Knicks in Completely New Place with Bench After 2 Playoff Games

New York's strength has quickly become a weakness.

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles as New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) defends during the second half of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, which the New York Knicks learned the hard way on Monday night.

The Knicks likely feel somewhat beaten up after watching their opening-round lead disappear in a flash with a 107-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2. Despite holding a seven-point lead at halftime, the Knicks couldn't hold on to close out the game, forcing head coach Mike Brown to figure out how to get his team back on track as the first-round series shifts to Atlanta.

Monday's defeat is ripe with concerns, with the New York bench's performance being among the most glaring. What was once a source of the Knicks' success has quickly become detrimental in this postseason, playing a big role in why they're heading into Game 3 tied rather than boasting a 2-0 series lead.

Knicks' bench is imploding at worst possible time

When the 2025-26 season began, the Knicks' bench was supposed to be a strength. Their impressive reserve depth was supposed to keep the starters fresh for the postseason, hopefully increasing New York's chances of going on a deep run to the NBA Finals.

Fast forward to now, when the Knicks' backups are struggling to produce against the Hawks, putting more pressure on the starters to get the job done. Not only does the bench's underwhelming performance cause unnecessary strain on the starters, but it also makes Brown's life harder as he'll have less confidence to put certain individuals on the court.

Game 2 saw the Knicks' bench combine for just 20 points while shooting 9-of-19 (47.4%) and 0-of-4 from three-point range, all while posting a minus-20 plus-minus. It doesn't help that the unit notched five fouls and coughed up the ball six times, nor does the fact that the underperforming trio of Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride scored zero points between them.

That performance comes after NY's bench put up 20 points on .421/.333/.750 shooting splits in Game 1. Clearly, something isn't working.

New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) dribbles up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at Madison Square Garden. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Mitchell Robinson is the only player from the Knicks' bench who's consistently earned his minutes so far. The veteran big man is averaging 8.0 points without having missed a field goal, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while playing 16.5 minutes per outing. Beyond his performance, though, New York's backups have offered little to be excited about.

Even then, Robinson was still a minus-10 during Monday's loss, so it isn't as if he's been flawless. At the same time, there's only so much he can do when those around him aren't producing.

Comeback won't happen if the status quo remains

Turnovers and free-throw blunders also played roles in the Knicks' latest loss, so it isn't fair to blame everything on the bench. Still, things won't get better until the supporting cast steps up.

The good news is that, despite the bench's shortcomings, the Knicks are still firmly in this series. They've also won eight of their last 10 trips to Atlanta, including the last three in a row, meaning that their fate is far from sealed even if momentum is on the Hawks' side.

With that being said, New York can't continue operating this way.

Even if it puts more pressure on the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks must deploy their starters as often as possible to regain the series lead. The bench clearly isn't performing up to snuff, and there's no sense in forcing something if it isn't working. Brown is known for his creativity, and now it's time to put it to the test.

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The fact that Brunson and Towns only played 35 and 34 minutes, respectively, in Game 2 is absurd. In other words, the Knicks were without two of their best players for nearly 25% of a crucial playoff game. Starting the second quarter without them, their nine-point lead disappeared in a flash. Considering how the duo made a positive impact during their minutes, it isn't hard to imagine how an extra shift could've helped New York avoid a collapse and take a 2-0 series lead.

After collapsing at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks need to stand up, dust themselves off and remember what got them to the playoffs in the first place. All ideas to get there, such as limiting any struggling veteran's minutes or giving someone like Tyler Kolek a legitimate shot to play, should be on the table.

The bench can be as strong and effective as it once was, but getting there may require throwing the starters into the fire more often. A tied series is the perfect opportunity to tighten the rotation, putting the ball in the Knicks' court to do the right thing.