The NBA playoff series between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks has quickly become a tightly contested battle. After two games, the series is tied, setting the stage for a crucial Game 3 in Atlanta.
Hawks Steal a Game Despite Key Players’ Struggles
Atlanta’s Game 2 victory is notable considering that two of their best players, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, did not perform to their usual standards. Johnson and Alexander-Walker shot just 23 of 60 in the first two games. Inside the arc, they were 15 of 37 (40.5 percent). Johnson struggled against the defense of Josh Hart, while Alexander-Walker had difficulty with the length of Mikal Bridges.
These two have been the biggest disappointments among the Hawks’ top seven players through two games. However, the other five have performed well.
CJ McCollum’s Emergence as a Villain
CJ McCollum has unexpectedly become a major antagonist at Madison Square Garden. His emergence has coincided with strategic offensive adjustments by the Hawks.
With Johnson and Alexander-Walker struggling, McCollum has stepped up. The Hawks seem to be intentionally focusing on exploiting mismatches, particularly targeting Jalen Brunson, New York’s weakest perimeter defender. McCollum repeatedly exploited this matchup late in Game 2.
The Hawks capitalised on this by isolating McCollum against Brunson. McCollum’s go-ahead floater with two minutes remaining occurred after Hart stayed attached to Johnson on a screen. On the subsequent possession, the Hawks bypassed the screen and had Alexander-Walker cut to the baseline, removing any potential double-team help, allowing McCollum to isolate and score on Brunson.
Other Notable Performances
- Onyeka Okongwu’s true shooting mark through two games is an impressive 82.4 percent.
- Dyson Daniels has been a monster on defense.
- Jonathan Kuminga was a game-changer in Game 2’s fourth quarter.
- Gabe Vincent has stayed out of the way.
To secure more victories, the Hawks need more from Johnson and Alexander-Walker. Alexander-Walker is only 4 of 16 on 2s in the two games and only has five free-throw attempts.