NYK destroys ATL by 51 points to record most dominant playoff win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

What a way to wrap up a seven-game NBA playoff series.

Needing only one win to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, the New York Knicks took care of business as they annihilated the Atlanta Hawks by 51 points, 140-89, in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series on May 1, 2026.

New York then made history by recording the most dominant win in the NBA playoffs, surpassing its 38-point victory over the Boston Celtics last May 16, 2025, and officially eliminating Atlanta in the ongoing postseason.

Aside from notching the most lopsided win after regulation, New York also recorded the largest halftime advantage in NBA playoff history with a 47-point lead, 83-36, and never looked back as the Hawks were still in a shocked state entering the second half.

OG Anunoby kicked off New York’s dominant start with 13 quick points in the first quarter as the veteran skipper torched the entire Atlanta squad with three 3-pointers to give the Knicks an early double-digit cushion.

New York then took advantage of the Hawks’ sloppy start as they committed a series of turnovers, which resulted in eight fast-break points for the Knicks in the opener alone.

Picking up where Anunoby left off was Jalen Brunson, who took Atlanta’s backcourt defenders to school with his savvy foul-baiting exhibition that put the Hawks beyond the foul limit with six minutes still remaining in the first quarter.

After getting conscious defensively due to their foul trouble, the Hawks gave up points in the paint as the Knicks capped off the first 12 minutes of action with a commanding 25-point lead.

Demoralized and stunned by the added pressure of performing in front of their home fans at State Farm Arena, Atlanta failed to recover and restore order, conceding another frame by 22 points.

The moment Karl-Anthony Towns stared down the whole Atlanta bench after a contested 3-point bucket, it was also the sign of an early surrender for the Hawks.

Instead of chirping back, Atlanta’s bench remained silent, kept their heads down, and waved their hands in disbelief.

As early as the second quarter, New York already smelled blood.

Flashes of the 2022 Western Conference battle between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns then appeared when the third quarter started after Atlanta gave its all on the offensive end, but the Knicks had plenty of answers.

The same way Luka Doncic taunted Devin Booker four years ago is exactly what Brunson and Anunoby did in front of CJ McCollum.

Despite signs of life from Atlanta’s 3-point shooting, the massive lead was just too much to handle, and an expected bench-clearing with nine minutes left in the ballgame took place.

Anunoby led all scorers with an efficient 29-point performance in just 27 minutes of action, built on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers.

Aside from his stellar offensive showcase, Anunoby also stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four steals, two assists, and a block.

Mikal Bridges finally showed up when New York needed him the most, dropping 24 markers, five boards, and three dimes.

Brunson had another excellent game controlling the tempo, delivering 17 points, eight assists, two boards, and two steals, while Towns tallied a triple-double outing of 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

The Knicks will have ample time to rest before proceeding to the Eastern Conference semifinals, as they await the winner between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.