Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson combine for 53 points to lift Knicks past Hawks in Game 1
New York also had a quality defensive performance, which helped them pull away in the second half.
It was often an overlooked part of New York's playoff resume: The Knicks evolved into a good defensive team. Since the calendar flipped to Jan. 1, the Knicks have had the sixth-best defense in the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks found out about that. For the first 19 minutes of the second half, the Hawks scored just 32 points (14 fewer than the Knicks) on 37. 1% shooting and went 3-of-15 from 3-point range after New York cranked up the defensive pressure.
Even Karl-Anthony Towns was making defensive plays (and hitting some 3-pointers). KAT DOING IT ALL. 24 points, 8 boards, 3 blocks and this strip...
he's HYPED as the Knicks look to seal Game 1 at home! pic. twitter.