Knicks rally in third quarter to take down Hawks

The New York Knicks turned things around in a big way at Madison Square Garden on MLK Day, overcoming a halftime deficit to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 119-110. Powered by Jalen Brunson’s 34-point performance and Mikal Bridges’ efficient 26 points, the Knicks used a dominant third quarter to flip the script and secure a much-needed win.

Brunson was locked in all night, hitting 12 of his 18 shots en route to his 68th career game with 30 or more points as a Knick. Bridges wasn’t far behind, shooting 12-of-17 from the field. Together, they fueled a 40-27 third-quarter surge that turned an eight-point halftime deficit (62-54) into a five-point lead heading into the fourth.

“It was a big win for us.”

– Jalen Brunson

Karl-Anthony Towns also made his presence felt. While his stat line—13 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists—wasn’t jaw-dropping, his timely three-pointer with just under six minutes to play extended the Knicks’ lead to 110-100, their first double-digit cushion of the game. That shot proved to be the dagger that Atlanta couldn’t recover from.

Coach Tom Thibodeau used a tighter nine-man rotation but gave his bench significant minutes, totaling 59 minutes across the second unit. Cameron Payne led the bench effort with 10 points, and every reserve logged at least 12 minutes, a refreshing change from the usual heavy reliance on the starters. OG Anunoby, however, was the lone exception, playing over 40 minutes—raising questions about whether Thibodeau is finally rethinking his approach to starter-heavy rotations.

On the other side, Trae Young embraced his role as the Garden Villain once again, leading the Hawks with 27 points. However, he faltered when it counted most, scoring just 4 points in the final quarter. Young, who had added fuel to the rivalry with his dice-rolling celebration on the Knicks logo after Atlanta’s last win at MSG, couldn’t repeat the magic, much to the delight of the home crowd. This time, the Knicks got their revenge.

The numbers told an interesting story. Despite being outshot from beyond the arc (9-of-26 compared to Atlanta’s 13-of-30) and outrebounded 41-39, the Knicks’ 52% shooting from the field and their ability to capitalize on mistakes proved decisive. The Hawks committed 24 turnovers, which led to 29 Knicks points, while the Knicks turned the ball over 16 times, conceding just 19 points in return.

This win marks the Knicks’ fourth in their last 10 games, a small but welcome recovery after the team’s grueling 9-1 stretch earlier in the season. The resilience and balanced effort shown in this victory could be just what the Knicks need to regain their momentum moving forward.

For now, it’s a satisfying win for New York—and a little sweet revenge on Trae Young and the Hawks.

Up-next: The Knicks (28-16) will play tonight in Brooklyn against the Nets (14-29)