Why Knicks’ blowout series finale vs. Hawks cements status as clear East favorite to reach NBA Finals

The New York Knicks closed out their first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks with a dramatic 140-89 road win a few nights ago. The game was essentially over before it started. The Knicks went up 72-22 by mid-way through the second quarter, and they never looked back. New York now looks ahead to a second-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The fact that the Eastern Conference Semifinals will be a rematch from the 2024 first-round bloodbath between the Knicks and 76ers doesn’t really matter—because if the Knicks play like they did at the end of the first round, they should cruise to the NBA Finals. They played fast, effective, and inspired basketball—and it was done on both sides of the floor. And that cements their status as favorites in the Eastern Conference.

Knicks maximized production from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns

The Knicks’ status as favorites in the East begins with Jalen Brunson. Brunson has been incredibly important to the Knicks since his arrival in 2022. He started slow this postseason. But after a disappointing start to the playoffs, Brunson stopped forcing the issue and shot hunting.

The big challenge for Brunson, with all his talent, is to strike the right balance between looking for shots and involving his teammates. But he did that masterfully. It might not even show in assist totals, but it’s about more than assists. It’s about allowing Karl-Anthony Towns to co-lead the offense from the high post. It’s about playing off the ball at times to save energy and give opponents different looks—and with Towns’ brilliant passing, he can still be the recipient of good looks moving away from the ball. And it’s about creating a better rhythm for guys like Mikal Bridges.

Ironically, doing all of the above so well against a defender of Dyson Daniel’s caliber makes his quick transformation even more impressive.

Towns’ offensive performances were just as brilliant as Brunson’s, but he’s been less predictable—at least over the course of the entire season. Granted, Towns is an uber-talented player. But the way it’s all come together for him in the first round was beyond impressive. Towns shot the ball incredibly well, but he didn’t force shots. He passed the ball like few big men in history, and he did so while rarely forcing passes into the teeth of the defense. And his rebounding and defense were inspiring—and that’s saying something of a guy who has been criticized for effort for much of his career.

Towns looked like a player who is finally comfortable with what’s expected of him. And that’s pretty coincidental given that he isn’t even clear on his role entering the season.

When those two play as they did in the six-game series against the Hawks, the Knicks are hard to beat.

Knicks role players were major impetus for series win, too

But the series win was about way more than just Brunson and Towns. OG Anunoby played a major role, too. Granted, there hasn’t been much talk about the Knicks’ big three—but they are essentially that, and it’s dominant. And when Brunson, Towns, and Anunoby are on their games, the Knicks are nearly unstoppable.

Anunoby goes about his business quietly. He chips away at opponents, applying significant defensive pressure that obviously disrupts offenses. He is also a frustrating offensive weapon who chips away at opponents relentlessly by moving without the ball, connecting on an eye-popping percentage of corner threes, and converting easy transition opportunities.

But while Anunoby gets a smaller share of the credit, his impact is widely apparent. He averaged 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in the first round. And he connected on 61% of his field goal attempts.

But the Knicks go way deeper than just Brunson, Towns, and Anunoby. Mikal Bridges found his rhythm in the close-out game, which should be a major relief for New York. He scored 24 points and grabbed five rebounds. Josh Hart continued to bring energy all series—something he’s always done.

Miles McBride showed flashes of his pre-injury self in the series. Jose Alvarado made major contributions. And Mitchell Robinson, despite being limited in various games for various reasons, impacted the series tremendously, as well.

If the Knicks’ role players can keep producing as they did in the final three games of their series against the Hawks, it adds an entirely different dimension that the 76ers will struggle to keep up with. The Knicks played fast and used their bench. And their new approach of playing some of the game through Towns adds another aspect to an already impressive offense.

Ultimately, Knicks-76ers will be a slugfest. And Philadelphia is a uniquely tricky opponent. But the Knicks’ path to the finals hasn’t been this clear in decades. And this Knicks team might be the right group to capitalize on it.

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