Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 107-106 Game 2 loss to the Hawks on Monday night:
Hero
CJ McCollum scored 32 points and hit the go-ahead jumper late, helping the Hawks tie the playoff series. Mikal Bridges struggled with a crucial missed shot at the end, finishing with 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting. Nickeil Alexander-Walker made a pivotal steal leading to a dunk that increased the Hawks’ lead. Josh Hart lamented the loss, stating, “It’s a game we should’ve won.”
Zero
Mikal Bridges opted against attacking in the final seconds with the Knicks down one, and he paid for it. He settled for a pull-up jumper at the horn that came up short, and Atlanta left the Garden with a split. Bridges finished with 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting.
Unsung Hero
It was another poor shooting night for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but he came up big when it mattered. Alexander-Walker stripped Jalen Brunson with the Knicks looking for the go-ahead basket with less than 30 seconds left, leading to a Jalen Johnson dunk that pushed the lead to four with 10.2 seconds left.
Key Stat
22.7: Knicks field goal percentage in the fourth quarter.
Quote
“It’s a game we should’ve won. In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.” — Josh Hart
