Hawks Clip Knicks Thanks to a Brutal Second Half
Many a sports team, both amateur and professional, has undoubtedly heard the mantra "it's not about how you start, it's how you finish." That axiom proved all too literal for the New York Knicks on Friday night at State Farm Arena.
New York shot just under 70 percent over the first 24 minutes of their battle with Atlanta, but hit only 19 field goals the rest of the way, allowing the hosting Hawks to roll to a 139-124 victory.
Dejounte Murray had 29 points for the Hawks, spearheading a comeback effort against the Knicks for the second time this season. Assisted by 27 from Trae Young, Murray's efforts have helped the Hawks (24-22) inch closer toward the Knicks in the postseason standings: with its fifth win a row, Atlanta is just a half-game behind both the Knicks for the top seed in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament and the Miami Heat for the sixth and final automatic playoff spot.
Burdened with a cold second half, the Knicks (25-22) dropped their third game in a row. After mustering a 59 percent effort from the field, Friday marked only the fourth time in franchise history where the team shot at least 59 percent and still lost the game (a bittersweet achievement not seen since February 2005 against Sacramento).
Speaking of streaks snapped, Julius Randle failed to earn a double-double for the first time in 13 games, falling one rebound short despite his 32-point effort.
RJ Barrett wasn't far behind Randle in scoring with 23 points and Jalen Brunson added 19 more. Jericho Sims, thrust into the starting lineup for the injured Mitchell Robinson, hit all six of his attempts while Immanuel Quickley was 5-for-5 off the bench.
But in another time-honored sports tradition gone wrong for the Knicks, it's said that defense wins championship ... and it lost the Knicks the game. The 56 percent shooting effort and 139 points were each the second-worst allowed by the Knicks this season, behind only the Nov. 13 disaster against Oklahoma City. Atlanta saved the best for last, sealing the deal and jumping out to a lead that reached as high as 19 with a 37-23 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Randle was held scoreless over the final frame after helping the Knicks overcome a 13-point tally deficit in the third period, one that saw him score 17 alone. Atlanta then buried the Knicks with a 20-4 run over the first half of the fourth period, with Murray and reserve Onyeka Okongwu (who matched 14 points alongside Bogdan Bogdanovic) putting six each during that span.
New York and Atlanta will do battle one more time on Feb. 15. In the meantime, the Knicks close out a busy weekend on Sunday evening against the Toronto Raptors (6 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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