CJ McCollum fuels a stunning fourth-quarter comeback, snatching a Game Two victory and tying the series for the Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks are headed back to State Farm Arena with their first-round series against the New York Knicks tied at one apiece. Atlanta stormed back in the fourth quarter after being down eight points with six minutes left to play, and snatched a win in Madison Square Garden.
After finally getting a couple of crucial calls in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, CJ McCollum scored several clutch buckets down the stretch and finished with a game-high 32 points. Jalen Johnson, after struggling for the first three quarters, ended up turning in a solid game with 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
The Hawks were down as much as 14 points, and almost looked dead in the water halfway through the fourth quarter.
One of the more electric Hawks games this season, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
When it appeared Atlanta was down and out, McCollum took over and made clutch shot after clutch shot.
With five seconds left in the game, the Knicks got the last possession of the game, and Mikal Bridges missed a fade-away jumper.
Jonathan Kuminga was huge in the game two effort. He scored 19 points in 35 minutes, whereas Zaccharie Risacher played zero minutes, and did not appear on the injury report.
Jalen Brunson got buckets of his own, scoring 29 points in 35 minutes.
Another development in the series was Quin Snyder's utilization of Dyson Daniels. After not being able to score the basketball efficiently, Daniels was not used in the fourth quarter much and finished with 26 minutes.
The Hawks actually shot 49% from the field, but were out-rebounded 47-36. That's been a big issue in the early going in the series, guarding the Knicks big men at the point. New York was able to score 50+ points in the paint in game two.
The all-important game three is next. Atlanta is in the exact shape that they want to be in this series. New York turned the ball over 14 times, which became a big Achilles heel in the final four minutes of the game.