NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 34 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 119-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
It was the 68th 30-plus point game in Brunson’s career as a Knick, and it helped New York improve to 28-16. Mikal Bridges added 26 points, while New York swingman Josh Hart chipped in with 14 points. Hart had suffered a cervical compression in the neck in the Knicks’ 116-99 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday night.
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New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns wears a warmup shirt in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne, right, fouls Atlanta Hawks' De'Andre Hunter (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne, right, fouls Atlanta Hawks' De'Andre Hunter (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne (1) celebrates with fans after a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson celebrates after a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Despite Trae Young leading seven Hawks in double-figure scoring with 27, Atlanta fell to 22-20 and had its three-game winning streak snapped. De’Andre Hunter added 22 points off the bench.
In a 16-second span midway through the fourth quarter, Brunson converted a backdoor layup to give the Knicks a 107-100 lead and on the ensuing possession drew a charge from Dyson Daniels. New York cruised the rest of the way.
Hawks: Atlanta’s offensive efficiency gave New York fits. The Hawks shot 47.1% from the field and 43.3% from 3.
Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns was rusty in his first game back after sitting out New York’s previous two with a sprained right thumb. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Towns’ 3-pointer with 5:52 remaining extended New York’s lead to 110-100.
Daniels, who entered the contest leading the NBA in steals (113) and steals per game (3.1), recorded three steals in the game.
The Knicks cross the East River for an interborough matchup with the Nets on Tuesday night. The game will be Bridges’ first game at the Barclays Center since last summer’s blockbuster trade in which the Knicks sent five first-round draft picks to the Nets for the swingman. Atlanta hosts the Pistons on Wednesday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns wears a warmup shirt in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne, right, fouls Atlanta Hawks' De'Andre Hunter (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne, right, fouls Atlanta Hawks' De'Andre Hunter (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne (1) celebrates with fans after a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson celebrates after a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.
The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.
The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”
The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.
Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.
The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.
On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.
Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.
“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”
Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.
Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.
“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.
Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
