The scoreboard did not lie
Game 6 ended in brutal fashion for Atlanta — a 140-89 loss to New York that closed the Hawks’ season in an almost cartoonish rout. The kind of defeat that makes you check your TV volume because surely it can’t be real.
Fans voted with their feet
The blowout was so one-sided many folks left early. Some people showed up late and departed by halftime; others said they’d rather skip staying to hear rival fans gloat. By the break, the experience had turned from playoff drama to an evening people wanted to escape.
Records tumbled — and not in Atlanta’s favor
The Knicks raced out to a 40-15 lead after the first quarter and led 83-36 at halftime — the largest halftime advantage ever seen in NBA playoff history and the biggest first-quarter margin of the shot-clock era. The final 51-point gap tied for the sixth-largest margin in postseason history. Yikes.
Who turned it into a coronation
New York got balanced firepower. OG Anunoby poured in 29 points, torching the first half with 26. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in a triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) and Mikal Bridges added 24. The Knicks hit triple digits with more than eight minutes left in the third, letting starters sit and soak up the damage.
Hawks had a rough evening
Atlanta never found an answer. Jalen Johnson led the team with 21 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga contributed 11 apiece. The Hawks were ice-cold early, going just 12-for-39 before halftime and coughing up 14 turnovers — a combination that makes comeback chances vanish fast.
Temperatures rose along with the score
Frustration boiled over on the court, too: Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson were both ejected after a skirmish in the second quarter when New York’s lead ballooned toward 50 points.
What’s next
With the win, New York moves on to the Eastern Conference semifinals and will take on the winner of the Boston–Philadelphia series. For Atlanta, the season ends abruptly — and painfully — with one of the most lopsided playoff losses in recent memory.
Final thought
It was a night Hawks fans will want to forget: historic numbers for the record books, but the kind of history you don’t brag about. The Associated Press contributed to the reporting on the game.
