Three Key Takeaways From Knicks’ Game 4 Win Over the Hawks
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images The New York Knicks made a huge comeback on Saturday night. They defeated the Atlanta Hawks 114–98 and tied the first-round playoff series at 2-2. After losing two games in a row, New York was focused, physical, and determined when they came out of the locker room.
Here are three things we discovered after Game 4. The Knicks Always Need a Wakeup Call This team seems to play its best basketball when its back is against the wall. After dropping Games 2 and 3, including a gut-wrenching 109–108 loss where they blew a late lead, the Knicks came into Atlanta with something to prove.
And they did exactly that. From the jump ball at tip-off, New York set the tone. They built leads in every quarter, ran sharp offensive sets, and defended with urgency.
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a postseason triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), and OG Anunoby exploded for 22 points. The Knicks ‘ real character – tough, deep, and disciplined – was revealed the moment they felt the pressure. This is quite reassuring, but at the same time, it is slightly worrying as we are moving towards a winner-takes-all series.
Mikal Bridges Needs to Be Under 20 Minutes Dale Zanine-Imagn Images We all know that Mikal Bridges is not producing right now when the playoffs come to the biggest moments. After a scoreless performance, coupled with a shocking minus-26, the Knicks understandably reduced his time on the floor in Game 4. Though he scored a couple of times in the first half, his defensive mistakes and offensive struggles make him a risk in crunch time.