Jayesh Pagar
The New York Knicks seemed to dominate the game for the majority of the time. However, the whole situation came crashing down when we needed it the most. A double-digit lead was completely wiped out, the Knicks failed in their last few plays, and the Hawks outplayed them at the very end.
What was the perfect opportunity to make a big win was turned into a very disappointing defeat, and New York is left with an even bigger question mark after this 107-106 loss on their own court.
Mikal Bridges Did Not Give Enough
Bridges should have been one of the Knicks players to calm things down when the game got tense, but he did not do that here. He ended up with only 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting, and he did not look like the hungry scorer that New York needed down the stretch at all.
The problem was not only the missed shots but also the passivity. On the last play, he took the final shot and missed it, which only intensified the frustration. A player like Bridges in that position simply cannot vanish when the game is on the line.
The Knicks Bench Was Ice Cold
The Knicks‘ bench was nowhere near enough to help the team lead. New York got 13 points from Mitchell Robinson and seven from Jordan Clarkson, but the rest of the bench together scored zero.
In a playoff game where every single point counts, that just isn’t enough. Atlanta’s bench, led by Jonathan Kuminga’s 19 points, was able to score 28 points in total, and that additional scoring made a difference in the game when the starters began to fade.
Mike Brown Needs to Change the System, and the Knicks Have to Take It More Seriously
One major takeaway from this defeat is that the Knicks can’t depend on talent alone anymore. Their offense in the fourth quarter went dead, and the stats show it: New York managed only 15 points in the quarter, shooting 22.7%; on the other hand, Atlanta scored 28 points and shot 72.2%.
In fact, the game showed that the Hawks consistently found the right time to score, while the Knicks kept missing their opportunities. Even some late shots that could have sealed the victory were missed. This isn’t simply a case of ‘bad luck’; it’s a problem with the whole system and mindset.
If the style of play is too slow, too predictable, or too relaxed, then this team will continue to be a victim when it comes to close games.
