Knicks avoid late collapse on Kat’s 44, Brunson’s OT bucket in Wild Win

New York-Relevant by his closet after it all was Knick’s All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns a big smile in the face. It was an expression he could afford to have after his team managed to creak past Atlanta Hawks 149-148 over time to win NBA’s highest scoring and perhaps its wildest season game.

“I would need a therapist if we had come out of it with a l; I won’t lie to you,” said Towns, who ended with 44 points and 10 rebounds, but also had revenue in closing seconds with regulation , that could have cost knicks.

Jalen Brunson, who scored 36 points, hit a pull-up jumper with 11 seconds left over time, which turned out to be the winner.

“There is no particular time if trip it is, or what. I mean we don’t really play that way,” Brunson said. “I just think we read we play and respond, and just what it takes to win.”

But New York thought it had played in hand much earlier; So much so that a number of fans – with Knicks that led with six with 18 seconds left in regulation – began to leave Madison Square Garden to get a head start on the commuting home.

A Georges Niang 3-Pointer cut the deficit in half with nine seconds left, and then tossed Towns a wrong care of the subsequent inbound game that Hawks Guard Dyson Daniels managed to steal under the curve before being committed.

Daniels made his first free throw to cut Knicks’ lead to two, but missed his second. He grabbed his own rebound, and the Hawks star Trae Young made a mistake before tying the score of 137-137 on a couple of free kicks with two seconds left.

The sudden rotation left the garden stunned, especially when Knicks had led with as many as 18 points in the high tempo one, with eight players ending with 20 points or more.

Knicks had blown up a significant lead to lose to Hawks earlier in the season during the NBA Cup. But playing the other of a back-to-back Wednesday, New York dug deep enough to save a win.

Failed as it could have been, the Knicks victory left with a 36-18 brand that went into the All-Star break, their best record through 54 games since 1996-97. “It’s great to go into the break with a win, no matter how we got it,” said Brunson, there will be a starter in the exhibition this weekend with cities. “We fought through, no matter what we did, positive or negative. We came out with a win.”

New York defeated Young – which has become a garden foil – to put a monster game with 38 points and 19 assists. He had the ball in the hands of the last possession, but found himself the blanket of Mikal Bridges, who got defensive help when Young called for a screen.

Young ended up going to Nary for the last shot in the last second, but it was rushed and naked misfire.

“I just saw too much of an audience. I think if we had it to do again we would have distributed it to give me the opportunity to pass by (bridges) and draw help or something. I think, The screen caused too much combustion at the top, ”Young said of Play Design. “We didn’t get a good shot up.”