Atlanta stole Game 2 from the New York Knicks 107-106 on Wednesday night, erasing a 14-point second-half deficit with an 11-0 run in the final five minutes and tying the series 1-1.
CJ McCollum scored 32 points for Atlanta, and New York managed just six points over the final five-plus minutes as the Hawks finished the comeback at the line and in transition. The Knicks were still favored to advance at -185 on DraftKings after the loss, a sign that the market still sees them as the more likely team to survive the series despite the split.
The result came on a busy playoff day that also featured Detroit, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia winning, keeping the first round volatile even as the bracket began to settle. Before Wednesday, underdogs had won half the games in the playoffs, but the day ended with two No. 1 seeds — Detroit and Oklahoma City — taking control in different ways.
Detroit beat its opponent by 15 points after a 30-3 run to start the third quarter, a burst that turned a game the Pistons had to have after they had lost 11 straight home playoff games. Oklahoma City also won as a No. 1 seed, and by night’s end only three teams had 2-0 series leads: Oklahoma City, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia added another surprise by winning 111-97 on the road as a 13.5-point underdog to tie its series. VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points, with Edgecombe scoring 30 and making 6 of 10 three-pointers after going 0-for-5 from deep in Game 1. Joel Embiid remained out while recovering from appendicitis, leaving Philadelphia to lean on scoring from the perimeter and pace.
Boston still had plenty of production from Jaylen Brown, who scored 36 points, and Jayson Tatum, who finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists. But the Celtics could not close the door in Game 2, and their series now moves into a tighter space than they expected after the first two games.
All eight first-round series have now completed two games, and the venue changes begin after Game 2. New York heads to Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday, Cleveland is scheduled to go for a 3-0 lead, and the Denver-Minnesota rivalry continues, with the playoff picture already showing how quickly one night can change the math.