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Knicks make NBA history with merciless first-half demolition vs. Hawks
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- Knicks make NBA history with merciless first-half demolition vs. Hawks
Knicks make NBA history with merciless first-half demolition vs. Hawks appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The New York Knicks have decided that enough is enough. In Round 1 of the NBA playoffs, New York got a little spooked by a familiar rival: the Atlanta Hawks . After four games, the series was tied at 2-2: an unlikely scenario.
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The Knicks were able to take a 3-2 lead at home after a comfortable 126-97 win. Now, New York is driving the dagger deep into the Hawks' heart . On the road, against an animated Atlanta crowd, the Knicks held the Hawks to just 36 points in the first half. They did that while scoring 83 points themselves. That is the largest half-time margin in a playoff game in NBA history, per ClutchPoints.
The Knicks found themselves in a pickle early in the series. Though they won Game 1 of the series, it was an uncomfortably close win. New York's fears were confirmed when the Hawks rattled off two straight wins, including one in Madison Square Garden, to take a 2-1 series lead. The series suddenly felt reminiscent of the last time these two teams met in the postseason, a series where the Hawks upset the Knicks to advance to the Conference Finals.
This time, though, the Knicks made sure that none of the funny upset business was going to happen. New York won two straight games in convincing fashion to take control of the series heading back to Atlanta. Now, they're on track to completely break the will of Atlanta in front of their fans.
The winner of this series will face the winner of the series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics . The Celtics hold a 3-2 lead over the 76ers.
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