Knicks avert disaster on Jalen Brunson jumper in OT win over Hawks
It looked like the Knicks were finally in the clear.
But they should have learned this lesson long ago.
There is no “in the clear” when Trae Young looms.
Their longtime nemesis nearly buried them once again.
And this time, the Knicks almost handed it right to him. But Jalen Brunson one-upped Young.
After an absurd sequence that saw the Knicks somehow blow a six-point lead against the Hawks with 18 seconds left in regulation, Young nailed two free throws to tie the game with 2.2 seconds left — the first time the Knicks weren’t ahead since the game was tied early in the first quarter.
Brunson’s attempted buzzer-beater missed, and the game went to overtime.
But Young didn’t get the last laugh this time.
Despite scoring six more points in overtime, bringing him to 38 for the game to go along with his 19 assists, the Knicks survived with a 149-148 win Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to enter the All-Star break on a high — if also concerning — note.
Brunson drilled a clutch jumper to give the Knicks a one-point lead with 11.1 seconds left in overtime. It was enough — barely.
“It’s great to go into the break with a win no matter how we got it or what happened,” Brunson said. “I’m just happy we fought through, regardless of what we did positive or negative.”
After Josh Hart hit two free throws to give the Knicks a six-point lead with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks gave up a quick 3-pointer to Georges Niang.
Karl-Anthony Towns subsequently turned the ball over on the inbounds, throwing it right to Dyson Daniels.
Towns then fouled Daniels while he was shooting, and he made his first free throw.
But Daniels missed his second free throw, grabbed his own rebound and dished it to Young, who was fouled by Hart with the Knicks over the limit.
But instead of a demoralizing meltdown, the Knicks showed their season-long resilience.
Wednesday marked the second straight game — both at the Garden — the Knicks have beaten Young and the Hawks after he pretended to roll dice on their logo after Atlanta’s Dec. 11 win.
No dice roll this time.
Just one massive scare.
“You feel like you’re doing a lot, then you feel like you gave the game up for your team, then you fight back to get it again,” Towns said. “It just shows a lot of resilience and grit by our team to be in that position and to find ourselves still coming out with a win. We found a way and it’s something our team has done all year.”
Mikal Bridges was torched by Young most of the second half, but he played excellent defense on the Hawks’ final possession of overtime, blocking Young’s floater.
The Hawks grabbed an offensive rebound, but Niang’s subsequent 3-point attempt as time expired was off and the Knicks had the win.
Towns, after scoring 40 in the Knicks’ win over the Pacers on Tuesday night, had a team-high 44 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Brunson poured in 36 points and tallied eight assists.
Precious Achiuwa, who has been strong filling in for the injured OG Anunoby, scored a season-high 26 points and added eight rebounds.
“I would’ve needed a therapist if that would’ve [been a loss],” Towns said. “I ain’t gonna lie to you. It would’ve been a tough break to go into. But I’m just happy after all that happened, we found ourselves on the right side of the game and finding ourselves with a win. It makes going into the break more worth it.”
Before those final 18 seconds of regulation, the Knicks led 121-113 with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter and looked in control.
Young, who had started the game horribly, promptly scored eight of the Hawks’ next 10 points, part of a 12-5 run to bring Atlanta within one point.
The Knicks extended that to six before the chaotic sequence ensued.
The Knicks’ 131-104 loss to the Celtics on Saturday provided a concerning lowlight, but they otherwise enter the break red-hot, having won nine of their last 11 games.
“I think it’s huge,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Obviously, we didn’t play as well as we would like, but I love the resolve to have the things that happened at the end of the game to go into overtime and just find a way to win, and that’s what this team has done all year.”
