76ers Playoff Watch: Atlanta Hawks Lead New York Knicks After Game 3 Win

As the Philadelphia 76ers traveled to Washington, DC on Friday, the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks met down South and fired up their Game 3 battle. So far, this series between the Knicks and the Hawks have been a tight one.

In the first game last Sunday, the Knicks hosted their first playoff game since 2013. As expected, the environment at Madison Square Garden was extremely hostile. It was a challenge for Atlanta's young star, Trae Young, who was making his postseason debut and he rose to the occasion.

The Hawks upset the Knicks in Game 1 at The Garden. When Game 2 rolled around, it seemed Atlanta was on the path to making it happen again as they got a solid lead over the Knicks in the first half. However, New York battled back.

It was a tight race to the finish line, but the Knicks eventually picked up their first playoff win in eight years, tying the series up at one. On Friday, the setting changed. The Knicks traveled to Atlanta to face the Hawks at the State Farm Arena.

Unliked the previous two battles, the Knicks got off to a good start and outscored the Hawks in the first quarter. It was the veteran Derrick Rose who led the charge in the Knicks' starting lineup as he shot 5-8 from the field, collecting 11 points in 11 minutes.

But a small first-quarter lead only lasted so long. The Hawks rallied in the second quarter with a decent all-around team contribution on both offense and defense. Offensively, the Hawks put up nearly 30 points. Defensively, they held New York to just 13 points, as they shot only 25-percent from the field to close out the half.

The Knicks and the Hawks battled back and forth in the second-half, but the Knicks could never really get out in front and separate themselves Therefore, the 14-point cushion the Hawks had at halftime really paid off in the end.

When the clock struck zeros across the board, it was Atlanta that defeated the Knicks 105-94 in Game 3. With that victory, the Hawks take a one-game lead over the Knicks heading into Game 4, where they will host the competition once again.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.