New York took complete control of this one over Atlanta from the outset, winning by a score of 140-89.
The New York Knicks just put the rest of the Eastern Conference on notice. New York walked into Atlanta on Thursday night and did something no team in NBA playoff history had ever done before in taking a 47-point halftime lead over the Hawks.
By the end of the contest, the Knicks had cruised to a 140-89 final, and punched their ticket to the second round with the biggest playoff victory in franchise history. The 51-point margin tied for the sixth-largest in NBA postseason history. Atlanta never had a chance.
New York shot over 60% from the field and 44% from three in the first half alone, scoring an unbelievable 83 points while holding Atlanta to just 36. The Hawks turned it over 14 times before halftime. At one point, OG Anunoby by himself had outscored the entire Atlanta team.
If you looked at the scoreboard three minutes in to the second quarter, you would've seen the scoreboard read a logic-defying 50-16 score. The Knicks were down 11-9 to the Hawks midway through the first, then went on a 41-5 run after that.
Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesAnunoby Had A Strong Outing
OG Anunoby showed out in this one. He has been one of the most important players on this roster all season, and he reminded all the national television viewers of that on Thursday. Anunoby finished with 29 points in just 27 minutes, doing the bulk of his damage in a first half that Atlanta will want to forget as quickly as possible.
He ended that half with 26 points on his own, which tells you everything you need to know about how completely this game got away from the Hawks. Mikal Bridges, who had struggled to find his rhythm throughout this series, finally broke through with 16 points in the first half alone.
He finished with 24, topping his previous series high of 11. Karl-Anthony Towns posted his second triple-double of the series with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Jalen Brunson didn't even need to carry this one.
The Knicks were so dominant that their starters were done with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter, and New York had already crossed 100 points with over eight minutes still left to play.
What Comes Next for the Knicks
New York will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That's a significant step up in competition no matter which team comes out of that matchup. A rematch with Boston would certainly be interesting, and Philly looks as dangerous as ever with Joel Embiid in the lineup.
But the Knicks are rolling. They found their identity after dropping that 2-1 series deficit to the Hawks early on, won three straight games, and closed it out in historic fashion. A performance like Thursday's does something for a team's collective confidence that's hard to put a number on.
The city has been waiting since 1973 for a championship. There's still a long road ahead, but the Knicks have the talent to reach the NBA mountaintop, and they reminded us all of that with this monumentally impressive win.