NEW YORK – Behind a scoring masterclass from Jalen Brunson and a dominant second-half surge by Karl-Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 on Saturday night, April 18, 2026. The win gives the No. 3 seed Knicks a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series at a raucous Madison Square Garden.
The game marked a successful postseason debut for the Knicks under head coach Mike Brown, who took over for Tom Thibodeau after last year’s historic run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Stars Shine at the Garden
Jalen Brunson continued his postseason heroics, while Karl-Anthony Towns proved why he was the critical piece of the Knicks’ regular-season strategy.
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Jalen Brunson: Led all scorers with 28 points and 7 assists. He set the tone early by scoring 19 points in the first quarter alone, hitting his first six shots. With this performance, Brunson tied Hall of Famer Walt Frazier for the second-most 25+ point playoff games in franchise history (29).
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Karl-Anthony Towns: Finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. After a quiet 6-point first half, Towns erupted for 19 points in the second half to help the Knicks pull away.
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The Supporting Cast: OG Anunoby provided elite two-way play with 19 points, while Josh Hart dominated the glass with 14 rebounds to go along with 10 points.
Physicality and “Hostile Acts”
The game wasn’t without drama. The intense physicality peaked in the second half when Atlanta’s CJ McCollum was reviewed for a “hostile act” and assessed a technical foul after kicking his leg into Brunson’s groin area during a jumper.
The Hawks also employed a “Hack-a-Mitch” strategy, twice intentionally fouling Knicks center Mitchell Robinson to exploit his poor free-throw shooting (he finished 1-for-4 from the line). Despite these tactics, the Knicks’ 10-0 burst in the fourth quarter—capped by a Towns three-pointer—blew the game open at 106-87.
Key Game Stats
| Player | Team | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Jalen Brunson | NYK | 28 | 3 | 7 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | NYK | 25 | 8 | 4 |
| CJ McCollum | ATL | 26 | 4 | 5 |
| Jalen Johnson | ATL | 23 | 9 | 3 |
Series Schedule (Knicks Lead 1-0)
The series stays in New York for Game 2 before shifting to Atlanta.
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Game 2: Monday, April 20 @ Madison Square Garden (8:00 PM ET on NBC)
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Game 3: Thursday, April 23 @ State Farm Arena (7:00 PM ET)
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Game 4: Saturday, April 25 @ State Farm Arena (6:00 PM ET)
Historically, the Knicks hold a 36-8 series edge when winning Game 1 of a best-of-seven series, placing immense pressure on the Hawks to even the series on Monday night.
