Towns Delivers, Knicks Even Series at Two
A 20-10-10 triple-double from KAT sends Game 5 back to Madison Square Garden
Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 20-point triple-double and the Knicks blew out the Hawks 114-98 in Game 4 to even this first-round series 2-2. New York had dropped two straight, including a one-point gut-punch in Game 2, before finding their game in Atlanta. The series heads back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on April 28.
Towns was the story but OG Anunoby was the engine. Anunoby was masterful defensively, keeping Hawks players off the rim and shutting down Atlanta's transition attack. New York finally looked like the team that earned the three-seed.
CJ McCollum had been the series villain, taking over in clutch moments in Games 2 and 3 to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. He and the rest of the Hawks couldn't find answers Thursday against the Knicks' rotation defense. Jalen Johnson, who went for 24 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3, was largely a non-factor in the blowout.
Game 5 is the reset. New York has home court, a defense that finally clicked and a Towns triple-double to build on. Atlanta still has McCollum series experience and the knowledge that they've already stolen one on the road this postseason.