The New York Knicks put a record beatdown on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first round playoff series.
After what had been a fairly competitive first five games, nobody could have expected what was to come in Game 6 of the series in Atlanta. The Hawks actually jumped out to an 11-9 lead in the early minutes, but from then on it was a Knicks surge unlike the NBA postseason has ever seen.
By the end of the first quarter, New York had a 40-15 lead thanks to a 31-4 spurt to end the period. At halftime, it was a 83-36 game. The 47-point lead was the largest halftime lead in the history of the NBA playoffs. It smashed the previous record of 41 points held by the 2025 Indiana Pacers and 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers.
The destruction was so dominant that there wasn’t much that the Inside the NBA crew could even say at halftime to chronicle what they saw. Charles Barkley condemned the Hawks not to Cancun or even Galveston but the cursed and haunted Lake Lanier in Georgia. Shaquille O’Neal held a funeral for a small hawk doll. Aside from that, it was a question of whether or not the Knicks would even bother to play their starters for the second half for fear of injury or altercation.
The Inside crew is already calling it 😂 pic.twitter.com/UMJMweW7n5
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 1, 2026
As for the rest of the sports media world who was watching on Thursday night, it was complete shock and awe that the most lopsided half in the history of the NBA Playoffs appeared to come from out of nowhere.
The Atlanta Hawks game plan against the Knicks pic.twitter.com/hCiT0NeL2b
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) April 30, 2026
If the Knicks took a shot clock violation every possession for the rest of the game, could they still mathematically win?
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 1, 2026
It is not hyperbole to say this is the most one-sided playoff game I’ve ever seen. #Knicks
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) May 1, 2026
They should stop this on humanitarian grounds pic.twitter.com/Uxuif9S1S1
— Brooks Otterlake (@i_zzzzzz) May 1, 2026
the Knicks are leading the Hawks 60-19, which is around the same score the Monstars were leading the Tune Squad by that caused the scoreboard to read “Kinda One Sided Isn’t It?” pic.twitter.com/Qeyv2rSjJk
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) May 1, 2026
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this. It’s not even five minutes into the second quarter, and the Knicks are destroying the Hawks by 41 points.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) April 30, 2026
Hawks +60 in real danger tonight. Seemed like a safe parlay leg.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 1, 2026
How is this possible? pic.twitter.com/Lo0OKe6IkM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2026
Been really busy tonight running errands and had the Hawks plus 2.5. Anyone have an update on how I’m doing?
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) May 1, 2026
Assuming the Knicks are able to defeat the Hawks and advance to the second round, and at this point it would take an act of God for that to not be the case, they will face the winner of the Celtics-76ers series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
About Matt Yoder