Three Takeaways As Hawks Steal Series Lead vs. Knicks

The Knicks are in a dangerous place after another stellar performance by the Hawks.

Atlanta started Game 3 hot and had a 56-38 lead with 3:29 left in the first half. Led by CJ McCollum, the Hawks largely cruised through the third quarter, but New York mounted a furious comeback late and took a 108-107 lead and had the ball with less than 20 seconds to go. That’s when McCollum put his stamp on this series once again, hitting a clutch jumper to give his team the lead for good.

A final possession from the Knicks went awry and the Hawks escaped with a 109-108 win and a shocking 2-1 lead in the series.

Let’s break down what we learned from Thursday night’s Game 3.

Jonathan Kuminga is having an instant impact for the Hawks

McCollum hit some big late shots, and Jalen Johnson led the team in scoring with 24 points, but Jonathan Kuminga was Atlanta’s best player Thursday night off the bench. After a chaotic year-plus floating in and out of the lineup with the Warriors before finally getting traded to the Hawks, he’s finally living up to his talent.

The 23-year-old wing scored 21 points in 28 minutes, while adding four rebounds, a steal and a block. He was active all over the floor, providing the energy Atlanta needed to keep the Knicks at bay. Kuminga was a big part of the team's Game 2 win as well, as he chipped in with 19 points to support McCollum's 32-point outburst. His 21 points on Thursday were the third-most he’s scored in a game since joining Atlanta.

Kuminga’s defense was also instrumental on the final play of the game, where the Knicks turned the ball over and failed to even get a shot off.

DIDN'T EVEN LET THEM GET A SHOT OFF CLAMP CITYYYYYYYY 🔒🔒🔒 pic.twitter.com/A0pPXVD0L8
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 24, 2026

The way Kuminga is playing makes it highly likely the Hawks will pick up the $24.3 million option on his contract for next season if they don’t sign him to an extension. He fits the team well and appears to have found a place where he can thrive.

Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart no show for Knicks

The Knicks closed the game hard and nearly pulled out a win despite trailing by as much as 18 points in the first half. OG Anunoby made some huge late shots to keep things close, while Jalen Brunson had some moments in the fourth quarter to help fuel the comeback. Karl-Anthony Towns also had 21 points and 17 boards, but not everyone in the starting lineup contributed.

Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges played a combined 61 minutes and scored two points, shooting a dismal 1-of-12 from the floor. Bridges was shut out for the game, while Hart didn’t get on the board until the 7:35 mark of the final quarter. He did have nine rebounds, six assists and two steals, but Birdges only had one board and two assists while turning the ball over four times.

It was a rough night for Bridges, who didn’t do much of anything. If the Knicks want to come back in this series, they’ll need contributions from the rest of their starting lineup.

CJ McCollum has the Knicks in serious trouble

Once again, McCollum was fantastic in a big game for the Hawks. He scored 23 points, had five rebounds, dished out an assist, and had two steals and two blocks. He hit several big shots late, including what would be the game-winner on a bold pull-up jumper with 12.5 seconds remaining.

CJ FOR THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/IUpbkUE9FP
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 24, 2026

That followed a brilliant Game 2 performance in which he poured in 32 points at Madison Square Garden and gave Knicks fans a new villain to hate. In that one, McCollum led a 12-point fourth-quarter comeback, then tried to avoid the villain label after the game. Too bad, buddy, it's all you now.

McCollum has averaged 27.0 points per game in the three games of this series so far, and has the Hawks well-positioned to knock the Knicks out.

Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.

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