Old pro CJ McCollum saves young Hawks in New York

The young All-Star didn’t show up for the Hawks again at Madison Square Garden. It would be up to the old pro to save them.

CJ McCollum did it by being more clutch than the reigning NBA Clutch Player of the Year.

McCollum scored six of his game-high 33 points in the final two-plus minutes, including two fantastic moves for baskets against Knicks star Jalen Brunson. McCollum’s electric finish allowed the Hawks to steal a game in New York on Monday night when their best player, Jalen Johnson, struggled to be the lead dog.

The Hawks stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the second half to win 107-106 and tie the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series at 1-1. McCollum silenced a hostile crowd that jeered him after he’d gone nose-to-nose with Knicks pest Jose Alvarado in the third quarter.

“I’m just here to compete, man,” McCollum said during an on-court interview with Peacock after the game. “I’m here to compete at the highest level. We know it’s not a series until you get one on the road, and we got one. And so now it’s showtime when we get back to the crib.”

McCollum opened the show in New York. Game 3 of the first-round series is at State Farm Arena on Thursday

It’s tempting to compare McCollum’s performance to a previous one by guard Trae Young in the same building. The Hawks traded Young to the Wizards in January for McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Young scored 32 points to beat the Knicks in Game 1 of a 2021 first-round playoff series at MSG. The home fans made him into a villain, same as they did with McCollum.

But that’s where the similarities end.

Young was a 22-year-old All-Star making his postseason debut for the team that drafted him. The Knicks were paper tigers that year. Their best player, Julius Randle, wasn’t (and still isn’t) a winning player.

McCollum is 34-year-old veteran on his fourth team and had already played 67 playoff games before this year. The Knicks are a much better team now. Their best player, Brunson, is a winning player.

Brunson earned the clutch award last season because of his uncanny ability to take over games on his own when it matters most. He tried working his magic late in Game 2.

After McCollum beat Brunson with shifty moves for back-to-back scores, Brunson answered with a pull-up 3-pointer to tie the game at 103-103. But Brunson missed a 15-footer after McCollum threw the ball away on a bad pass.

McCollum followed with a missed shot. Brunson tried to score over Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had trouble stopping him all night, but this time Alexander-Walker stripped the ball away.

The steal led to a fast break dunk by Johnson for a 107-103 Hawks lead with 10 seconds left. Brunson made a 3-pointer 8.5 seconds to go to cut New York’s deficit to one point.

McCollum missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds left before Knicks forward Mikal Bridges missed a fadeaway shot at the end with Johnson defending.

“I’ve got to make my free throws,” McCollum said. “I’ll get in the gym on Wednesday and make sure I tighten up. Then we’ll be ready to go in the ‘A’ like we’re supposed to be.”

No one will remember those missed free throws. McCollum’s game-winning performance is unforgettable.

The Hawks needed it because Johnson, a candidate to be voted All-NBA, once again couldn’t deal with being the focus of New York’s defensive plan.

Johnson was timid during a bad performance in Game 1. He was even more passive in Game 2. Josh Hart is a guard masquerading as a forward, but he looked like Tim Duncan while guarding Johnson.

Everywhere Johnson turned, Hart was there. When Johnson managed to get around Hart, a wall of his teammates was waiting. Johnson couldn’t figure out how to shake Hart or make plays for teammates when the defense collapsed around him.

Johnson had four points, three turnovers and one assist at halftime. He only attempted four shots. The Knicks outscored the Hawks by 15 points with Johnson on the floor in the first half. That number doesn’t always tell the full story, but it did in this case.