Jalen Brunson, Knicks fall short in brutal late-game collapse against Hawks

ATLANTA — The Knicks and Jalen Brunson again grounded erstwhile it mattered most. 

Finishing up a agelong roadworthy travel successful unspeakable fashion, nan Knicks were outscored by 10 points successful nan last 2:12 and fell Wednesday to nan Hawks, 121-116, astatine State Farm Arena. 

Brunson, coming disconnected his dud astatine nan extremity of Monday’s nonaccomplishment to nan Rockets, was portion of nan illness again. He managed conscionable 4 points successful nan 4th quarter, incapable to antagonistic nan beardown decorativeness by Trae Young. 

It was a tight crippled passim and a sloppy extremity arsenic nan struggling Knicks (3-4) wrapped up a 2-2 roadworthy trip. They were starring by 5 aft a trey by Karl-Anthony Towns pinch 3 minutes remaining, their biggest advantage of nan 2nd half.

Then they missed connected 2 consecutive possessions earlier Brunson deed 1 of 2 free throws to springiness nan Knicks a one-point lead pinch 80 seconds left. 

With nan Knicks trailing by 1 connected astir apt nan game’s astir important possession, Brunson had an unfastened 3-pointer erstwhile isolated against Atlanta’s Clint Capela.

But he hesitated and dished it to nan area for a contested trey from Towns, who bricked it. 

Atlanta sewage nan rebound, dunked successful modulation and ne'er looked back. 

“I dream nan New York fans exited really, really quick,” Young said aft Knicks fans tried to return complete nan arena. 

Brunson was locked up by protect master Dyson Daniels, a rangy defender pinch quickness and size astatine 6-foot-5.

His first half was thrust connected nan struggle autobus pinch 3 turnovers, zero assists and 8 points connected 3 of 8 shooting.

As a ball-dominant scorer who often requires clip and respective dribbles to get his shot, nan shot moved amended erstwhile pass-first rookie Tyler Kolek was astatine constituent guard. 

The 29 wide assists accumulated by nan Knicks followed their violative dud successful Monday’s nonaccomplishment to Houston, wherever Josh Hart lamented nan “stagnant” offense. 

“Offensively, we person to beryllium much decisive, much successful tune pinch nan game,” Hart said. “Teams spot that they’re going to deliberation that’s nan blueprint [to extremity us].” 

So nan shot moved amended Wednesday but nan defense turned suspect.

The Hawks made 15 treys while shooting 45 percent overall.

Young vanished pinch 23 points and 10 assists. Rookie Zaccharie Risacher dropped a career-high 33 points. 

The Hawks are stuck successful betwixt rebuilding and gunning for nan playoffs.

They person an aged Knicks nemesis successful Young, 26, who is successful nan mediate of a max statement extension.

They’re besides starting Risacher, a 19-year-old rookie and first-overall prime who dropped 22 connected Wednesday successful nan opening half. They traded Dejounte Murray for Daniels and rebuilding pieces.

They were missing Wednesday 2 of their apical players, Bogdan Bogdanovic and DeAndre Hunter, some injured. 

But nan Knicks couldn’t capitalize and they amended dream this is conscionable increasing pains. 

A fewer hours earlier Wednesday’s tip-off, Brunson declared nan Knicks were progressing positively sloppy of immoderate extracurricular disapproval astir their uneven start. 

“We’re trending successful nan correct direction,” Brunson said. “I deliberation for america we can’t really attraction connected nan opinions of group extracurricular of nan organization. We person to attraction connected what we judge is going on, what we judge is right. How tin we hole it together? We spot each different each day, we activity pinch each different each day. So we cognize what’s going connected successful betwixt these lines.” 

Brunson vanished Wednesday pinch 21 points and 3 turnovers connected 8 of 18 shooting.

Towns led nan discourtesy pinch 34 points and 16 boards.