‘Just toughness’: Takeaways from Hawks’ turnaround win in Game 2
NEW YORK — Entering the fourth quarter, the Hawks trailed by 12 points and had just a 4.3% chance to win Monday’s Game 2 of their first-round series against the Knicks. But, powered by veteran guard CJ McCollum and some gutsy defensive plays down the stretch, the Hawks won 107-106 to even the series at one game apiece.
Monday’s action looked far from perfect. The Hawks missed a lot of buckets through the first three quarters, making just 43% of their field goals.
They slipped into playing the Knicks’ style, especially as the staccato rhythm of the game threatened to put them in an 0-2 hole. The Hawks fell out of their strength of running the floor and they struggled to space, which led to noncommittal attacks on the basket.
The Hawks, though, leaned on defensive pressure in the final 12 minutes and pried the win from the Knicks’ grip.
Here are some takeaways from the pivotal Game 2 victory:
The CJ factor
The Hawks’ acquisition of McCollum has looked like the team’s greatest move in the calendar year. For the second time in this first-round series, McCollum did not let the Hawks go out with a whimper.
Between his veteran presence and his shot-making, he pushed them emotionally and pulled them to the finish line.
“I felt like we needed both,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “I’ve been in the West for a while. I’ve watched him do that when he was in Portland. But again, I think you can lead by how you play.”
With 2:08 to play in the game, McCollum called for a screen from Jalen Johnson at the top of the key. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson got by it but took him out of his defensive stance, giving McCollum time to shake him off.
McCollum then hit a driving floater before making up for a bad pass turnover with a fadeaway jumper.
“I make the hard shots and miss the easy ones,” McCollum said of his two missed free throws. “Have to get in the gym and work on my wide-open free throws. But credit to JJ for getting back on defense and us doing enough to win. But gotta make those.”
Physical play
The Hawks tried to play their physical brand of basketball early. It reared its head in the fourth, as they held the Knicks to just 15 points.
They did it all with one of their top defenders, Dyson Daniels, on the bench.
“I think we just kept competing, and over the course of the game, if you don’t let up, you don’t give in to that, you have an opportunity to have more success late, if you just kind of hang in there,” Snyder said. “And we know they’re such a good team. They’re so hard to guard offensively that I think our guys understand that when they do score, you just can’t get discouraged.”
The Hawks deployed Nickeil Alexander-Walker primarily on Brunson and Jonathan Kuminga on Karl-Anthony Towns in the final 5:26 of the game. The remaining three guys handled the switches effectively and limited the Knicks’ other options, especially as Brunson took on the scoring load.
They held the Knicks to 5-of-22 shooting from the floor.
“I think just toughness,” Kuminga said. “The more we are aggressive and on defense, the easier it will be for us to be more aggressive on offense. And I think once our defense kind of picked up, offense kind of got going as well.”
Kuminga’s spark
Kuminga’s energy off the bench did keep the Hawks’ spark alive throughout Game 2. The 23-year-old wasn’t afraid to get physical and even leaned into some chippiness when the Knicks barked at him.
But that aggressiveness really came through in the fourth, with the Hawks leaving him in for the entire quarter.
Kuminga defended Towns in the latter portion of the fourth, picking him up on the perimeter and rotating in to grab rebounds. He took one coast-to-coast and let off a layup.
“I think, just setting the tone mostly on defense, being physical as much as I can,” Kuminga said. “Because I feel like our energy was a little bit lower because we wasn’t making any shots that we usually make. So, there was something else that needed to be done. And I think it’s just the mindset of coming out there, trying to engage all the guys, trying to be as physical as much as I can.”
Finding Jalen
While Kuminga and McCollum’s experience has allowed him to settle into the postseason a little more seamlessly, Johnson hasn’t had the same journey. The 24-year-old has contended with a tough matchup in Josh Hart.
But Johnson looked comfortable and more assertive in the fourth quarter.
He scored six of his 17 points in the frame, looking to drive and attack. With 3:29 to play, Johnson caught a pass from Alexander-Walker on the wing. He drove in on Hart, taking the bumps and kept his dribble alive.
Instead of pulling up for the dotted line and taking a shot off balance, Johnson gathered and went up strong for the jumper.
“I think it’s him just keeping an even keel, and as the game progressed, he found more of a rhythm,” Snyder said. “That’s harder to do I think than maybe coming out and having everything go your way.”
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