New York cranks up the offence and grabs the edge
Game 5 shifted the series back to New York, and the home side moved into the lead at 3-2. The final buzzer confirmed a 29-point blowout, 126-97. Jalen Brunson drove the whole operation with 39 points and 8 assists. It was a blunt statistical correction after four straight outings below his usual level.
New York struck first. Karl-Anthony Towns buried a perimeter shot and then added a second chance finish after a physical exchange with Jonathan Kuminga (21-16). Mitchell Robinson followed with a vertical block and then an offensive rebound putback against the same opponent. That sparked a 9-0 run. The score moved to 32-20.
The bench delivers, and the defence gets the job done
The second unit kept the output rolling. Jordan Clarkson closed the first quarter with a 13-point cushion (35-22). Jose Alvarado knocked down a long-range attempt and two high-arching banked shots. Atlanta’s deficit grew to 17 points (47-30). Mike Brown’s defensive scheme squeezed the Hawks hard in that stretch and stripped away plenty of clean looks for the Georgia side.
Jalen Brunson finished four possessions before the break. The visitors were largely limited to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Johnson and Okongwu. The scoreboard read 64-48 at half-time.
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Late-game control and the individual grades
The third quarter brought a statistical push from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who mixed a layup, two perimeter scores and a dunk. The margin tightened to 80-65. New York steadied things with an alley-oop from Deuce McBride to Mitchell Robinson, then a deep shot from Jose Alvarado (90-70).
The final quarter belonged to Jalen Brunson. The guard poured in 17 points in the period, scoring or assisting on 10 of New York’s first 12 points. Mikal Bridges and Jeremy Sochan took care of the closing stretch, with Sochan scoring the last 10 home points. Atlanta also used Buddy Hield before the clock ran out, a first for the series.
Jonathan Kuminga’s individual audit showed a clear imbalance. After that early clash with Karl-Anthony Towns, he ended up on the wrong side of the numbers. His match-up work against Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby led to several blocked shots and rejections. He played just 17 minutes and finished with 13 points, hitting 4 of 10 from the field. The crowd also made its feelings clear, chanting Jalen Brunson’s name with the MVP call ringing round the building.
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