Hawks’ Jalen Johnson finding his way in playoff series against Knicks

The Hawks return to State Farm Arena on Thursday with their first-round playoff series against the Knicks even at a game apiece despite their opponent neutralizing their top scorers.

All-Star Jalen Johnson has looked to adjust to what the Knicks have thrown at him and began to find it in the second half of Monday’s win. After missing his first four attempts from the floor in the first half, Johnson went 6-of-8 overall after figuring out the flow of the game.

Johnson became more assertive, using the Knicks’ physicality to his advantage.

“They’ve just been physical,” veteran guard CJ McCollum said. “They’ve been physical all season. Really good defenders, really good athletes. Obviously, when Mitchell Robinson is in, they got a rim protector.

“So I think there’s a combination of things. But it’s the playoffs. It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be more half-court oriented, and I think he’s continuing to adjust and will be himself throughout the rest of the series.”

In the first two games of the series, the Knicks have deployed wing Josh Hart as the primary defender on Johnson. Hart has done a good job of bumping Johnson off his spots, while the rest of the Knicks rotate to double- and triple-team the 24-year-old.

In Game 1, it sometimes left Johnson settling for 3-pointers or relying on a step-back or fadeaway jumpers to mixed results.

Johnson did end the night with 23 points. But he had to work very hard for every one of those points.

In Game 2, Johnson found a way to play through the Knicks’ physical defense. He became the aggressor on some plays, using his own physicality to bump the Knicks off his spots and get to the basket.

With 5:37 to play in the third quarter, Johnson took a bump from Mikal Bridges in the half-court, but he continued his drive. Hart tried to cut him off at the top of the key before he gave Johnson a push at the free-throw circle.

But Johnson kept going before he pulled up right outside the restricted area, put the shot up and drew a foul off Karl-Anthony Towns. He fell to the ground, put his head back on the court and held his head in relief.

Johnson also moved more without the ball, beginning his action off the catch instead of waiting for the ball to find him.

With 11:03 to play in the third quarter, Johnson took a pass from McCollum on the wing and pump-faked to draw Hart into a contest. He then drove to the basket for a layup.

The Knicks have also limited Johnson and the Hawks’ transition game, with 18.4% of the team’s plays coming off the fast break. The Hawks had 21.6% of their plays coming in transition during the regular season.

“It’s obviously a point of emphasis for them trying to stop our transition game,” Johnson said. “But at the end of the day, it’s basketball. So you just got to continue to try to counter that, try to continue to play to your strengths.

“And I feel like we’ve still done a good job. Obviously, if we win more of those rebounds and close out those possessions, I think it’ll give us more opportunities to do so.”

But like McCollum, the Hawks trust that Johnson will continue to find his way throughout the series. That begins on Thursday when the Hawks host the Knicks for Game 3 at State Farm Arena.