By: Jennifer Portee
4/20/2026
The Knicks kicked off their postseason under Mike Brown the way they finished last year with a statement win. Jalen Brunson dropped 28 points, Karl-Anthony Towns exploded for 19 of his 25 in the second half, and New York handled the Atlanta Hawks 113–102 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first‑round series.
Brunson was dialed in early, scoring 19 in the first quarter and making his first six shots to put the Knicks ahead 30‑24. He slowed a bit after the break, but Towns took over turning a quiet first half into a dominant second half that helped the Knicks take control down the stretch.
OG Anunoby added 18 points and Josh Hart pulled down 14 rebounds in New York’s first playoff game under Brown, who’s now guiding a team that made four straight postseason trips under Tom Thibodeau and reached the East finals last year for the first time since 2000.
The No. 3‑seeded Knicks host Game 2 on tonight, and Brunson knows the Hawks will be locked in. “We know that they’re going to be ready for Game 2,” he said. “Quick turnaround and extreme focus.”
CJ McCollum poured in 26 for Atlanta, and Jalen Johnson added 23, as the No. 6‑seeded Hawks tried to ride the momentum of a 20‑6 run after the All‑Star break.
The game started hot, with the Knicks making 8 of 9 early and the Hawks hitting 6 of 7, but the third quarter turned into a grind it out, physical battle. McCollum was hit with a technical after a leg kick into Brunson’s groin, and the Hawks intentionally fouled poor free‑throw shooter Mitchell Robinson, who went 1‑4 from the line.
By the time Atlanta got going again, the Knicks were already gone. A 10‑0 run led by a Towns three‑pointer, a three‑point play, and buckets from Jordan Clarkson and Gabe Vincent pushed the lead to 106‑87 with 4:30 left.
Atlanta rallied with 11 straight points to cut it to 106‑98, but Towns answered with a timely score to restore the double‑digit edge.
“I like the way we came back at the end of the game,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “They were resilient in that situation it was just too little, too late.”
One game down, series still very much alive. Be sure to tune in tonight for game 2 at 8:00pm EST on Peacock!