Jalen Brunson Breaks Free as Knicks Take Away Hawks’ Oxygen

NEW YORK — For four games, the Atlanta Hawks had a blueprint. They had the personnel. They had the game plan. And for four games, they made Jalen Brunson look human. But in the cauldron of Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, the All-NBA point guard reminded the basketball world why he is the heartbeat of the New York Knicks. He didn’t just play well. He broke the series open, suffocating the Hawks’ defense until there was nothing left but air.

The Hawks entered Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead, having successfully muzzled Brunson through a relentless rotation of Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Those two on-ball menaces had held Brunson to just 43% shooting inside the arc, forcing 14 turnovers against only 21 assists. It was a defensive masterclass—one that forced Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau to reorient his entire offense in Game 4, leaning heavily on Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby just to survive.

But survival is not the same as dominance. And on Tuesday, Brunson delivered dominance.

The Defensive Adjustment That Backfired

Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is one of the sharpest tactical minds in the league. Before Game 5, he acknowledged the challenge of guarding Brunson, saying, “He can beat you so many ways. You know, we’ll keep putting different guys on him, changing matchups, trying to do anything you can to just make it hard on him… It’s not easy.”

Snyder’s opening gambit was bold. He cross-matched Dyson Daniels onto Karl-Anthony Towns, hoping to disrupt the high-post flow that had worked so well for New York in Game 4. That slide Nickeil Alexander-Walker onto Brunson—a logical move given Alexander-Walker’s newly minted Most Improved Player credentials. But the logic didn’t hold.

Brunson saw the mismatch and attacked immediately. He didn’t force isolations. He didn’t hunt hero shots. Instead, he used the pick-and-roll with ruthless efficiency, reading Atlanta’s help defense like a chess grandmaster. When Alexander-Walker went under screens, Brunson pulled up for mid-range daggers. When the Hawks blitzed, he hit the roll man or found shooters on the weak side. It was a masterclass in pace and decision-making.

By the time Snyder adjusted, the damage was done. Brunson had already set a tone that the Hawks could not match.

Brunson’s Explosive Toolkit: Composed, Decisive, Overwhelming

What made Brunson’s Game 5 performance different wasn’t just the points—it was the composure. In Games 1 through 4, he often looked rushed, forcing passes into traffic and settling for contested looks. On Tuesday, he played with a deliberate patience that shattered Atlanta’s defensive rhythm.

• Mid-range mastery: Brunson shot 8-of-12 from inside the arc, using his signature stop-and-pop to freeze defenders.
• Free-throw pressure: He attacked the rim with purpose, drawing six fouls and converting 10-of-11 from the stripe.
• Decision-making under duress: After committing 14 turnovers in the first four games, he had just 2 in Game 5, while dishing out 9 assists.
• Clutch shot-making: In the fourth quarter, with the Hawks trying to mount a comeback, Brunson scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a step-back three that sent the Garden into a frenzy.

The numbers tell the story: 38 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and a plus-minus of +18. But the eye test was even more convincing. Brunson moved with a controlled violence, changing speeds and directions so fluidly that Alexander-Walker—one of the league’s best on-ball defenders—looked like he was stuck in quicksand.

“He’s a problem,” one Eastern Conference scout told me after the game. “When he’s locked in like that, there’s no scheme that can stop him. You just have to hope he misses.”

How the Knicks Reclaimed the Oxygen

Atlanta’s defensive strategy in this series has been clear: sell out on Brunson and force others to beat them. In Games 1-4, it worked because the Knicks’ supporting cast was inconsistent. But in Game 5, New York’s role players stepped up in a way that made the Hawks pay for their aggression.

Karl-Anthony Towns benefited directly from Brunson’s gravity. With Daniels initially glued to him, Towns found space as a pick-and-pop threat, scoring 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting. OG Anunoby continued his two-way brilliance, adding 18 points and locking down Trae Young on the perimeter. Even Josh Hart chipped in with 12 rebounds and 4 steals, providing the kind of hustle plays that define winning basketball in May.

The Knicks also made a critical adjustment on defense. They switched everything on pick-and-rolls, taking away Atlanta’s ability to generate open threes. Trae Young, who had averaged 28 points in the series, was held to 19 on 6-of-18 shooting. The Hawks’ offensive rating plummeted to 101.3—their worst mark of the series.

“They took away our air,” one Hawks assistant coach admitted postgame. “Every pass was contested, every shot was tough. We couldn’t breathe.”

Expert Analysis: What This Means for the Series

Game 5 was a pivot point. The Hawks still hold a 3-2 series lead, but the momentum has shifted decisively to New York. Here’s what I’m watching for as the series heads back to Atlanta for Game 6:

• Brunson’s confidence is back. When a player of his caliber finds his rhythm, it’s dangerous for opponents. Expect him to carry this performance into Game 6, especially if the Hawks continue to cross-match.
• Atlanta’s adjustments will be critical. Quin Snyder will likely abandon the Daniels-on-Towns experiment and go back to a more traditional matchup. But that leaves Brunson facing Alexander-Walker or De’Andre Hunter—both of whom he just torched.
• The Knicks’ role players must travel. New York shot 52% from the field at home in Game 5. On the road, in a hostile environment, they’ll need similar production from Towns, Anunoby, and Hart to avoid a Game 7.
• Trae Young needs help. The Hawks’ star has been carrying an enormous offensive load. If his supporting cast—particularly Jalen Johnson and Bogdan Bogdanovic—don’t step up, Atlanta could be staring at a decisive Game 7 back at the Garden.

Prediction: The Knicks win Game 6 in Atlanta, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7. Brunson’s performance in Game 5 was not a fluke—it was a statement. And in a series where oxygen is the most precious commodity, the Knicks have learned how to breathe.

Strong Conclusion: The Series Is Now a War of Attrition

Jalen Brunson didn’t just break free on Tuesday night. He broke the Hawks’ spirit. For four games, Atlanta had controlled the tempo, dictated the matchups, and made life miserable for New York’s best player. But in Game 5, Brunson reminded everyone why he’s an All-NBA performer and why the Knicks are never out of a fight.

This series is no longer about schemes or adjustments. It’s about will. The Hawks have to prove they can recover from a demoralizing loss. The Knicks have to prove they can sustain this level of intensity on the road. One team is riding a wave of momentum. The other is gasping for air.

In the playoffs, oxygen is everything. And right now, the Knicks are taking every last breath.

— A veteran sports journalist covering the NBA playoffs.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.