New York’s playoff run reached historic heights Thursday night. The Knicks delivered a crushing blow to Atlanta, setting records along the way and stamping their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Yankee Scores reports.
A Night of Records
The Knicks raced to a 40‑15 lead after the first quarter, the largest of the shot‑clock era. By halftime, their 47‑point advantage was the biggest in NBA playoff history. The final margin 51 points tied for the sixth‑largest in postseason history. That is not all, they made a new franchise reword for the most points in a half (83 points), most assists in a half (21), and most steals in a half (12).
A FIRST HALF FULL OF HISTORY FOR THE KNICKS!
Multiple NEW franchise postseason records in the play-by-play era 🚨
🗽 83 PTS (NEW RECORD)
🗽 21 AST (NEW RECORD)
🗽 12 STL (NEW RECORD) pic.twitter.com/wwEWvJRpcb— NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2026
Anunoby and Towns Shine
OG Anunoby poured in 29 points in just 27 minutes, with 26 coming before halftime. Karl‑Anthony Towns added his second triple‑double of the series, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Mikal Bridges chipped in 24 as New York’s starters dominated before resting late in the third quarter.
Hawks Overwhelmed
Atlanta struggled from the start, shooting just 12‑for‑39 in the first half and committing 14 turnovers. Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points, but the team never recovered from the early hole. Nickeil Alexander‑Walker, CJ McCollum, and Jonathan Kuminga each added 11, though the effort fell short.
Looking Ahead
New York now advances to face the winner of the Celtics‑Sixers matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
