Second half slump dooms Hawks as Knicks level series in Game 2

Elsa/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports After a wild ending to Game 1 that saw Trae Young assume either hero or villain status — depending on your perspective — the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks went at it again Wednesday night in Game 2. With an equally raucous crowd to the first matchup at hand, the Knicks rode a second half wave of energy to victory.

Ultimately, despite a hot shooting first half, the Hawks had far too many cold stretches in the second half, which contributed to turning a 15-point lead at one point into a 9-point loss. The execution seemed good enough to warrant a win but some breakdowns in penetration defense and tired legs on the other end sunk Atlanta. The more…