Knicks Takeaways from Sunday's 140-135 double-OT loss to Hawks, including four-game winning streak snapping

Julius Randle dropped a 35-point, 18-rebound double-double but was outdone by Trae Young's 48 points

2/10/2020, 2:12 AM
Feb 9, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / DALE ZANINE
Feb 9, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / DALE ZANINE

The Knicks led by 15 and trailed by 16, coming back late and forcing overtime, but New York ultimately fell in two overtimes at the end of Sunday's 140-135 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Sunday's game

1) The Knicks jumped out to a 31-20 lead after the first quarter, but gave up 41 points to the Hawks in the second quarter. They maintained a two-point lead at the half -- 63-61. Julius Randle had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the first half for the Knicks, while Hawks big man John Collins had 20 points in the half as well. The Knicks shot 54.2 percent from the field, as Reggie Bullock chipped in 13 points and Bobby Portis had 11 points.

 

2) RJ Barrett struggled while starting at point guard, shooting just 2-for-6 from the field for five points. Barrett also had three assists, four rebounds and one steal in 22 minutes.

3) The Knicks were outscored, 33-20, in the third quarter as the Hawks took the 94-83 lead into the fourth quarter, but New York did not go away quietly. Atlanta led by 14 points with 9:07 left in the game after Trae Young's 28-foot three-pointer and seemed set to run away, but the Knicks mounted an improbable comeback over the final nine minutes.

New York forced overtime on Randle's pair of free throws with 30.3 seconds to go in regulation. Randle had a chance to win the game, but he ultimately could not sink his driving floating jump shot with 3.5 seconds on the clock. 

4) Reggie Bullock was the Knicks' second leading scorer, starting at shooting guard and excelling with a season-high 21 points, going 5-for -9 from behind the three-point arc. Portis finished the game with 14 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

Mitchell Robinson added 15 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double off the bench, stretching the Knicks' first-overtime momentum with two free throws to go up 126-118 at the 1:56 mark. But the Knicks fell apart in the final two minutes of the first overtime, with Young scoring six points and Collins adding a bucket as the Hawks mounted an 8-0 run to tie the score at 126-125 and force five more minutes.

5) In the second overtime, the Knicks ran out of gas. After Robinson's dunk at the 4:24 mark put the Knicks ahead, the Hawks answered on Young's pair of free throws 10 seconds later and did not look back. Young added two more makes from the charity stripe with 3:47 left and the Hawks retook a 130-128 lead they did not relinquish.

With the loss to the Hawks, the Knicks missed out on their first five-game winning streak in nearly six years. They last secured five victories in a row March 5, 2014 through March 21, 2014. Young dropped a game-high 48 points, including six triples, outdoing Randle's team-high 35 points and game-high 18 rebounds for a monster double-double.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks (17-37) get two days off before they return home to Madison Square Garden for their 7:30 p.m. game Wednesday against the Washington Wizards (18-33).

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