CJ McCollum walks down Knicks, outduels Jalen Brunson in brutal Game 2 loss

And when Brunson tried to rescue the Knicks one more time in the final minutes, McCollum met him shot for shot, possession for ...

For most of Monday night, Jalen Brunson kept answering. Then CJ McCollum took the last word, and with it, took home-court advantage right out of Madison Square Garden. Every time the Knicks looked ready to exhale in Game 2, McCollum dragged Atlanta back into it.

And when Brunson tried to rescue the Knicks one more time in the final minutes, McCollum met him shot for shot, possession for possession. What had been shaping up as a 2-0 Knicks lead heading to Atlanta instead became a 107-106 loss, a split series and a fourth quarter the Knicks are going to have to sit with for two days. Brunson finished with 29 points and seven assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and eight rebounds, with 14 of those points coming in the third quarter after another quiet opening half. Mitchell Robinson gave the Knicks a huge lift off the bench with a playoff career-high 13 points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. McCollum led Atlanta with 32 points, three rebounds and six assists.