The New York Knicks forced the Atlanta Hawks into a poor shooting performance Wednesday night. But they couldn’t keep the resurgent Hawks off the glass.
Atlanta shot only 41.3 percent from the field and 29 percent from three-point range. That could have been disastrous had they not grabbed 22 offensive rebounds, giving them 11 extra field goal attempts that were crucial in a 108-100 victory.
The Hawks have been known as an offensive-oriented team since the arrival of Trae Young in 2018. While Young had 22 points and 11 assists, he shot just 8-for-22, and 2-for-8 from three-point range. But his teammates showed a lot of toughness on the glass.
Onyeka Okongwu had five offensive boards. So did shooting guard Dyson Daniels. Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela had four offensive rebounds, while Vit Krejci had two in just eight minutes. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns grabbing 19 rebounds for the Knicks, the Hawks had a huge advantage on the boards.
By the end of the game, Atlanta was taking advantage of a Knicks frontcourt that was on its heels. The Hawks iced the game late with a series of alley-oop dunks, successfully completing three in four possessions after the three-minute mark.
Atlanta advances to the NBA Cup semifinals to face the Milwaukee Bucks, who lost to a similar team last season. The Indiana Pacers beat Milwaukee by exploiting their speed and scoring ability, something the Hawks also have in spades. But if they can also hang with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on the glass, this Hawks team has a great chance to make the final.