Story perspectives

Knicks Crush Hawks 126-97, Brunson Scores 39

4/30/2026

Summary

Knicks Take Lead

The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5, taking a 3-2 series lead.
Jalen Brunson scored 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting and added eight assists.
The Knicks posted 57% shooting overall, 42% from three, and a 48-27 rebounding margin.
Game 5 winners in a tied series advance about 81-84% of the time.

Summary

Brunson Scores

Jalen Brunson’s 39 points gave him his 25th playoff 30-point game, tying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s record.
Myles Towns posted a 15-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist, 2-block, 2-steal line and shot 73.9% true-shooting, the second-best among 20-point+ players in the 2026 playoffs.
The Knicks finished in league’s top-10 for offense and defense—a feat matched once in 30 years—as CJ McCollum scored six points on 3-for-10 shooting, his lowest output since joining Atlanta in January.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing’s 28 points, defeated the Chicago Bulls in Game 7 to win their only playoff series over Chicago that decade. Sixteen years later, the 2026 Knicks echoed that surge, blasting the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5 with Jalen Brunson’s 39 points. Both blowouts illustrate the franchise’s occasional ability to seize series momentum through high-scoring performances.

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Knicks Take Lead

The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 in Game 5, taking a 3-2 series lead.
Jalen Brunson scored 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting and added eight assists.
The Knicks posted 57% shooting overall, 42% from three, and a 48-27 rebounding margin.
Game 5 winners in a tied series advance about 81-84% of the time.

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