That was not the playoff exit the Atlanta Hawks had in mind on Thursday night. As the first half ended, the Hawks trailed the New York Knicks 83-36 in an elimination matchup — a staggering 47-point deficit that set a new NBA playoff record for the largest halftime lead.
The second half offered a bit more resistance, but it was nowhere near enough in a lopsided 140-89 Knicks victory. Atlanta’s season came to a close after six games in the first round, ending in truly unforgettable fashion. Here are some of the most jaw-dropping numbers from a game that had to be seen to be believed:
51 The Knicks built a 51-point lead in the first half. Had it held to halftime, it would have shattered the all-time NBA record for largest halftime advantage (the current mark sits at 50 points from a 2020 regular-season game).
61 A blistering start to the third quarter pushed the margin to 101-40 — the biggest lead any team has ever held in an NBA playoff contest.
8 This marked just the eighth time in league history that a playoff game ended with a 50-point or greater margin of victory.
60-19 One of the wildest first-half scores was 60-19. It mirrored the kind of lopsided scoreboard that famously popped up in Space Jam with the message “Kinda One Sided Isn’t It?”
10 The Hawks turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter and added two more in the opening minute of the second — totaling 10 giveaways in just 13 minutes of action.
37,964 Out of more than 37,000 NBA games since the 1996-97 season (regular season and playoffs combined), this was the first where the road team reached 100 points before the home team even hit 50.
-17 Hawks bench forward Mouhamed Gueye posted a plus/minus of minus-17 in the first half. In the context of this game, that was actually the best mark among Atlanta players who logged more than five minutes.
2 In their last two series-clinching wins, the Knicks have set new franchise records for largest playoff victory margins: +38 over Boston last year and now +51 against Atlanta this time around.
3 Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was ejected in the second quarter following a scuffle, finishing with just 3 points on 1-of-4 shooting in 15 minutes.
9:44 Atlanta pulled three of its key remaining starters with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.
The Knicks advanced with a commanding 4-2 series win, showcasing why they were the top seed in the East. What a way to close out the round.
Mind-Blowing Stats from the Knicks’ Epic 51-Point Thrashing of the Hawks
That was not the playoff exit the Atlanta Hawks had in mind on Thursday night. As the first half ended, the Hawks trailed the New York Knicks 83-36 in an elimination matchup — a staggering 47-point deficit that set a new NBA playoff record for the largest halftime lead.
The second half offered a bit more resistance, but it was nowhere near enough in a lopsided 140-89 Knicks victory. Atlanta’s season came to a close after six games in the first round, ending in truly unforgettable fashion. Here are some of the most jaw-dropping numbers from a game that had to be seen to be believed:
51 The Knicks built a 51-point lead in the first half. Had it held to halftime, it would have shattered the all-time NBA record for largest halftime advantage (the current mark sits at 50 points from a 2020 regular-season game).
61 A blistering start to the third quarter pushed the margin to 101-40 — the biggest lead any team has ever held in an NBA playoff contest.
8 This marked just the eighth time in league history that a playoff game ended with a 50-point or greater margin of victory.
60-19 One of the wildest first-half scores was 60-19. It mirrored the kind of lopsided scoreboard that famously popped up in Space Jam with the message “Kinda One Sided Isn’t It?”
10 The Hawks turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter and added two more in the opening minute of the second — totaling 10 giveaways in just 13 minutes of action.
37,964 Out of more than 37,000 NBA games since the 1996-97 season (regular season and playoffs combined), this was the first where the road team reached 100 points before the home team even hit 50.
-17 Hawks bench forward Mouhamed Gueye posted a plus/minus of minus-17 in the first half. In the context of this game, that was actually the best mark among Atlanta players who logged more than five minutes.
2 In their last two series-clinching wins, the Knicks have set new franchise records for largest playoff victory margins: +38 over Boston last year and now +51 against Atlanta this time around.
3 Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was ejected in the second quarter following a scuffle, finishing with just 3 points on 1-of-4 shooting in 15 minutes.
9:44 Atlanta pulled three of its key remaining starters with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.
The Knicks advanced with a commanding 4-2 series win, showcasing why they were the top seed in the East. What a way to close out the round.