Overview
- New York beat Atlanta 113-102 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday to open a 1-0 lead, with Game 2 set for Monday in New York.
- Jalen Brunson scored 19 in the first quarter, the most by a Knick in the opening period of a playoff game in the play-by-play era, and finished with 28 points.
- Karl-Anthony Towns scored 19 after halftime to reach 25 points as the Knicks tightened their defense in the third quarter to regain control.
- Free throws and depth widened the gap, with New York going 25-of-30 at the line and reserves Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride sparking the pull-away.
- CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 23 as the Knicks’ balanced attack and late-game execution met the pressure of a postseason run shaped by last year’s conference finals appearance and a long title drought.