4 takeaways: Jalen Brunson stars, Hawks struggle shooting from 3

Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to a dominant 126-97 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5, giving the Knicks a 3-2 series lead. Over five games, the Knicks outscored the Hawks by 54 points. Brunson scored 39 points on 15-for-23 shooting and added eight assists with just one turnover. The Knicks controlled the game late in the first quarter and never trailed by fewer than 10 points afterward. Key takeaways include: 1. Brunson excels in late-clock situations, with a 53.2% effective field goal percentage in the last seven seconds of the shot clock, ranking second in the league. The Knicks have taken 54 more late-clock shots than the Hawks in this series, improving efficiency in Games 4 and 5 (25-for-50, including 6-for-13 from three-point range). 2. The Knicks have kept the Hawks in check, with the Hawks scoring just 106.9 points per 100 possessions in the series—below league average—despite being efficient offensively in the regular season. The Knicks’ defense has been strong, with Karl-Anthony Towns blocking key shots and denying Jalen Johnson drives. 3. Towns has played a pivotal role, averaging 20 points with a true shooting percentage of 73.9%, one of the highest among playoff scorers. He has also been effective defensively, blocking shots and disrupting the Hawks’ offense. 4. Shooting efficiency matters in the playoffs. The Knicks’ spacing and ability to exploit non-shooters (like Dyson Daniels) have been critical. The Hawks struggled with poor three-point shooting (19% from beyond the arc), while Tony Bradley’s improved shooting from the outside helped the team in clutch moments. The Knicks’ success stems from their balanced play—Brunson’s late-clock scoring, Towns’ versatility, and the team’s defensive discipline. The Hawks’ season hangs in the balance in Game 6, where they must avoid double-teaming non-shooters like Onyeka Okongwu to maintain spacing.