Believe it or not, no team had more wins against the new NBA champion Knicks in the postseason than the Atlanta Hawks. Thanks to CJ McCollum’s heroics, the Hawks got out to a 2–1 lead on the Knicks in the first round before New York’s historic playoff run began, going 13–1 on the way to the title from that point.
The veteran guard became a Madison Square Garden villain with a 32-point performance in Game 2 to will the Hawks to a one-point win over the eventual champs. In Game 3, he hit a game-winning jumper to give Atlanta the lead in the series. The Hawks’ status as an upset candidate was short-lived as the Knicks won the next three games to end Atlanta’s season. Now that the offseason has begun, the Hawks were quick to bring back their veteran leader as McCollum has agreed to a one-year, $21 million extension to remain with the franchise according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
