Karl-Anthony Towns is hitting his stride, and the New York Knicks’ young talent is blossoming under the leadership of first-year head coach Mike Brown. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson once again proved his worth in a clutch moment.
These key narratives were evident in the Knicks’ thrilling 128-125 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The team played without Josh Hart, who was sidelined due to a sprained right ankle, an injury he sustained during New York’s Christmas Day win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This marked Hart’s third missed game of the season, following earlier issues with back spasms. He did not travel with the team on their current three-game road trip, which includes stops in New Orleans and San Antonio. A league source indicated that Hart’s condition will be reassessed upon the Knicks’ return to New York.
In Hart’s absence, Towns took command on the boards against the Hawks, who lacked a seven-footer to counter him. He delivered an impressive performance, scoring a game-high 36 points on 8-of-15 shooting, along with 16 rebounds. He also dazzled with a stylish over-the-head pass to a cutting Mikal Bridges. This marks the second time in three games that Towns has topped 36 points. Previously, he scored 40 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including three-of-six from beyond the arc, during the Knicks’ December 23 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves—a game where both Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby were absent.
While Towns set the pace early, Brunson closed the game with authority, scoring six consecutive points during crunch time to thwart the Hawks’ comeback. Brunson ended the night with 34 points, shooting 15-of-29 from the field.
The Knicks held a 114-104 lead over the Hawks with 7:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, only to see their advantage cut to a single possession following a 7-0 run by Atlanta. However, OG Anunoby made the game’s pivotal play with less than 20 seconds left, intercepting an inbounds pass from Hawks forward Jalen Johnson. Instead of opting for an open dunk, Anunoby wisely chose to run down the clock before being intentionally fouled. He then sank both free throws, securing the Knicks’ three-point victory.
Brown started rookie Mohamed Diawara in place of Hart, and the first-year wing logged five points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in his 16 minutes on the floor. The bigger moments from the end of the bench came from a second-round pick who maximized a rare opportunity on a team loaded on the wings.
Kevin McCullar Jr. logged six total minutes this season — five against the Timberwolves on Tuesday and one in garbage time of the NBA Cup quarterfinal victory over the Toronto Raptors — before Brown threw him to the wolves in Atlanta on Saturday.
McCullar Jr. played 23 minutes against the Hawks and finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals, making four of his seven attempts from the field and shooting three-of-six from behind the arc.
“Just staying ready until my number’s called, and happy we got the W,” McCullar said in his walk-off interview after the game. “That’s my big bro on the team for sure. His energy is contagious. I learned a lot from him last year. And I went out there trying to make plays, winning plays.”
The Knicks acquired McCullar Jr. at pick No. 56 in the 2024 NBA Draft in the draft night deal that sent pick No. 40, Oso Ighodaro, to the Phoenix Suns. He played 30 total minutes as a rookie after recovering from bone bruises in his left knee that limited the end of his collegiate career at Kansas.
McCullar said the young players on the Knicks’ roster are responding to Josh Hart’s message that those players at the end of the rotation need to be ready in case of injury.
“We’ve got great veterans in the locker room,” he said. “They always stay on us to be ready when our number’s called, and take advantage of it. Tonight I did.”
And suddenly, the Knicks may be sitting on another option on the wing: They are starting Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges but are thin behind them with both Landry Shamet and Miles McBride injured and undersized at the three.
Shamet is back to full on-court basketball activities and is progressing his way towards taking contact in practice. The Knicks are eagerly waiting on his return, but it’s clear they’ve got young players who’ll step up until his return.
