Brunson and Towns lead the Knicks past the Hawks 113-102 in Game 1 of their series

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 of his 25 in the second half and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

OG Anunoby added 18 points and Josh Hart had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks in their first postseason game under Mike Brown after making four trips in five years under Tom Thibodeau, capped by their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000 last year.

The No. 3 seed in the East again this season hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

CJ McCollum had 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 23 for the Hawks, who went 20-6 after the All-Star break to earn the No. 6 seed.

“We know that they’re going to be ready for Game 2,” Brunson said. “So quick turnaround and extreme focus.”

Brunson, who already owns the Knicks' record with eight 40-point games in the postseason, was almost halfway to another in the first quarter. He made his first six shots and had 19 points as the Knicks led 30-24.

Brunson didn't do as much in the second half, but Towns took over after he was just 1 for 6 for six points at the break.

“We did a great job as a team just fighting and continuing to find ways to score and also impact winning,” Towns said.

The teams got off to sizzling starts, with the Knicks opening 8 for 9 and Atlanta 6 for 7, before play slowed to a crawl in the third quarter. McCollum was reviewed for a hostile act and called for a technical foul after kicking his leg up on a jumper into Brunson's groin area, and the Hawks twice intentionally fouled Mitchell Robinson, and the poor foul shooter went 1 for 4.

By the time the Hawks got going again, it was too late.

With the Knicks up by eight, Towns hit a 3-pointer, and after Gabe Vincent's basket, Jordan Clarkson had two buckets and Towns had a three-point play and a 3-pointer for a 10-0 burst that made it 106-87 with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

Atlanta ran off 11 straight to cut it to 106-98, but Towns scored to restore the double-digit lead.

“I like the way we came back at the end of the game,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “They were resilient in that situation, it was just too little, too late.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives past Atlanta Hawks' Dyson Daniels (5) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns (32) blocks a shot by Atlanta Hawks' Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Og Anunoby (8) dunks the ball in front of Atlanta Hawks' Jalen Johnson (1) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) shoots over Atlanta Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives past Atlanta Hawks' Jonathan Kuminga (0) during the first half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sei Young Kim had an eight-stroke lead with five holes left Saturday at El Caballero Country Club in the JM Eagle LA Championship. She ended up needing to get up-and-down from off the back of the 18th green to salvage a two-shot advantage.

“Oh, wow, it feels like roller-coaster,” the 33-year-old South Korean said.

Her late meltdown with four straight bogeys gave two-time event winner Hannah Green and others who thought they were playing for second a chance Sunday in the final event before the first women’s major of the season.

“It’s golf. It can be happen again," Kim said. "It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn. Hopefully, success end of the day tomorrow.”

Kim shot a 1-under 71 to get to 15-under 201. Green, the 2023 and 2024 champion at Wilshire Country Club, had a 67 to join Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), Jessica Porvasnik (68) and Ina Yoon (71) at 13 under. Former UCLA star Patty Tavatanakit was another stroke back after a 67.

“I’m just going to go out there and play golf,” Tavatanakit said.

The tournament is being played at El Caballero for the second straight year because of course renovations at Wilshire. The Chevron Championship is next week in Houston for the first of the five women’s major tournaments.

A shot ahead entering to day, Kim birdied the par-5 first and all the other odd-numbered holes on the front nine, running in a 20-footer on the par-3 ninth for a seven-stroke lead. She pushed the lead to eight before falling back with the bogeys on Nos. 14-17.

“Every hole is downwind starting 15 until the 18,” said Kim, who hit into the water on 16 going aggressively at a difficult pin. "I was struggling with the downwind today.”

She won the BMW Ladies Championship last year at home in South Korea for the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles.

“I’m very confident, but I just keep doing what I’m doing the last couple days," Kim said. "That’s what I can do the best. So we’ll see tomorrow.”

Green has three worldwide wins this year — the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore on the LPGA Tour and the Women’s Australian Open and Australian WPGA in her home country.

“I don’t really know where they put the pin locations for tomorrow, but I’m sure they’ll be tricky and there will be some holes that will probably play easy,” Green said. “I’ve noticed the last two days the wind is kind of switched at times so that will be tricky to manage. The ball is going far off the tee.”

Amateur Asterisk Talley was tied for 23rd at 7 under after a 69. The 17-year-old Talley is playing her first event since losing the lead on the back nine in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

During the round, the sponsors raised the purse $1 million to $4.75 million.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Sei Young Kim hits from the fifth tee during the first round of the LPGA's JM Eagle LA Championship golf tournament at El Caballero Country Club, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)