Hawks mount comeback on Knicks, win 112-99

The Atlanta Hawks rode a dominant second-half to a convincing 112-99 victory over their rivals up north, the New York Knicks, after a sluggish first half. New shooting guard Dejounte Murray is continuing to prove that he was 100% worth the trade as he scored a career-high 36 points on 52% shooting along with nine assists and six steals.

The Hawks found themselves trailing the Knicks at halftime 65-57, shooting 39.3% as a team from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range. Trae Young had 15 points on 17 shots, while Murray stood out with 23 points on 64% shooting.

New York led 32-21 at the end of the first quarter after a 10-point quarter from Julius Randle. The Hawks trailed 44-24 at several points in the second quarter as the Knicks went on a 12-3 run. The visitors eventually managed to cut it down to single-digits, but they still trailed by 8 points at the break.

The Hawks successfully cut the deficit throughout the third quarter and now lead 80-71 after going on a 23-6 run. They now lead 89-75 at the end of the third quarter after an 8-point quarter. They really clamped down defensively, holding the Knicks to just 10 points in the quarter and turning that into 32 points on the other end.

Atlanta continued to turn the tables in the fourth quarter, opening up on a 6-2 run, turning a 20-point deficit into an 18-point lead. New York eventually cut the deficit to 10 points on a 12-2 run, partially thanks to 5 points from Immanuel Quickley. Atlanta quickly pushed the lead back up to 18 points at 105-87 as Murray continued to excel on both ends.

Murray continued to shoulder the burden for the Hawks offensively, scoring 13 points in the second half. Even though Trae Young only had 17 points on 32% shooting, he still chipped in seven assists to help the Hawks improve to 5-3.

John Collins (12 points and 13 rebounds), De’Andre Hunter (21 points), Clint Capela (10 rebounds) and Onyeka Onkongwu (seven rebounds) also were key contributors for the Hawks offensively and defensively. They will return home for a Saturday night matchup against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Stay tuned.