Atlanta Hawks Live Coverage in Game Three of NBA Playoffs First Round vs Knicks

Will the Hawks take down the Knicks tonight? Follow along with our live coverage from State Farm Arena to see who takes home the pivotal game three

Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) controls the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the third quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

4th Quarter

7:11 4Q- Hawks lead the Knicks 96-92. Atlanta's offense has been slow to get going to start the 4th

3rd Quarter

Hawks lead the Knicks 88-80 after three.

After a quiet first half, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has exploded for 11 points in the third quarter. Hawks lead 82-71 with three minutes left in the third

2nd Quarter

End of the first half: Hawks lead the Knicks 58-50

Excellent first half for Atlanta. New York made a run at the end of the half to get it to under double digits, but Hawks have to like how they have played for the most part.

6:58- Hawks lead the Knicks 44-34. New York's gotten a couple of second chance buckets and been able to stay in the game

1st Quarter

End of the first quarter: Hawks lead the Knicks 33-21. Excellent defensive quarter for the Hawks and Jonathan Kuminga leads Atlanta with 10 points.

Mo Gueye is getting the first backup center minutes of the evening, checking in for Onyeka Okongwu. Hawks lead the Knicks 22-13 with under two minutes to go in the first quarter

Gabe Vincent and Jonathan Kuminga are the first subs for the Hawks tonight. Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride are the first subs for the Knicks

5:36 1Q- Hawks lead the Knicks 13-9. 7-0 run for Atlanta and Mike Brown calls a timeout for NYK

8:07 1Q- Knicks lead the Hawks 7-4. 1-5 start from the field for Atlanta

Some early matchup assigments:

Dyson Daniels is guarding Jalen Brunson (guarded KAT last game) and Onyeka Okongwu is back guarding KAT. On the other end, Jalen Brunson is guarding Dyson Daniels.

Pregame

Starting lineup for the Hawks tonight:

G- CJ McCollum

G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F- Dyson Daniels

F- Jalen Johnson

C- Onyeka Okongwu

Tipoff is getting closer between the Hawks and the Knicks in what is a very pivotal game three for both teams.

The Hawks enter Game 3 off a 107-106 Game 2 victory inside Madison Square Garden. Atlanta held New York to just 15 points in the final frame, shooting 5-22 from the field and 3-11 from deep. It was the first time the Hawks had held their opponent to 15 points or fewer in a single playoff quarter since 6/2/21, also against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (15, 3rd quarter). It was also the first time Atlanta held its opponent to 15 points or fewer in the final quarter of a playoff game since 5/22/15 vs. Cleveland (10 points).

In the first two games of this series, CJ McCollum is averaging 29.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 block in 34.5 minutes (.548 FG%), marking the first time in his career he's averaged at least 29.0 points, 3.0 boards, 3.0 helpers, 1.0 steal, and 1.0 block over two playoff games, per Stathead. He tallied 32 points on 12-22 shooting from the field in Atlanta's Game 2 victory, in addition to six assists, three rebounds, one block, and two steals in 35 minutes of play, becoming the first Hawk to post those numbers in a playoff game since at least 1982-83.

Jonathan Kuminga led all bench scoring in Atlanta's Game 2 win, finishing with 19 points on 7-12 shooting from the floor, four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block in 35 minutes off the bench, becoming the first Hawks bench player to record 19+ points on .550%-or-better from the field since Bogdan Bogdanovic on 4/19/22. It marked the fourth time in Kuminga's playoff career that he's poured in 19 or more points in a single game. In two contests so far, he's averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.0 steal in 30.7 minutes (.526 FG%).

Jalen Johnson notched 17 points on 6-12 shooting from the field against New York in Game 2, in addition to eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 36 minutes of play. In the second half alone, the 2026 NBA All-Star and All-NBA candidate secured 13 points on 6-8 shooting from the field, to go along with five rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes. Johnson is just the sixth Hawk in the play-by-play era to finish the second half of a playoff game with 10+ points and 5+ rebounds on .750 FG% and the first to do so since John Collins on 6/23/21.