Trae Young, Hawks Beat Knicks in Game 4 to Take Commanding 3-1 Series Lead
The Atlanta Hawks have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the New York Knicks after a 113-96 Game 4 win Sunday.
Trae Young had 27 points and nine assists to lead his team to a second straight win at State Farm Arena. It put the No. 5 seed one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
New York kept pace in the early going thanks to 16 first-half points from Derrick Rose, trailing 53-49 at halftime. The game changed quickly as Atlanta outscored the visitors 35-22 in the third quarter.
The Knicks couldn't keep pace and never got the lead within single digits in the fourth quarter.
Julius Randle had his fourth straight double-double, but New York is still on the brink of elimination after a dream 2020-21 season.
Notable Performances
Trae Young, PG, ATL: 27 points, 9 assists
John Collins, PF, ATL: 22 points, 8 rebounds
Danilo Gallinari, PF, ATL: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block
Julius Randle, PF, NYK: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals
Derrick Rose, PG, NYK: 18 points, 6 assists
RJ Barrett, SG, NYK: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Trae Young Continues to Shine for Hawks
Trae Young has showcased his skill set throughout the series and didn't slow down in Game 4, finishing with 27 points. It was his fourth straight game with at least 20 points to begin his postseason career.
The guard didn't shoot well from the perimeter (4-of-14 from three) but found a way to get shots inside the arc with consistency.
When the Hawks needed points, Young was there to keep the offense rolling.
It was far from a one-man show Sunday, however, as the team got production from a lot of different sources:
John Collins was especially impressive, scoring a playoff-best 22 points and getting baskets even when he faced solid defense.
Compared to the Knicks, Atlanta had too many weapons offensively, and it allowed the home team to pull away as the game progressed.
Inefficient Julius Randle Slows Knicks Offense Again
Randle's struggles have been a big story of the series, as he shot just 23.6 percent from the field in the first three games while failing to top 15 points in any of them.
Considering how important the league's Most Improved Player is to the Knicks offense, his sudden disappearance has been brutal.
Randle filled up the stat sheet in other ways, but his 7-of-19 shooting from the field hurt the team.
The backcourt tried to pick up the slack, with Derrick Rose continuing to thrive since replacing Elfrid Payton in the starting lineup.
Rose and RJ Barrett combined for 39 points and 10 assists while showcasing great chemistry:
This simply wasn't enough, especially with the bench providing little until Obi Toppin's run late in the game.
With the star player underperforming and limited depth to help out, the Knicks couldn't keep up on the scoreboard.
What's Next?
The series returns to New York for Game 5 on Wednesday.
