Hawks Narrowly Defeat Knicks to Lead Series, Raptors Beat Cavaliers to Tie Series
In the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks narrowly defeated the New York Knicks to take a 2-1 series lead, while the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to tie their series at 1-2.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 14:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 14:31 (31 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 15:47 (1h 15m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Atlanta 23rd, comprehensive foreign report) Two home teams in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs both won today. The Atlanta Hawks once again narrowly defeated the New York Knicks by 1 point, taking a 2-1 lead in the series; the Toronto Raptors finally got their first win, shooting down the Cleveland Cavaliers from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, tying the series at 1-2.
CJ McCollum of the Hawks made the game-winning shot with 12.5 seconds left in the game today, and the team ultimately defeated the Knicks 109-108, winning by 1 point for the second consecutive game, and currently holding a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
The Toronto Raptors showed strong performance after returning home. They pulled away in the fourth quarter, ultimately defeating the Cavaliers 126-104, and are currently trailing 1-2 in the series.
The entire Hawks team performed excellently today, especially successfully blocking the Knicks' comeback on defense. After McCollum made the go-ahead shot in the final crucial moments, the Knicks still had ample time to counterattack, but under the Hawks' pressure, Jalen Brunson of the Knicks committed a turnover. The pass, originally intended for Josh Hart, was intercepted by Jonathan Kuminga, securing the final victory for the Hawks.
McCollum commented on the final defense: "Perfect performance. When we needed to defend, the whole team stepped up and did everything necessary to win in this environment."
Jalen Johnson scored 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Hawks today; McCollum contributed 23 points, and Kuminga came off the bench to score 21 points.
For the Knicks, OG Anunoby scored 29 points and grabbed 9 rebounds; Brunson had 26 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 17 rebounds. The Knicks will play their fourth game against the Hawks in Atlanta on the 25th, seeking to turn the tide.
In the other game, Raptors' Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett each scored 33 points, and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles came off the bench to contribute 22 points.
The Raptors entered the fourth quarter with a 2-point lead, and their offense exploded. They shot 8-for-9 from three-point range in the final quarter, completely dominating the Cavaliers 43-23.
Barnes, who had 11 assists, said: "We knew we had to win this one." If the Raptors had lost this game, they would have been in a 0-3 series deficit, and no team in NBA history has ever come back from that.
For the Cavaliers, James Harden scored 18 points, while Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus each had 15 points. (Compiled by Chu Hsiang-ping) 1150424
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(Central News Agency, Atlanta 23rd, comprehensive foreign report) Two home teams in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs both won today. The Atlanta Hawks once again narrowly defeated the New York Knicks by 1 point, taking a 2-1 lead in the series; the Toronto Raptors finally got their first win, shooting down the Cleveland Cavaliers from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, tying the series at 1-2.
CJ McCollum of the Hawks made the game-winning shot with 12.5 seconds left in the game today, and the team ultimately defeated the Knicks 109-108, winning by 1 point for the second consecutive game, and currently holding a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
The Toronto Raptors showed strong performance after returning home. They pulled away in the fourth quarter, ultimately defeating the Cavaliers 126-104, and are currently trailing 1-2 in the series.
The entire Hawks team performed excellently today, especially successfully blocking the Knicks' comeback on defense. After McCollum made the go-ahead shot in the final crucial moments, the Knicks still had ample time to counterattack, but under the Hawks' pressure, Jalen Brunson of the Knicks committed a turnover. The pass, originally intended for Josh Hart, was intercepted by Jonathan Kuminga, securing the final victory for the Hawks.
McCollum commented on the final defense: "Perfect performance. When we needed to defend, the whole team stepped up and did everything necessary to win in this environment."
Jalen Johnson scored 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Hawks today; McCollum contributed 23 points, and Kuminga came off the bench to score 21 points.
For the Knicks, OG Anunoby scored 29 points and grabbed 9 rebounds; Brunson had 26 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 17 rebounds. The Knicks will play their fourth game against the Hawks in Atlanta on the 25th, seeking to turn the tide.
In the other game, Raptors' Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett each scored 33 points, and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles came off the bench to contribute 22 points.
The Raptors entered the fourth quarter with a 2-point lead, and their offense exploded. They shot 8-for-9 from three-point range in the final quarter, completely dominating the Cavaliers 43-23.
Barnes, who had 11 assists, said: "We knew we had to win this one." If the Raptors had lost this game, they would have been in a 0-3 series deficit, and no team in NBA history has ever come back from that.
For the Cavaliers, James Harden scored 18 points, while Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus each had 15 points. (Compiled by Chu Hsiang-ping) 1150424
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.