For the first time all season, Madison Square Garden was close to full capacity as over 15,000 mostly soon to be disappointed Knicks fans packed the house for a prime time NBA Playoff Game on Sunday night.
With the normal A-list Celebrities sitting courtside, two evenly matched, well coached basketball teams traded baskets and last minute heroics for 48 minutes. But at the end of Game 1, it was the visiting Atlanta Hawks that pulled off a hard fought 107-105 victory over the host New York Knicks.
Trae Young, making is NBA Playoff debut, played like a seasoned veteran all night for the Southeast Division Champion Hawks, finishing with a game high 32 pts to go with 10 assists. Midseason acquisition Lou Williams came off the bench to contribute 13 points, including 5 straight to end the 3rd qtr, to pull the Hawks back within 2 points headed to the fourth, 71-73.
But when Audacy.com NBA Insider Brian Scalabrine, made his weekly visit to the Midday Show with Andy and Randy, he was quick to remind the listeners that it was indeed the stellar defense played by the Hawks all night that was the real reason they came out with the early 1-0 series lead.
The Hawks held the Knicks star Julius Randle to 15 pts on 6-23 shooting, after Randle had averaged 30+ points per game against the Hawks in their 3 regular season matchups, all Knicks wins. Scalabrine credited the Hawks with keeping Randle’s perimeter shot off balance, while having the inside presences of Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari (wearing his new playoff Mohawk) to contest Randle or any other Knick as they tried to penetrate into the paint.
Winning in the NBA Playoffs often comes down to which team makes the best in series adjustments. And with two days off between games 1 and 2, both Hawks coach Nate McMillan and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau will be busy trying to decide which adjustments and counter adjustments will bring home a victory in what will be a pivotal Game 2 Wednesday night back at MSG.
