New York Knicks even series with Atlanta Hawks after first playoff win since 2013

For the primary time in additional than eight years — 2,923 days, to be actual — the New York Knicks have been in a position to have a good time a playoff win. And, just like the final one, they have been in a position to do it at Madison Sq. Backyard.

With Wednesday night time’s 101-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Sport 2 of their first-round sequence, the Knicks have been in a position to ship 15,000 screaming followers house joyful after night the sequence at 1-1.

It was the Knicks’ first postseason victory since Might 16, 2013, once they beat the Indiana Pacers 85-75 in Sport 5 of the convention semifinals, a sequence they in the end misplaced in six video games.

Wednesday night time’s victory despatched Knicks followers pouring out of the constructing onto Seventh Avenue whereas cheering for Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, Reggie Bullock and extra. They continued to disparage Hawks guard Trae Younger’s title and even chanted about wanting the Brooklyn Nets.

However earlier than they’ll get that want — one thing that may’t occur till the Jap Convention finals — there’s extra work to do towards the Hawks.

The Knicks fell behind by as many as 15 within the first half, inflicting Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to make some lineup adjustments to begin the third quarter. Elfrid Payton and Nerlens Noel sat in favor of Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, two longtime Thibodeau stalwarts.

The adjustments paid off.

“We began out slowly, after which our bench performed in and performed fairly good,” Thibodeau stated. “Then we closed the second quarter slowly. So I simply wished to vary it up. We wished to do one thing totally different. That’s why you’ve a bench. These guys got here in, and so they performed nice. I believed they performed nice within the first half, so I wished to provide us a unique look, and it was a plus.”

Rose and Gibson are the 2 senior members of this 12 months’s Knicks, in age and in playoff expertise. Heading into the playoffs, Rose and Gibson mixed for 112 profession playoff appearances, whereas the remainder of the roster mixed for 37.

Thibodeau stated that have helped give his staff a lift within the second half.

“We’ve got some guys that haven’t been in playoff video games, and so they’ll get higher as we go,” Thibodeau stated. “There’s just one technique to get expertise, and that’s you gotta get it. So every recreation I believe they’ll get higher. I believe you study from every recreation. You study from every scenario. However I believe the truth that these guys have been in large video games earlier than is an enormous plus for our staff.”

Within the first half, the Knicks’ bench outscored the starters 30-14, with Rose main the cost. He completed with a team-high 26 factors in 39 minutes. That got here after he performed 38 minutes in Sport 1.

Regardless of coming off the bench in 32 of 35 video games with the Knicks within the common season, Rose stated he has ready himself to deal with a lot of these minutes.

“I’ve been working my butt off for a pair years now prepping myself and getting my physique proper,” Rose stated. “I maintain myself fairly good. I don’t wish to say an excessive amount of about that as a result of I don’t wish to jinx myself. However I’m good.”

Rose was additionally joyful together with his play in Sport 2 after a Sport 1 efficiency that left him lower than thrilled.

“I’m simply joyful that I’m feeling good. We obtained the win and I performed rather a lot in another way than I did within the first recreation,” Rose stated. “I used to be ensuring I obtained into the ball at any time when he handed half courtroom. And simply tried to play with urgency. I didn’t see that final recreation and I used to be disillusioned in myself.”

A robust begin by Rose and the bench helped the Knicks recover from one other gradual begin from Randle, who was named the league’s Most Improved Participant on Tuesday. Randle went 0-for-6 within the first half whereas scoring simply two factors.

However he obtained his recreation going within the third quarter with 11 factors; he completed with 15 factors and 12 rebounds.

“We got here out within the third quarter and knew we couldn’t lose two on our house courtroom,” Randle stated. “Our depth stage simply went to a different stage, defensively first. Derrick, Reggie and people guys did a superb job moving into the ball. We have been in a position to get stops and get out and play just a little bit quicker. We have been taking part in with higher tempo on the offensive finish.”

The Knicks’ protection did step up within the second half, holding the Hawks to simply 28% capturing, their worst mark in any half this season.

Atlanta was particularly chilly going towards Randle. In line with ESPN Stats & Info analysis, the Hawks went 0-of-15 towards Randle as the first defender. It’s the primary time since knowledge monitoring began within the 2013-14 playoffs {that a} staff has gone 0-of-15 towards a single participant.

Gibson, who was born in Brooklyn, is taking part in beneath Thibodeau for the third time in his profession after stops in Chicago and Minnesota. He stated he remembers throughout his rookie season and sophomore 12 months with the Bulls speaking with Thibodeau after observe about what a doable playoff matchup towards the Knicks would appear like with the Backyard rocking once more.

Whereas the 2 of them are on totally different groups, it’s nonetheless one thing he’s not taking as a right.

“I don’t know find out how to clarify it,” Gibson stated. “However day by day I are available in right here, it’s surreal. You gotta pinch your self since you’re taking part in within the Backyard.

“It’s one of many hardest locations to play, but it surely’s one of many [most beautiful] locations to play once you’re proper. Simply attempting to do some particular issues right here, and proper now we’re laying the groundwork for it. It’s an superior feeling.”