Knicks use third-quarter spurt to down Hawks in Game 1

Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the decisive third-quarter run for the host New York Knicks, who pulled away for a 113-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Saturday night.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Monday night in New York.

Jalen Brunson scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter for the third-seeded Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last year for the first time since 2000. Towns finished with 25 points and was 10 of 10 from the free throw line while Anunoby collected 18 points.

Josh Hart (11 points, 14 rebounds) posted a double-double while Mikal Bridges added 11 points.

CJ McCollum scored 26 points for the Hawks, who earned the sixth seed in their first trip to the playoffs since 2023. Jalen Johnson had 23 points while Onyeka Okongwu (19) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17) each scored in double figures. Dyson Daniels had 11 rebounds.

The Hawks led by four in the first quarter but never led again after Anunoby's free throw put the Knicks ahead 24-23 with 2:29 left. New York matched its biggest lead of the quarter when Brunson ended the period with a floater to put the hosts up 30-24.

The Knicks opened a trio of 11-point leads in the second before the Hawks mounted a 19-8 run to tie the score at 48-all on McCollum's floater with 3:43 left. Anunoby answered with a dunk for New York, which ended the half with a 57-55 lead.

Okongwu hit a 3-pointer 1:48 into the third to tie the score for the final time at 58-all before Towns and Anunoby drained their 3-pointers to spark a decisive 15-5 run that ended with a Bridges dunk with 5:31 left. The Hawks got within five once before New York concluded the quarter ahead 83-74.

The Hawks inched no closer than seven in the fourth, when the Knicks went on a 10-0 run to expand their lead to 106-87 with 4:36 remaining. Atlanta scored the next 11 points, but the teams traded empty possessions before Towns' layup gave New York a double-digit lead again with 48 seconds left.