NBA Game Summary - Atlanta at New York
11.23.2004
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New York, NY (Basketball News) - Nazr Mohammed compiled 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead a balanced New York scoring attack as the Knicks downed Atlanta, 104-88, at Madison Square Garden.
Jamal Crawford added 17 points for the Knicks, who had five players reach double figures as New York recorded its third victory in four games. Stephon Marbury scored 16 and dished out 11 assists, while Kurt Thomas also registered a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards.
Antoine Walker had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks, who lost for the third straight time and suffered their 10th consecutive defeat in Madison Square Garden. Atlanta has not won in New York since March 22, 1999.
Al Harrington finished with 19 points and eight boards in the loss, while rookie Josh Childress contributed 13 points and five assists.
The Knicks trailed 13-12 after the first seven minutes of play before the Knicks embarked on a 10-2 run, capped by a Crawford basket with 3:08 remaining in the opening quarter, to assume control. Marbury ended the first period with seven assists as New York ended the stanza with a 24-19 lead.
The Knicks increased their advantage to 35-27 on Mohammed’s short jumper with 7:18 left before intermission, but the Hawks countered with six unanswered points to pull within two. That would be as close as Atlanta would come, however, as New York began to pull away late in the half.
Thomas sank a jumper with 2:15 to go in the second quarter to increase the margin to 47-39 and Crawford gave the Knicks their largest lead of the half when his three-pointer with 1:22 left made it 50-41. Both teams traded baskets in the final minute as New York took a 52-43 lead at the break.
The Hawks came out and scored the first five points of the third quarter to get their deficit down to four, but the Knicks responded with an 11-0 run, which ended with back-to-back three-point plays from Tim Thomas and Crawford, for a 63-48 advantage with 7:39 remaining in the period.
Atlanta never got back to within double-digits afterward. New York went up 79-64 after three quarters and led as much as 20 in the fourth.
