When the Atlanta Hawks took a 2-1 series lead over the New York Knicks, the momentum shifted toward their side. CJ McCollum did just enough to get Atlanta’s offense over the hump. Their defense stifled Jalen Brunson and the Knicks. However, New York took a 3-2 series lead after blowing out the Hawks in Games 4 and 5. Suddenly, all the momentum shifted toward the Knicks.
The Hawks must make critical adjustments to keep their season alive and force a Game 7 back at Madison Square Garden. If not, the Hawks’ 2025-26 campaign ends on Thursday night at State Farm Arena in Game 6.
Hawks Face Elimination In Game 6 Against Knicks
Hawks Must Find Their 3-Point Shot To Open Up The Offense
Over the last two games, the Hawks have gone a combined 23-for-83 from beyond the arc. They shot 24% from deep in Game 4 and 31% in Game 5. Atlanta relied heavily on its 3-point prowess in the regular season, finishing among the top nine in 3-point attempts, makes, and efficiency. This strength over 82 games became the Hawks’ kryptonite over the last two contests.
Atlanta’s struggles from deep allow the Knicks to give even more space to bad shooters like Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels. This shuts off the middle of the floor, preventing strong, athletic finishers like Jalen Johnson and Kuminga from attacking downhill. On top of the Hawks’ poor perimeter shooting, they scored only 42 points in the paint in Game 5. When they got to the paint, they shot 21-of-30, but 30 paint attempts compared to the Knicks’ 46 tell a big story about both teams’ defenses.
In Game 5, the Hawks got the ball to the middle of the floor, hitting Daniels on the short roll to end the first half and open the second. This was the only time Atlanta perfectly executed its brand of ball-movement, player-movement half-court offense.
Good ball fellas pic.twitter.com/6g7m6ybYcb
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 29, 2026
CJ McCollum Game 6 Bounce Back Performance
McCollum carried Atlanta’s offense to start this series, scoring 26, 32, and 23 points in Games 1, 2, and 3. He knocked down the game-winning mid-ranger in Game 3, adding to his list of iconic playoff performances. However, the 34-year-old totaled just six points in Game 5, shooting 3-of-10 from the field and 0-of-3 from the charity stripe with four turnovers.
McCollum has had the ball in his hands a lot, registering a team-high 30.3% usage for the series. For reference, Johnson’s usage sits far below at 23.8%. The Hawks’ guard dribbled into traffic or settled for tough isolation shots throughout Game 5.
Atlanta also ran a lot of on-ball screens for McCollum, something they did not do a lot in the regular season. The Hawks used McCollum off the ball while Johnson and Daniels handled most of the playmaking duties. If Atlanta continues to feature McCollum this much offensively, the veteran must be willing to find the open man off these actions. The Hawks had too many possessions without moving the ball to the opposite side of the floor.
Get Back To Running The Floor
The Hawks lack a Brunson-Karl-Anthony Towns–type duo capable of consistently generating efficient offense in the half-court. As a result, they rely on their defense to jumpstart their offense. However, in Games 4 and 5, Atlanta lost the fast-break points 8-7 and 13-4, respectively. It even had zero fast-break buckets through the first three and a half quarters of Game 4.
In order to get out and run, the Hawks must do a better job of forcing the Knicks into live-ball turnovers and securing defensive boards. Both ways allow Atlanta to find a quick outlet pass and score before New York sets up its strong half-court defense. The Hawks have not been able to solve the Knicks’ defense in the last two contests. If this trend continues in Game 6, the Hawks’ 2025-26 season will come to a close.
Featured Image: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
