Knicks Set Records And The Record Straight About Whose Conference It Is

The Knicks squawked loudly about being the team to beat in the East.

Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) and New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) and guard Jalen Brunson (11) reach for a rebound in the first half during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In one of the most overpowering performances in NBA playoff history, the New York Knicks put the league on notice in their series-clinching 140-89 drubbing of the Atlanta Hawks, becoming the first team to advance in the Eastern Conference. The 51-point victory was the largest margin for a playoff win in franchise history and third -biggest beatdown in a closeout game in league history.

The series should've never made it this far, but it did thanks to the Knicks becoming the first team ever to lose consecutive playoff games by a single point in regulation. The Knicks saved their best basketball for the last three games, winning by 16, 29 and 51 points. The +105 point differential in the series was an NBA record for a 6-game series. Only two playoff series have had a larger point differential.

The Knicks became the first road team in the NBA play-by-play era to score 100 points before the home team scored 50. They had a 40-15 edge at the end of the first and 83-36 lead at the half, the largest halftime difference ever in a playoff game. It was about as perfect a game as can be played.

New York should be the new consensus favorite in a wide-open Eastern Conference

New York went on a 67-13 run to take a 50-point lead. The run ballooned to a 71-16 massacre following a Nickeil Alexander-Walker three-pointer put Atlanta up 9-5 three minutes in. The Knicks had leads of 60-19, tripling Atlanta’s total, and 101-40, the first 61-point lead in the play-by-play era.

Mike Breen, the longtime voice of the NBA and forever voice of the Knicks, referred to the scoreboard by saying, "If you're just tuning in, that is not a graphic glitch."

Despite two mostly carefree victories in Games 4 and 5, where the Knicks outscored Atlanta by 45-points, the team hadn’t really dropped an avalanche on the Hawks. This was another level and everyone from the coaching staff down to the players – all 15 guys that saw that floor got on the scorer’s sheet - deserves credit.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) takes a shot against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during the third quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jalen Brunson set the stage by burying the first shot of the game. Karl-Anthony Towns secured his second triple-double in three games, despite taking a measly four shots. OG Anunoby scored 26 first-half points and was a two-way force of nature. Even the much-maligned Mikal Bridges scored 24 points, his most since April 1 and just the second time he’s eclipsed the 20-point plateau since the All-Star break.

The Knicks going down 2-1 in the series might've been the wake-up call that was needed to flip the switch on. Coach Mike Brown has gotten more KAT-centric and figured out more creative ways to get Brunson the ball. They group is playing sharper and more physical defensively.

The captain is learning to play within himself and that’s unlocked something special. This version of the Knicks can do something special and is arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference.

New York has the luxury to sit back and enjoy the weekend while they await the winner of Boston and Philadelphia. The question now for the Knicks is more about who they will face than about how good they can be.