This is Hawkward: Knicks' Big Lead Vanishes vs. Atlanta
Halloween has come and gone, but the New York Knicks were subjected to yet another scare from a familiar haunter.
Despite losing star scorer Trae Young to a left eye contusion in the second half and falling behind by as much as 23, the Atlanta Hawks swooped into Madison Square Garden and earned a victory, flipping the script in a 112-99 final. The Knicks (3-4) dropped its third consecutive contest and suffered its first defeat in Manhattan this season after a 3-0 start.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points while Immanuel Quickley shattered his career-best with 16 rebounds off the bench.
Things couldn't have gone better for the Knicks in the early going: Young shot 2-of-12 in the first quarter while the Knicks ended the frame on a 14-2 run. An RJ Barrett just before the midway mark of the second gave the Knicks a 51-28 lead, seemingly putting them on pace to keep their Garden perfection alive. Though Atlanta sliced the lead down to eight by the halftime break, progress appeared to be stifled when Young had to go to the locker room when he was accidentally poked in the eye.
Dejoute Murray, however, dominated on both sides of the ball while Young recovered He previously planted the seeds for a comeback with 18 points over the latter portions in the second quarter and later partook in a defensive effort that saw the Knicks lose 10 turnovers in the third frame ... matching their point total over that 12-minute period.
After getting outscored 32-10 in the third, the Knicks inched back in as close as 10 thanks to a wild triple from Quickley. But with Young back on the floor, clad in protective eyewear, and Murray contributing on all sides, Atlanta (5-3) pulled away and earned a victory in the final leg of a five-game road trip. Murray's 36 points set a new career-high while John Collins had 13 rebounds with Mitchell Robinson once again landing in foul trouble.
The Knicks return to action on Friday night, hitting the road to battle the Philadelphia 76ers (7 p.m. ET, MSG). Their first chance for revenge against Atlanta lands on Dec. 7 at MSG.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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