Knicks' Halftime Blowout of Hawks Reached Historic Levels of Dominance
The Knicks are ready to put the Hawks out of their misery.
On Thursday night, in Game 6 of their series with Atlanta, New York was utterly dominant from right out of the gate and shattered the NBA record for the largest halftime lead in a playoff game.
Led by OG Anunoby's 26 points and a smothering defense, the Knicks entered the locker room leading 83–36. That 47-point lead bested the previous record of 41, which has been done twice. The Cavaliers led the Boston Celtics 72-31 at the break during Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference finals, while the Knicks were on the receiving end of a 41-point deficit last year when the Pacers led them 80-39 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Here's a look at the five biggest halftime leads in NBA playoff history.
| YEAR | TEAM | OPPONENT | HALFTIME MARGIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | New York Knicks | Atlanta Hawks | 47 |
| 2017 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Boston Celtics | 41 |
| 2025 | Indiana Pacers | New York Knicks | 41 |
| 1987 | Detroit Pistons | Washington Bullets | 40 |
| 2025 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Miami Heat | 39 |
The Knicks had three players in double figures, as Mikal Bridges scored 16, while Jalen Brunson added 13. Perhaps most impressive was the team's efficiency. They were 28-for-43 (65%) from the floor, 7-for-16 (44%) from three-point range and 20-for-22 (91%) from the foul line.
The offense was impressive, but New York also completely shut down the Hawks. Atlanta mustered 36 points on 39 attempts from the field, while shooting 31%. CJ McCollum, who has been a thorn in the Knicks' side during the series, was limited to nine points, while Jalen Johnson had 11 and Jonathan Kuminga was limited to three in 12 minutes off the bench.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Knicks' Halftime Blowout of Hawks Reached Historic Levels of Dominance.
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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 5:35 PM.