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New York Knicks have a problem and it is called CJ McCollum - the Atlanta Hawks take Game 3 at home (ATL-NYK: 2-1)

  • Writer: Stefanos Avraamidis
    Stefanos Avraamidis
  • Apr 24
  • 2 min read

Since being acquired mid-season in the blockbuster trade that sent Trae Young to the Washington Wizards (January 2026), CJ McCollum has shifted the Atlanta Hawks' identity from top-to-bottom. The Atlanta Hawks sought to switch the gears as they missed the NBA Playoffs in the last two seasons and haven't made it past the First Round since 2021. In the acquisition of CJ McCollum, the Atlanta Hawks saw an aging guard (34 years old) become a "Playoff Hero" and ultimately finding the "Closer" that can step up to seal the win. Now, Hawks offense looks much more balanced, avoiding the ball-gravity Trae Young required prior.


The Atlanta Hawks led by 11 points (96-85) 8 minutes before the end of the game, though the New York Knicks fought back to tie the game at 105-105, and even took the lead for a brief time with a three-point play by Jalen Brunson. Jalen Johnson's bucket cut the gap to 108-107. Then, Atlanta's solid defense resulted in Jalen Brunson airballing a mid-range jumper and the Hawks got the ball on a shot-clock violation. After the time-out the Hawks decided to give the ball to CJ McCollum, who scored a 16-foot fadeaway to reclaim the lead. McCollum's shot ended up being the game-winner for the Game 3 and the Hawks take the lead (ATL-NYK: 2-1).


Jalen Johnson finished with a near triple-double (24 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST), and CJ McCollum had 23 points and 5 assists, powering Hawks to the win. On the other side, OG Anunoby ended up with 29 points and 9 rebounds, Jalen Brunson had 26 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. On the downside for the Knicks is Mikal Bridges' poor performance who played for a total of about 20 minutes without scoring a basket, and only had 1 rebound, 2 assists and +/- of -26.


Listen to CJ McCollum & Jalen Johnson's post-game words:


Next up, Game 4 on Saturday night in Atlanta.

 
 
 

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