3 takeaways from Knicks’ comeback Game 2 victory over Hawks

After a bad first half, the New York Knicks bounced back to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 in Game 2 on Wednesday.

The New York Knicks‘ first playoff game since 2013 was spoiled this past Sunday courtesy of a game-winning layup by Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. It was storybook Knicks. Just when it looked like they were going to win, they had the rug pulled out from under them.

On Wednesday, the Knicks ensured they did not have a repeat performance in Game 2. While things looked like they were trending in the wrong direction in the first half, the Knicks bounced back in a huge way in the second half to defeat the Hawks 101-92 and even the series at one game apiece.

This series once again did not disappoint, as evidenced by these three takeaways from Game 2.

3. New York’s third quarter leads to victory

After a less than ideal performance on Sunday night, Julius Randle promised that he would not put up a similar stat line down the stretch. In the first half Wednesday, it looked he was heading for an even worse showing, as he shot 0-for-6 from the field.

Once the third quarter began, the Knicks came back to life. New York finished out the quarter on a 18-5 run to take a 76-75 lead heading into the final act of the night. Randle helped facilitate the comeback by scoring 11 points in the third quarter and helped take the lead with a pull-up jump shot in the paint. Overall, the Knicks outscored the Hawks 32-18 in the third.

Randle flipped the script in one quarter, and Knicks fans will ultimately forget about the first half. Winning solves everything, it is that simple.

2. Hawks will be just fine

The Hawks looked like they were going to cruise to a victory after the first half. Then the Knicks came back to life in the third, but credit does go to the Hawks’ poor shooting effort. As New York went on their run, the Hawks missed 16 of 18 shots over a stretch between the third and fourth quarters.

Before making the typical “Atlanta sports” jokes, the Hawks are actually in a great place. Young was a star once again and acted as a thorn in the side of the Knicks and the fans by scoring 30 points (11-of-20 shooting from the field, 4-of-7 from 3-point range) and recording 7 assists. This is the exact performance a team expects out of their star, especially under the bright lights of New York City.

Besides, the Hawks had the home-court disadvantage and still took a win inside Madison Square Garden. Now, they get to return home to State Farm Arena for the next two games, beginning on Friday night.

1. Derrick Rose again shows why he deserves to start

Derrick Rose’s resurgence in New York, especially after reuniting with former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau on the Knicks, has led to the former MVP playing meaningful, playoff basketball games for the first time since 2018. Not only that, but he was New York’s hero in Game 2.

In Game 2, Rose dropped a team-high 26 points off the bench while shooting 9-for-21 from the field and hitting all six of his free-throw attempts. In fact, Rose was the only player on the Knicks showing life offensively in the first half.

The most intriguing thing about Rose is that he logs an obscene amount of time off the bench. Wednesday was no different, as he played for 39 minutes. Meanwhile, starting guard Elfrid Payton only played for five minutes. It is a mystery that Knicks fans cannot solve.

Based off this performance, Rose is more than deserving to be the regular starter for the remainder of the playoffs. Seriously, end the confusion of starting Payton. It makes no sense.