Knicks demolish Hawks 140-89 in Game 6, advance to Eastern Conference semifinals with record 47-point halftime lead

Key facts

• Knicks win 140-89, clinching series 4-2.
• Halftime lead of 47 points (83-36) is largest in NBA playoff history.
• OG Anunoby scores 29 points on 11-for-14 shooting; Mikal Bridges adds 24 on 10-for-12.
• Karl-Anthony Towns records triple-double: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.
• Knicks outscore Hawks 67-13 during a stretch spanning the first and second quarters.
• Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson ejected after second-quarter altercation.
• New York's 51-point win ties for sixth-largest playoff blowout ever.
• Knicks become first Eastern Conference team to reach conference semifinals.

A first-half blitz for the ages

The New York Knicks delivered a performance that will be etched in NBA playoff lore, dismantling the Atlanta Hawks 140-89 in Game 6 on Thursday night to close out their first-round series, 4-2. The victory, played before a stunned home crowd in Atlanta, was sealed by a first half so dominant that it rewrote the record books. Four minutes into the game, the Hawks held an 11-9 lead, the crowd buzzing with hope for a win-or-go-home contest. Then the Knicks unleashed a 43-6 run that turned the game into a rout. By the end of the first quarter, New York led 40-15 — the largest first-quarter lead in the shot clock era. The halftime margin of 47 points, 83-36, stands as the biggest halftime lead in NBA playoff history, surpassing the previous record of 50 points set by the Dallas Mavericks in a regular-season game in 2020. “It speaks volumes on our team that we were able to bounce back from two disappointing losses,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “We had to step up to the challenge of being down in the series — super proud of our guys for that.”

From the brink to a historic turnaround

The series began ominously for the Knicks. After splitting the first two games in New York, they suffered back-to-back one-point losses in Games 2 and 3, falling behind 2-1. But the team never lost again. They responded with a 16-point victory in Game 4 in Atlanta, a 29-point triumph in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, and the emphatic 51-point closeout in Game 6. Over the final three games, the Knicks outscored the Hawks by a combined 96 points, a statement of dominance as they became the first Eastern Conference team to punch their ticket to the conference semifinals. The turnaround was fueled by a relentless defensive effort and an offense that found its rhythm at precisely the right moment.

Anunoby and Bridges lead the onslaught

The Knicks were paced by the ultra-efficient wing duo of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Anunoby scored 29 points on 11-for-14 shooting, including 26 in the first half. Bridges added 24 points on 10-for-12 from the field. Their combined accuracy — 21-for-26 — was emblematic of New York's surgical offense. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his second triple-double of the series with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming only the fourth Knicks player to achieve a playoff triple-double. The team's starters were pulled with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter, their work done.

A night of records and ejections

The game was not without controversy. With the Knicks holding a 50-point lead in the second quarter, a fight broke out between Atlanta guard Dyson Daniels and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson after a pair of free throws by Anunoby. Both players were ejected. Daniels finished with 3 points on 1-of-4 shooting in 15 minutes. “He can at least say he showed more fight than his teammates,” one observer noted. By halftime, the Knicks had forced eight Hawks turnovers in the first quarter alone, and two more in the first minute of the second quarter — 10 turnovers in 13 minutes. The Hawks' bench forward Mouhamed Gueye posted a plus/minus of minus-17 in the first half, which, remarkably, was the best mark among Atlanta players who saw more than five minutes. The worst belonged to Jonathan Kuminga, who was minus-40 in 12 minutes.

Where the blowout ranks in NBA history

New York's 51-point victory margin ties for the sixth-largest in NBA playoff history, matching a Thunder-Grizzlies game from the previous year. The largest playoff blowouts remain the 58-point margins achieved by the Denver Nuggets over the New Orleans Hornets in 2009 and by the Minneapolis Lakers over the Hawks in 1956. In that 2009 game, the Nuggets led by 21 after the first quarter and 22 at halftime, then outscored the Hornets 27-11 in the third and 33-13 in the fourth. The Knicks' lead swelled to as many as 61 points in the third quarter when a quick run made it 101-40 — the largest lead any team has ever held in an NBA playoff game.

What comes next for the Knicks and Hawks

The Knicks now advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fourth consecutive season, a testament to the program's sustained excellence. They await the winner of another first-round series, with their sights set on a deeper playoff run. For the Hawks, the season ends in bitter disappointment. After taking a 2-1 series lead, they were outscored by 96 points over the final three games. The team pulled its remaining starters — Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker — with 9:44 remaining in Game 6, a symbolic surrender. “It was just a tough position to be in,” Johnson said. “We dug ourselves a deep hole from the start and it was tough to climb out of that.”

The bottom line

• The Knicks' 47-point halftime lead is the largest in NBA playoff history.
• New York's 51-point win ties for sixth-largest playoff blowout ever.
• OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges combined for 53 points on 21-of-26 shooting.
• Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his second triple-double of the series.
• The Knicks outscored the Hawks by 96 points over the final three games after falling behind 2-1.
• Atlanta's season ends with a whimper as they were eliminated in six games.