{"id":716994,"date":"2026-04-24T06:07:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T06:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/716994\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T06:07:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T06:07:37","slug":"hawks-fend-off-knicks-raptors-pull-away-from-cavs-to-cut-deficit-national-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/716994\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawks fend off Knicks, Raptors pull away from Cavs to cut deficit | National"},"content":{"rendered":"

CJ McCollum hit the game-winner with 12.5 seconds remaining as the Atlanta Hawks pulled off another nail-biting victory over New York to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA first-round playoff series on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The Hawks beat the Knicks 109-108 in Atlanta, their second straight one-point triumph giving them the advantage in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Series.<\/p>\n

The Toronto Raptors also thrived at home, pulling away late in a 126-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to cut the deficit in their series to 2-1.<\/p>\n

The Hawks produced a fine collective effort, especially on the defensive end, to thwart the third-seeded Knicks’ comeback bid.<\/p>\n

With plenty of time after McCollum’s go-ahead basket, the Knicks were unable to get a shot off as the Hawks pressured Jalen Brunson into a poor pass intended for Josh Hart and Jonathan Kuminga lunged in for a game-clinching steal.<\/p>\n

“Picture perfect,” McCollum said. “When it was time to get a stop our guys dug deep and they did what it takes to win in these types of environments.”<\/p>\n

Jalen Johnson scored 24 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and handed out eight assists for the Hawks. McCollum added 23 points and Kuminga scored 21 off the bench.<\/p>\n

The Hawks led by as many as 18 in the first half, but the Knicks took a 108-105 lead on a three-point play by Brunson, who was fouled by McCollum on a drive to the basket and converted the free throw with 1:03 to play.<\/p>\n

Johnson pulled the Hawks back within one with a putback layup and, after misses by Hart and Brunson, McCollum came through.<\/p>\n

“I got to a spot and did what I had to do to get this win,” McCollum said.<\/p>\n

OG Anunoby scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Knicks.<\/p>\n

Brunson scored 26 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 points with 17 rebounds for New York, who will try to turn the tables in game four in Atlanta on Saturday.<\/p>\n

In Toronto, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett scored 33 points apiece, and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles added 22 off the bench for the Raptors.<\/p>\n

Barnes handed out 11 assists and the Raptors, who took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter, stormed home.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


\n \"De
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

They connected on eight of nine three-point attempts in the final frame, out-scoring the Cavaliers 43-23.<\/p>\n

“We knew we needed one,” said Barnes after the Raptors avoided falling behind 0-3, a deficit no NBA team has come back from to win a playoff series.<\/p>\n

Toronto will try to level the Eastern Conference series when they host game four on Sunday.<\/p>\n

James Harden scored 18 points and the Cavs also got 15 apiece from Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus.<\/p>\n

– Timberwolves dominate Nuggets –<\/p>\n

In Minneapolis, Rudy Gobert keyed a formidable Minnesota defensive effort in the Timberwolves’ 113-96 victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n

The Timberwolves, who had erased an early 19-point deficit to snatch game two in Denver, seized a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference series and host game four on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Minnesota led all the way in this one, holding the Nuggets to 11 points in the first quarter and pushing their lead to as many as 27 in the third.<\/p>\n

Ayo Dosunmu scored 25 points off the bench for the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n

Jaden McDaniels scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds as Anthony Edwards, limited by foul trouble, scored 17.<\/p>\n

Gobert kept three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic largely in check.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Serbian star finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds but connected on just seven of 26 shots from the field.<\/p>\n

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