Brunson's 39 Points Lead Knicks to Crush Hawks, Take 3-2 Series Lead
In Game 5 of the NBA playoffs' first round, the New York Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 at home, taking a 3-2 series lead. Knicks star Jalen Brunson delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 39 points.
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- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 12:57
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Central News Agency
(New York, April 28, Central News Agency) In Game 5 of the NBA playoffs' first round, the New York Knicks hosted the Atlanta Hawks. Knicks star Jalen Brunson scored a whopping 39 points, leading his team to a 126-97 victory over the Hawks, securing a 3-2 series lead.
According to the Associated Press, after two consecutive dominant wins, the Knicks are just one victory away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year; if the series extends, they still hold home-court advantage for Game 7, making their current advancement prospects very favorable.
The Hawks narrowly defeated the Knicks by one point in Game 2 and Game 3, but since then, the gap between the two teams has significantly widened. The Knicks won Game 4 in Atlanta 114-98, leading by as much as 24 points, and in this game, they led by as many as 32 points, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, completely extinguishing the Hawks' hopes of catching up. Brunson holds the Knicks' franchise record for scoring 40 points in a single playoff game eight times.
OG Anunoby contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds, while star center Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists.
For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson scored 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Dyson Daniels contributed 17 points. However, CJ McCollum, who previously led the team to two victories, only scored 6 points in this game.
The game started with the Knicks firing on all cylinders, hitting 8 of their first 12 shots and launching a 9-0 run late in the first quarter, ending it 35-22. The Knicks further extended their lead with an 8-0 run in the second quarter, leading the Hawks 64-48 at halftime with a shooting percentage as high as 58.5%.
In the second half, the Knicks continued their multi-point scoring, leading by 18 points at the end of the third quarter. Brunson alone took 17 points in the final quarter, completely sealing the victory. (Editor: Liu Wen-yu) 1150428
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(New York, April 28, Central News Agency) In Game 5 of the NBA playoffs' first round, the New York Knicks hosted the Atlanta Hawks. Knicks star Jalen Brunson scored a whopping 39 points, leading his team to a 126-97 victory over the Hawks, securing a 3-2 series lead.
According to the Associated Press, after two consecutive dominant wins, the Knicks are just one victory away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year; if the series extends, they still hold home-court advantage for Game 7, making their current advancement prospects very favorable.
The Hawks narrowly defeated the Knicks by one point in Game 2 and Game 3, but since then, the gap between the two teams has significantly widened. The Knicks won Game 4 in Atlanta 114-98, leading by as much as 24 points, and in this game, they led by as many as 32 points, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, completely extinguishing the Hawks' hopes of catching up. Brunson holds the Knicks' franchise record for scoring 40 points in a single playoff game eight times.
OG Anunoby contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds, while star center Karl-Anthony Towns delivered 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists.
For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson scored 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Dyson Daniels contributed 17 points. However, CJ McCollum, who previously led the team to two victories, only scored 6 points in this game.
The game started with the Knicks firing on all cylinders, hitting 8 of their first 12 shots and launching a 9-0 run late in the first quarter, ending it 35-22. The Knicks further extended their lead with an 8-0 run in the second quarter, leading the Hawks 64-48 at halftime with a shooting percentage as high as 58.5%.
In the second half, the Knicks continued their multi-point scoring, leading by 18 points at the end of the third quarter. Brunson alone took 17 points in the final quarter, completely sealing the victory. (Editor: Liu Wen-yu) 1150428
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship of yours is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.