CJ McCollum scored 32 points as the Atlanta Hawks staged a late comeback to edge the New York Knicks, 107-106, on Monday night (Tuesday, April 21, 2026, PH time), tying their first-round playoff series at one game apiece, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
McCollum fueled a fourth-quarter surge that nearly unraveled after he missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds left. With no timeouts remaining, New York pushed the ball upcourt, but Mikal Bridges missed a jumper at the buzzer.
“It’s a long game,” McCollum said. “You’ve got to play to zero.”
Atlanta trailed throughout the second half and was down by 12 entering the fourth quarter. The Hawks chipped away, and a basket by McCollum gave them a 101-100 lead — their first second-half advantage of the series — with 2:09 remaining.
He added another basket to extend the lead to three, but Jalen Brunson answered with a three-pointer to tie the game. McCollum responded with a jumper to make it 105-103 with 33 seconds left.
Jonathan Kuminga contributed 19 points off the bench, while Jalen Johnson added 17, including a basket with 10 seconds remaining that pushed the Hawks’ lead to four. The sixth-seeded Hawks will host Game 3 on Thursday (Friday in PH).
Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 18.
New York, aiming to reach the second round for a fourth straight season — its longest run since 1991-92 to 1999-2000 — appeared in control for much of the game.
“This is a game we should have won,” said Josh Hart. “In the playoffs you can’t give away games.”
The Knicks had been 40-1 in the postseason since the shot clock era began in 1954-55 when leading by at least 12 points after three quarters. Their only previous loss in that situation came during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, when Reggie Miller scored 25 fourth-quarter points for Indiana.
Towns, who scored just four points in the first half, erupted for 14 in the third quarter to help New York build a 78-64 lead. The Knicks still held an eight-point advantage with under five minutes to play before Atlanta’s rally.
McCollum, unfazed by crowd jeers after a third-quarter confrontation with Jose Alvarado that resulted in technical fouls, took over late to seal the comeback.
Acquired from Washington in January in a trade involving Trae Young, McCollum delivered a standout performance, outplaying Brunson in the second half and lifting Atlanta to a crucial road win.
Hart finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.
Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105
In another game, Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and James Harden added 28 as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors, 115-105, to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series, an AP report said.
Evan Mobley added 25 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland.
“They threw the kitchen sink at us, gave us a lot of different looks and (we) kept our poise,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “This is what the playoffs are about.”
The Cavaliers, who never trailed, extended their playoff winning streak against Toronto to 12 games, matching an NBA postseason record.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with a playoff career-high 26 points, while RJ Barrett had 22 points and nine rebounds.
The series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Harden added four assists to move into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time playoff list with 1,139. He also recorded five steals, marking the fourth time he has had at least that many in a postseason game.
Toronto cut the deficit to 99-90 midway through the fourth quarter, but Mitchell responded with seven straight points to secure the win.
Cleveland led 73-57 midway through the third quarter before Toronto answered with a 16-6 run to stay within striking distance.
In the other matchup, Anthony Edwards scored 30 points and Julius Randle added 24 as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied past the Denver Nuggets, 119-114, to even their first-round series at one game apiece. / LBG
