Hawks-Knicks Game 5 highlights: Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are a problem
In a decisive Game 5, facing a host of celebrities and former New York Knicks legends, the Knicks did their best to guarantee that Madison Square Garden was in style. In what felt like their most complete team effort, the Knicks had the right mindset to control the game from start to finish on both ends, winning 126-97.
The Hawks played, but it was a reminder that the two games the Knicks have lost in this series have been by a combined two points. The Knicks responded with two straight games holding the Hawks under 100 points. What was once a 2-1 deficit became a 3-2 lead. Let’s talk about.
One of the hardest parts of being a “bottom seed” is the effort you have to put in to eliminate your opponent’s best players. You have to plan for their individual tendencies and build a pattern to keep them off the beat. The Hawks found success by moving pieces around the board, mixing up defensive coverages and working to force both of New York’s stars to work to find success. The problem is when they find it.
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In Game 5, they did.
Jalen Brunson scored 39 points and eight assists on 15-for-23 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns went 5-for-7, but finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Putting all the effort into upsetting a team’s stars only to put everything back on the table at the end of a series is deflate.
Cities continued to have an impact. The Knicks’ off-ball movement allowed him to get involved, but in this case he had the right mentality. Timely drives, timely pops, timely passes. The Hawks started the game by switching Onyeka Okongwu to OG Anunoby and Dyson Daniels to KAT, who was able to mix in some drives from the elbow with some post-ups. The big key was that the Hawks decided they needed to double-team him, opening up another avenue for the Knicks to put the Hawks in the rotation.
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Brunson may garner criticism for his style of play, but on nights like this you just have to grab your favorite beverage and compare it to the coolness of what Brunson is showing. He showed a willingness to (try to) drive against Daniels, and you felt Brunson’s comfort in how the Hawks worked to defend him.
The best moment came when Mike Brown reversed the rotation and kept Brunson on the field to start the fourth quarter. He worked a two-man game with Mitchell Robinson to target the Hawks’ rotations and then… he kept working. The best players tend to be the pressure points in the playoffs, and when they hit the right notes you have to work to reach the ropes.
A complete team effort by the Knicks
The Knicks’ command on both ends of the floor was felt all night. There was an intent in attack. Flow. Time. Work towards a secondary action. It seemed like they had gone from being a one-and-done team to remaining determined to force the Hawks into multiple defensive efforts. The commitment to movements and actions without the ball helped them find the mix. Everyone felt involved, everyone kept working and the proof is in the pudding. They shot 60% or better in the first and fourth quarters and 52% in the second.
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Defensively, there was a level of activity, physicality and strength that hadn’t been consistent throughout the series. Make no mistake, the Hawks are a dangerous offensive team. But the Knicks worked to not let the Hawks establish their style of play. Consistently scoring basketball forces the Hawks to play half-court, but limiting them to four fastbreak points seemed critical.
The Hawks wanted to put Brunson in action knowing the Knicks didn’t want to change. What they didn’t know is that the Knicks were busy flying and rotating to take away openings. Josh Hart’s defense on CJ McCollum was important, KAT ran more aggressive pick-and-roll coverages against him. Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker have yet to find a consistent rhythm, and the Hawks couldn’t find the pressure points in this one. Credit to the Knicks defense for their efforts in protecting the paint, shutting down shooters and working to contain dribble penetration.
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What is the future of Atlanta?
The good news for Atlanta is that it will be able to return home to try to save the series. The bad news is that elimination games can be weird. Atlanta needs to work on making Brunson and Towns more uncomfortable and taking the Knicks deeper down the clock. Get those stops and push.
On the other hand, the Hawks will have to operate in the half court, find pressure points to hit the Knicks defense and return to their mixture of ball movement and shooting. They need to find ways to play outside the game, establish lateral movements and Then rely on the individual talents of McCollum, NAW and Johnson to get over the top. The formula is there, but if this turns out to be a double trouble, the Hawks could fly to Cancun.