Another great performance from the Knicks, who went to win on the floor of an Atlanta training that started with four wins in six games. Even battered back from the locker room, Julius Randle’s teammates (28 points, 17 rebounds and 9 assists) showed great composure in the “money time” to reverse the trend and sign in turn a fourth victory.
Omnipresent at the start of the match, Julius Randle gave his team a first advantage with a 2 + 1 then a basket at mid-distance. Inside then serves Elfrid Payton, and RJ Barrett’s dunk in the aftermath has already taken the Knicks to +10 (14-24).
Atlanta finds the right rhythm
Trae Young must scramble to get Atlanta back in the game. The locals even go back to the front on a 3-point transition from their leader (28-27). It is then Austin Rivers’ turn to adjust the sights from afar to complete the first act.
Mitchell Robinson takes over at “showtime” level with two alley-oops and RJ Barrett, in all the right moves, places his team again at +7 (41-48). But Atlanta still manages to reverse the trend just before the break thanks to a raging Hunter-Collins pair, the latter including a dunk and then a 3-point in front of Julius Randle to bring the mark to 58-54.
Atlanta stays the course early in the third quarter, relying on the Young-Collins-Capela trio to make the difference. The gap then climbs to +15 following a 3-point from Kevin Huerter and a lay-up from De’Andre Hunter (82-67).
Austin Rivers and Julius Randle to bend the suspense
But this lead will melt like snow in the sun at the end of the third quarter. By the missiles behind the arc of Immanuel Quickley and Kevin Knox to start (88-84). It was then a new 3-point basket from Quickley followed by an “and-one” dunk from RJ Barrett which made Atlanta give way from the start of the last act (93-94).
The two formations thus approach the “money time” neck and neck. Immanuel Quickley gives the Knicks a first advantage by causing a foul on Trae Young before scoring his three throws (101-106). The New York leader then delivers the final blow by finding Austin Rivers, also from afar, to respond to the 3-point De’Andre Hunter (106-110).
After two offensive rebounds, Julius Randle finished the job of a tap which relegated Atlanta to 106-112 and offered the victory to the Knicks on a plateau a handful of seconds later (108-113).
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