The New York Knicks (10-8) came to town to face the Atlanta Hawks (4-15) one day after Thanksgiving. The Knicks would put the pressure on early in the first quarter, looking so dominant to the point where it looked like it was going to be a long night.
The Knicks blew a double-digit lead and allowed the Hawks a second-half swing in momentum to win the game. The key period was in the third where the Hawks outscored them 30-19.
It was also a homecoming for Tim Hardaway Jr., who returned to Philips Arena for the first time since being acquired by New York. He would sputter in his homecoming match going just 3 for 9 from downtown. He ended the night with 22 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. On a positive note, it was nice to see the sportsmanship between him and Dennis Schroder on and off the court.
Speaking of the German international, he led the team with 26 points and played a big part in their comeback. The big difference for the Hawks was that everyone played and everyone scored. From Bazemore to Belinelli, every player from the starters to the bench got in on the action. Having only played 8 minutes, Tyler Cavanaugh made the best of his opportunity nabbing 8 points with an assist and a rebound. On the opposite end, DeAndre’ Bembry played 16 minutes and nabbed 3 rebounds but only 2 points.
The Knicks will be disappointed since their run was starting to fade without start Enes Kanter. But the Hawks took full advantage of the missing star and ran rampant in the second half. With the loss, the Knicks drop to 1-5 on the road.
The Hawks will be back in action tonight to face the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 pm EST.
-Jon J.
Photo: Hakim Wright