Atlanta Hawks: Takeaways From Wild Win Over Knicks
The Atlanta Hawks outlasted the New York Knicks in an exciting four-overtime roller-coaster ride. What stood out most from the win?
Has everyone’s breathing and heartbeat returned to a normal level? That’s okay, me neither. That was about as crazy as a sporting event can get. In case you went on a picnic with your family on Sunday, the Atlanta Hawks took down the New York Knicks in a game that went to four overtimes. Heck, it nearly went to a fifth overtime.
It was a game the Hawks seemed destined to lose several times during the extra sessions, but somehow they battled back to win. In our preview I predicted a low-scoring slug-fest. I was dead wrong. This one was a high-scoring shootout.
Though, with efficiency dipping in overtime, the final shooting numbers won’t show how well played this game was through regulation. By the end of the game the tired legs were apparent. The Hawks shot 43.7 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from outside, while the Knicks shot 39.8 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from three-point range.
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The Knicks controlled the first half, leading 65-61 at half-time. The Hawks outscored the Knicks by four points in the second half to force overtime. The teams then played dead even through three overtime periods. The deadlock was finally broken by the end of the fourth overtime.
The Hawks held a 142-139 lead with seven seconds left in the fourth overtime. Courtney Lee got an open look from the corner to tie the game, but it just missed as the buzzer sounded. We were just inches away from a fifth overtime that nobody wanted to play.
Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 45 points. Brandon Jennings had 18 points and Courtney Lee added 17. Former Hawk Justin Holiday excelled for New York. Holiday finished with 15 points and shot 5-for-13 from three-point range. Kristaps Porzingis had 15 points and five rebounds before fouling out.
Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 37 points. Dennis Schroder chipped in with 23 points, while Kent Bazemore scored 24 points on 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range. Tim Hardaway Jr. struggled with his outside shot, but still managed to pour in 19 points, dish out eight assists, and grab five rebounds.
This game was survival of the fittest. In the end it might have come down to who wasn’t on the floor. The Knicks lost Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis to foul trouble, while Atlanta still had Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder on the floor during crunch-time.
It was a wild showdown that both teams deserved to win. Let’s take a look at what stood out the most from this four overtime thrill-ride.