New York’s regular-season finish kept its rhythm Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks (53-29) handled the Atlanta Hawks (46-36) 113-102, leaning on a steady start, a decisive fourth quarter and a game script that mirrored the pregame indicators: New York’s higher implied win probability (67.1%), a massive CPI differential (28.3), and a home profile built to punish mistakes.
How the game swung
The Knicks won the first quarter 30-24, absorbed Atlanta’s best punch in the second (Hawks 31-27), then took control after halftime with a 26-19 third quarter that flipped the tone. Even when Atlanta made one last push with 28 points in the fourth, New York answered with 30 of its own to keep the margin intact and close the door.
The deciding factors: free throws, rebounds, and a cleaner possession game
New York’s clearest advantage came at the stripe. The Knicks went 25-for-30 on free throws, while Atlanta finished 12-for-19. That gap mattered in a game where both teams generated plenty of perimeter volume and neither side overwhelmed the other with turnovers.
On the glass, New York also held a 45-40 rebounding edge, giving the Knicks more chances to survive cold stretches and stay organized late. And while the turnover battle was close, New York still finished slightly cleaner (11 turnovers to Atlanta’s 12), a small but meaningful edge in a game that never fully devolved into chaos.
Atlanta’s shot profile kept it close — but the margin for error was thin
The Hawks’ offense leaned heavily on the three: 37 of their 50 field-goal attempts came from deep, and they hit 14. That kind of volume can flatten talent gaps quickly, and it showed during Atlanta’s second-quarter surge.
But the rest of Atlanta’s efficiency package didn’t keep pace. The Hawks shot 24-for-50 overall and left points at the line (12-for-19). Against a Knicks team that converted 26-of-55 from the field and lived at the stripe, Atlanta needed either a bigger possession advantage or a cleaner free-throw night to make the math work.
Why this aligned with the pregame picture
On paper, this matchup leaned New York: a 53-29 record, a 14-4 home split, and a market that priced the Knicks as clear favorites. The CPI matchup was even more lopsided — New York at 85.18 (ranked 10) versus Atlanta at 56.89 (ranked 38), a 28.3-point differential that suggested the Knicks had more ways to win even if the shooting variance tilted.
Both teams came in equally rested (six days, one game in the last seven), so fatigue wasn’t a separator. Execution was. New York’s ability to consistently manufacture free throws and finish possessions with rebounds was the difference between a competitive game and a late coin flip.
Injuries and rotation pressure
Atlanta played without Jock Landale (out, right high ankle). New York had no significant injuries reported. Over 48 minutes, the Knicks’ steadier availability showed up in the most repeatable areas — physicality on the glass and the ability to keep pressure on the rim and the whistle — while Atlanta’s path relied more on high-variance perimeter volume.
What it means going forward
New York’s win was less about one explosive stretch and more about a familiar formula: win early, win the margins, and finish with composure. For Atlanta, the three-point volume created real stress, but the Hawks couldn’t pair it with enough free-throw efficiency or extra possessions to steal the game at MSG.