Between the Game 1 storyline and the statements following it, the stage was set for a high-intensity night out at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The second meeting of this first round of the Eastern Conference between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks did not disappoint. Led by thirteen points at the break (57-44), the Knicks seemed to be heading for a new defeat, which would have compromised their chances of passing a round of play-offs for the second time in this century (after 2013).
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But that all changed when he returned from the locker room, starting with the performance of Julius Randle, named 24 hours earlier as the player with the most progress this season. Arrived at the break with two points and a zero on six shooting, he scored thirteen points in the second half (12 rebounds and 4 assists, moreover, throughout the game) and played the role of engine in this ascent with Derrick Rose.
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Substitute, the leader finally played 39 minutes! He scored 26 points (9 of 21), adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists, bringing the Knicks to their first win in a playoff game since May 16, 2013 (in a second round ultimately lost to Indiana) .
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See Rose wreak havoc in Atlanta with Tom Thibodeau as coach and Taj Gibson as teammate takes us back ten years when in 2011, this trio, then at the Chicago Bulls (including Joakim Noah), eliminated the Hawks in the semifinals of Eastern conference.
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Atlanta side, Trae Young did not dismantle. Author of the winning shot and then a small provocation, finger on the mouth, at the end of game 1, the young star of the Hawks did honor to his new status of “villain” of Madison Square Garden. He scored 30 points (top scorer in the game) and gave 7 assists.
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He also showed his willingness to start already Game 3 which will take place in Georgia on Friday night in front of a State Farm Arena which will be able to sell out for the first time in over a year. “I hope Atlanta is ready to bring some energy, that everyone is excited to have the play-offs back and that it will be noisy,” he announced. I’m really ready to play in this room in front of fans. It will be fun. “
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At this rate, the duel between Knicks and Hawks could become the most captivating of the first round of the play-offs.
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