NEW YORK – There’s a long list of Madison Square Garden villains, players who enjoy torturing new York Knicks Fans in high-leverage situations.
CJ McCallum Became the latest addition to that list on Monday night, as his fourth quarter exploits helped atlanta hawks beat the knicks 107-106 to tie their first round series at Game 2.
McCollum led the Hawks with 32 points and six assists, and kept his team in the game when the Knicks, who led by 14 in the third quarter, threatened to pull back.
He had three key buckets in the final 2:08, including a go-ahead step-back jumper over OG Anunoby 34 seconds left in the thrilling fourth quarter.
McCollum also drew profanity-laced chants from the MSG crowd – usually reserved for former Hawks guards. trey young -After a verbal back-and-forth with the Knicks backup guard jose alvaradoAs a result of which both faced technical glitches.
“I’m not a villain, I’m a good guy with two kids and a wife,” McCallum said. “I think it’s a compliment. Great, passionate fans in a hostile environment. It’s fun, it’s basketball, it’s the playoffs. If anything, I think it’s a sign of respect.”
Both games have become more attractive, and it promises to be an intense atmosphere for Game 3 on Thursday in Atlanta.
McCullum’s approach, which captured the attention of the Garden crowd, perhaps loosened up his teammates, who had been playing poorly for most of the night. All-NBA candidate jalen johnson Picking up late, six of his 17 points came in the fourth.
Despite his clutch bucket, McCollum missed two free throw attempts with 5.6 seconds remaining and the Hawks missed one attempt, leaving the door open for the Knicks. But Jalen Brunson was unable to attend the play, was leaving mikal bridges Missing a fadeaway jumper before the buzzer.
This was the only moment when McCullum did not perform well in the final period. He found mismatches against Brunson and scored every time, causing the Knicks to struggle defensively in the final possession.
“When the buzzer goes and it’s quiet and you walk off the court, there’s a level of mutual respect,” McCallum said. “I’ve been to games at the Garden as a fan…I’ve watched playoff games here. It’s a pleasure to be able to play here. It’s a pleasure to walk off the court with a win.”
The Knicks have had their fair share of current-era villains (Young and Pacers guards) Tyrese Haliburton) and all-time rivals (Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller).
Perhaps reluctantly, the Knicks set the stage for McCollum. For the second consecutive game, the Knicks dominated the second half before the Hawks could respond.
In Game 1, the Hawks were unable to recover in sufficient time. In Game 2, they came back from an 80–66 deficit in the third quarter.
At the time, the Knicks were moving forward in their deployment carl-anthony town And Michelle RobinsonJoe dominated due to the Hawks’ lack of quality size. Towns scored 14 of his 18 points in the third, and Robinson was perfect from the field – all from close range, scoring a playoff-career high 13 points with seven rebounds.
“I’m no villain, I’m a good guy with two kids and a wife. I think that’s a compliment. Great, passionate fans in a hostile environment. It’s fun, it’s basketball, it’s the playoffs. If anything, I think it’s a sign of respect.”
CJ McCallum
But the Knicks couldn’t execute offensively in the fourth, while the Hawks finally got into gear, shooting 72% in the period.
“Slowly, we got some good looks. We got the ball in the right players’ hands,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “We have not converted yet.”
McCallum is happy to be playing meaningful basketball again. after working hard new Orleans And then WashingtonHe was involved in a mid-season trade to Atlanta that shocked and abruptly ended the Hawks’ season.
“It’s exactly what we thought it would be in terms of having a role and being able to contribute to a good team win,” McCallum said. “We talked about the conditions, we didn’t want to keep moving around and we needed to find somewhere we could make a home.”
For one night, that home was Madison Square Garden.
