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Jalen Brunson addressed the New York Knicks’ fourth-quarter breakdown after a 107-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 on Monday at Madison Square Garden.
“We lost it,” Brunson said when asked about the offensive process late in the game. “Obviously I can control what I can control and so poor decision-making on my part in some positions.”
New York entered the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead but was outplayed down the stretch as Atlanta completed the comeback.
“They played great defense. They got the ball out of my hands,” Brunson said. “We just got to play better with the lead.”
The Knicks shot 39-for-87 from the field and committed 14 turnovers, which translated into 18 points for the Hawks in a one-possession game.
“That’s twice in the fourth quarter now that we have done that,” Brunson said, pointing to repeated late-game execution issues.
Brunson finished with 29 points and seven assists on 10-for-26 shooting, including 4-for-10 from three-point range.
Atlanta’s defensive adjustments forced the ball out of his hands, shifting decision-making to secondary options in half-court sets.
On the other end, CJ McCollum controlled the tempo late, scoring 32 points and delivering key baskets in isolation situations.
“He was in a great rhythm,” Brunson said. “I got to disrupt it, make him play on his heels, make him react to me defensively.”
McCollum’s shot-making in the final minutes included a go-ahead basket with 2:09 remaining and another jumper with 33 seconds left.
“He was in a rhythm and I gotta give a lot of credit,” Brunson said.
The Knicks had one final opportunity after McCollum missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining.
Mikal Bridges pushed the ball in transition, but his contested jumper at the buzzer missed, sealing the result.
New York also struggled at the free-throw line, shooting 17-for-27, a margin that matched the one-point deficit.
The loss evened the first-round series at 1-1, shifting pressure to the Knicks as the matchup moves to Atlanta for Game 3.
