Game 1 gave the New York Knicks a strong early lead in the series, but it also showed that Atlanta could remain in the battle down the stretch. Jalen Brunson started off with sharp scoring, Karl-Anthony Towns took over after halftime, and New York held off the Hawks' last-ditch effort for a 113–102 victory.
The focus now turns to Madison Square Garden for Game 2 on Monday night, and the Hawks will need a sharp response if they are to avoid a 2-0 loss. Atlanta was competitive for a long time in Game 1, and regular season meetings show that this matchup always looks closer than the scoreboard suggests.
Jalen Brunson exceeds 25 points again
Brunson looks to be the safest scoring bet in this series. He had already scored 28 points in Game 1, and the Knicks relied on him before Towns took over. The big reason to expect another big night is matchup history: Against Atlanta in the regular season, Brunson averaged 29.3 points and 7.8 assists, a sign that the Hawks have struggled to keep him from dictating the pace.
New York's offense often runs on its ability to create in the half court, and with the series still being tight, the Knicks are likely to keep the ball in their hands when the game slows down.
Karl-Anthony Towns posts double-double
The city is the second biggest problem facing Atlanta. He finished Game 1 with 25 points, and 19 of them came after halftime, showing how dangerous he can be once he gets set. The best part of this prediction is the rebounding angle: Towns has the size and usage to stack the boards, and he averaged 13.5 rebounds in the two regular season meetings against Atlanta, while scoring 28.5 points per game.
This type of production makes a double-double very realistic, especially if the Hawks focus too much on Brunson and leave Towns space to work inside and on the glass.
Hawks fight hard, but lose
Atlanta should not be expected to roll over. The Hawks went 20–6 after the All-Star break to clinch the No. 6 seed, and in Game 1 they got 26 points from CJ McCollum and 23 points from Jalen Johnson to close the gap briefly in the fourth quarter.
That said, New York has already shown it can answer every Hawks run, and the Knicks were also 30-10 at home this season. Game 2 should be more competitive than the final score suggests, but the Knicks still have the deep late-game lead and cleaner star power. Expect Atlanta to make it uncomfortable, then come back short again.
final predictions: Knicks 118, Hawks 112
