Knicks’ defense prevails in physical 119-110 win over Hawks

The Knicks defended home court over their conference rival on Monday afternoon, defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 119-110, at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways…

— The Knicks received encouraging news on the injury front before tip-off, as Karl-Anthony Towns (thumb sprain) and Josh Hart (neck/cervical compression) warmed up without any hitches and started. Towns, who hurt his thumb on Jan. 13 against the Detroit Pistons, had missed the past two games. Hart injured his neck in Friday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, though he missed little game action and played through discomfort. Both starters entered Monday listed as questionable.

— Atlanta entered the game ranked third in the NBA in pace, and it didn’t take long for them to force New York into a chaotic tempo. As a result of the fast-paced opening quarter, there were 14 turnovers, 13 fouls, and 38 shots between the teams. New York also trailed by 10 points early on, but overcame the deficit late and trailed by just a point through 12 minutes. Fans that clamored for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau to expand the rotation got their wish, as nine players logged first-quarter minutes.

— Despite the slew of fouls, the Knicks maintained defense with tenacity… and it paid off. With pressure across the floor, they held the Hawks to a six-minute stretch without a field goal. And by forcing a season-high 14 first-half turnovers, the Knicks gained possessions and led by as many as six in the second quarter. The swing didn’t faze the Hawks, though — they retaliated with a 14-point turnaround and led 62-54 at halftime.

— While the Knicks’ first-half defensive strategy was largely effective, foul trouble reared its ugly head. They committed 15 fouls, which resulted in 13 points for the Hawks from the charity stripe. The six Knicks that committed fouls logged two-plus apiece, and Miles McBride was charged with four in just nine minutes off the bench. Jalen Brunson (19) and Trae Young (18) were the only double-digit first-half scorers.

— The Knicks opened the second half with confidence, as Mikal Bridges scored a quick 10 points in what became a 16-4 run across four-plus minutes. A deep corner jumper from Brunson with 1:44 left in the third quarter bumped the Knicks’ lead to a game-high eight points, but the Hawks managed to cut their deficit to 94-89 through 36 minutes. Overall, New York outscored Atlanta by 13 in the third.

— New York continued to capitalize off of Atlanta’s carelessness and miscommunication. Midway through the fourth quarter, a three from Towns pushed the Knicks’ lead to 10, and the Hawks weren’t able to respond on offense or disrupt the game’s rhythm from that point forward. Overall, Atlanta commited a whopping 24 turnovers and conceded 29 points off of those blunders.

— Whether or not Towns was hampered by his injured thumb, the Knicks didn’t rely on him as their go-to scorer. He contributed only 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting in 36 minutes. Instead, he played the role of facilitator, logging seven assists that matched his season high. The Knicks effectively distributed the ball, too, as four of their starters recorded four-plus assists. They’re now 16-1 this season with 30-plus assists in a game.

— Hart didn’t appear bothered by his apparent neck injury — he added 14 points with nine rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes. Bridges also finished with 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting. New York shot an efficient 52 percent (47-of-90) overall, and recorded 56 points in the paint.

— Young wasn’t much of a feared villain to The Garden crowd this time. While the Hawks’ superstar scored a respectable 27 points with six-made threes, he committed nine turnovers for the first time since Oct. 27 and matched his season-high in fouls with four.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson delivered another stellar performance, scoring a game-high 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting with six assists. It was his 15th game with 30-plus points this season.