The Knicks use a “desperate” mentality to make NBA Playoff history in Game 6: “We wanted to come out and close the series today”
It was a historic night for the Knicks in more ways than one.
New York defeated the Hawks in Game 6 of their first-round series on Thursday night, but the manner in which they did so was unprecedented as the Knicks set several postseason records in their 140-89 victory.
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The Knicks’ 140 points are the most in a postseason game in franchise history, but the dominant performance goes beyond that. New York blew the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history (47) and then had the largest lead in a playoff game in the play-by-play era (61).
And Knicks coaches and players would tell you it happened on both ends of the court.
“We had to keep them off the glass and keep them off transition,” the coach said Mike Brown said about the game. “Our guys did a good job tonight. Eight fast break points, 11 offensive rebounds… 14 second chance points. It’s a good night for the two key areas we’ve been talking about all series.”
“Above all, it shows us what we are capable of defensively,” Jalen Brunson said about the performance. “I think that’s really important. We still have a long way to go and get stuck in, and knowing what we’re capable of is important.”
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The Knicks defense held Atlanta to 38% shooting (26% from three) throughout the game, collecting 16 steals, six blocks and forcing 19 turnovers in the process.
What got the Knicks going was a fantastic first quarter. They outrebounded the Hawks 40-15, shooting 70 percent from the field compared to Atlanta’s 38 percent, but the defensive intensity shined. They forced eight turnovers and stole seven passes.
It was the kind of play you see from a team that’s trying to avoid elimination, not trying to clinch a series. But that’s what made Thursday night effective for the Knicks, they used that “desperate” mentality right from the start.
“Our mentality is to go out there and play desperate,” Mikal Bridges he said. “They’re a really good team, a good coach and they couldn’t get him any confidence, especially at home. Go out there and play desperately.”
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“Everyone was focused on the task at hand,” Josh Hart said of the beginning. “We were locked in, man… we were focused on having great attention to detail and getting out there and closing the game. That’s how we approached the game from the beginning and set the tone.”
The Knicks’ first quarter was great, but it spilled over into the second frame. New York went on a 63-11 run from 8:10 in the first quarter to 4:39 in the second quarter.
That helped them enter halftime with a 47-point lead and extend it to 61 points in the third quarter.
“It’s hard to replicate, duplicate. However, you want to say it. But our kids, their connectivity right now is off the charts,” Brown said. “When you focus on the details and are connected like that, when you have talent and versatility like that group, you have the ability to do it.”
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“It says a lot about our team,” he said Karl-Anthony City, who posted his second triple-double of the series on Thursday. “When we’re engaged, playing to our strengths, we’re really, really good. It’s about finding that version of us consistently in a seven-game series. Tapping into that version of us more often than not.”
The Knicks hope to build on this momentum in the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they will meet the Celtics or 76ers for another seven-game series.
Whoever they end up facing, the Knicks know what they are capable of and are now looking forward to the next round.
“It shows what kind of team we are, what we can be,” Hart said of the dominant win. “We knew we gave away two games, so we wanted to come out and close out the series today. And go from there.”