Jalen Johnson's triple-double fuels Atlanta's dominant offense. Hawks' balanced attack and strong defense withstand late Knicks surge for crucial road victory.
The Atlanta Hawks played the kind of complete road game head coach Quin Snyder has been searching for, building a commanding lead and responding calmly to a late surge in a 111-99 win over the New York Knicks on Friday night.
Atlanta entered Madison Square Garden without Trae Young for a third straight game, but leaned into its defensive identity and ball movement to take control early and never relinquish it. The Hawks led by as many as 26 points late in the third quarter and carried a 24-point advantage into the fourth, giving themselves enough margin to withstand a Knicks rally.
For Snyder, the separation came from playing to Atlanta’s strengths.
“I think it was just playing the style of play that fits us,” Snyder said. “We have to defend. It felt like we were really scrapping to get rebounds, and that gives us a chance to get out in transition. We have some guys that really enjoy passing the ball, so we were able to generate some good shots. But as much as anything, we guarded.”
Jalen Johnson anchored that approach with his seventh triple-double of the season, finishing with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Johnson controlled tempo throughout, repeatedly collapsing the defense and finding shooters during Atlanta’s most decisive stretches.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu led the scoring with 23 points apiece. Okongwu added eight rebounds and five assists despite briefly leaving the game for treatment on a cut above his eye. Atlanta placed six players in double figures, including all five starters, as the Hawks punished defensive rotations with quick reads and unselfish play.
That balance showed up most clearly coming out of halftime. After closing the second quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 60-47 lead, Atlanta outscored New York 34-23 in the third quarter. Alexander-Walker’s layup with 1:14 left in the period capped the surge and gave the Hawks their largest lead at 94-68.
Vit Krejci and Zaccharie Risacher connected on back-to-back three-pointers during the run, and Johnson delivered one of the night’s defining sequences later in the quarter. Drawing four defenders along the baseline, he lofted a pass to Alexander-Walker in the corner for a three that pushed the lead to 88-64.
Snyder noted that when the Hawks moved the ball decisively, the game opened up for them.
“When we weren’t doing that and we got stagnant, that’s when they made their run,” Snyder said. “When we get out and play, those passes become very clear.”
The Knicks responded in the fourth, scoring 13 straight points to pull within single digits. Luke Kennard halted the momentum with consecutive three-pointers, and although New York cut the deficit to nine late, Atlanta closed the game with disciplined defense and timely stops.
Snyder was particularly pleased with how his team handled that moment.
“I think we didn’t panic,” he said. “Sometimes when the game slows down or a team is cutting into a lead, there’s a sense that you have to play slow. For us, it was important to keep the pedal down and keep attacking. But as much as anything, it was the key stops we made.”
Atlanta limited fouling during the closing minutes and stayed home on shooters, forcing New York’s primary scorers into contested looks.
“We made too many mistakes earlier, giving up threes where we over-helped,” Snyder said. “Brunson, Bridges and Anunoby draw that attention, and you’ve just got to stay home and make them hit contested twos. We also didn’t foul, which I think was a big thing.”
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a game-high 24 points, while OG Anunoby finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. New York shot just 9 of 43 from three-point range and lost consecutive games for the first time since late October.
Atlanta continues its road trip with a back-to-back miniseries in Toronto, beginning Saturday night against the Raptors.