw offensive spurts from Trae Young as he scored eight straight points at one point, and Lou Williams went on a 5-0 run by himself to end the quarter.
With all the marbles on the table in the final five minutes, this game was second to none other than Game 1 of the Bucks and Heat. The Hawks and Knicks continued to trade baskets as Trae Young continued to draw fouls in the paint as he’s done all year. After two free throws from Young, Derrick Rose hit the game-tying shot to tie it at 105 as Madison Square Garden erupted. Trae Young went on to end the game on a floater with 0.9 seconds left to give Atlanta the victory as the final shot by Julius Randle fell short.
Randle, who averaged 37 points per game against the Hawks throughout the regular season finished with just 15 points and 12 rebounds on under 30 percent shooting (6-23 Fg).
Trae Young ended the night with 32 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds as he became the first player to have 25 points and 10 assists in their playoff debut since Derrick Rose in 2009, according to ESPN analyst Kirk Goldsberry.
NBA fans can expect the same energy in Madison Square Garden as the Hawks will play Game 2 against the Knicks on Wednesday.
For more NBA coverage, click here.
