CJ McCollum leads a late rally as the Hawks stun the Knicks 107-106 to tie their series at 1-1

NEW YORK (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 32 points and the Atlanta Hawks rallied to stun the New York Knicks 107-106 on Monday night, tying their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.

McCollum led a late surge that was almost for naught when he missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining. The Knicks rushed the ball up the court without any timeouts left, but Mikal Bridges missed a jumper as time expired.

“It’s a long game,” McCollum said. “You’ve got to play to zero.”

The Hawks had trailed the whole second half and were down 12 after three quarters. Atlanta chipped away and a basket by McCollum gave the Hawks a 101-100 lead — their first of the series in the second half — with 2:09 to play. He made another for a three-point lead, and after Jalen Brunson tied it with a 3-pointer, McCollum answered with another jumper to make it 105-103 with 33 seconds to play.

Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points off the bench and Jalen Johnson scored 17, including a basket with 10 seconds left for a four-point lead for the No. 6 seeds, who host Game 3 on Thursday.

Brunson had 29 points for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns added 18.

The Knicks are trying to reach the second round for a fourth straight season, their longest stretch since the 1991-92 to 1999-2000 seasons, and seemed well on their way.

“This is a game we should have won,” New York's Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs you can’t give away games.”

The Knicks had been 40-1 in the postseason since the advent of the shot clock in 1954-55 when leading by 12 or more after three quarters. The only loss was when Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the fourth for Indiana in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals.

Towns, who had four points in the first half, scored 14 in the third quarter as the Knicks extended the lead to 78-64. They were still ahead by eight with under five minutes remaining.

But their young players who sparked the Hawks' surge after the All-Star break finally made some plays before McCollum — ignoring profane jeers after he and Jose Alvarado went nose-to-nose and were each given technical fouls in the third quarter — then closed it out.

McCollum was acquired from Washington in the January trade for Trae Young, the Hawks star who was a former playoff villain at Madison Square Garden. He filled the role perfectly Monday, outplaying Brunson in the second half and stealing a game that looked lost.

Hart had 15 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

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

New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, right, argues with Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) falls as he attempts to drive past Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) blocks Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) attempts to drive past New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) drives past Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Martinook beat Linus Ullmark from the slot at 13:53 of the second overtime to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Monday night and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series in the NHL playoffs.

Martinook — who was stopped on a penalty shot in the first OT — kept the winning play alive by chasing down a loose rebound toward the boards to keep the possession in the offensive zone. Moments later, Nikolaj Ehlers found Martinook between the circles to beat Ullmark, who was partially shielded by Carolina captain Jordan Staal at the top of the crease.

That set off a mob celebration by the Hurricanes around Martinook in a corner of the ice, ending a game that saw them hang on despite blowing a 2-0 lead and having an apparent winner by Mark Jankowski waved off in the first overtime due to an offside call on review.

Making matters worse, the Hurricanes still had a chance to win it after the overturned goal, only for Ullmark to stop Martinook on the NHL's first OT postseason playoff shot since 2020.

No matter, the Eastern Conference's top seed managed to protect home-ice advantage — barely — as the series moves to Canada’s capital for Game 3 on Thursday.

Logan Stankoven and Sebastian Aho also scored for Carolina, while Frederik Andersen shook off giving up two second-period goals to finish with 37 saves and multiple key stops late.

Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens scored for Ottawa, while Ullmark finished with 43 saves and was terrific all night. He had multiple big stops in the second period, one when he extended his glove to knock down a hammered one-timer from Taylor Hall as the puck shifted cross-ice to his left side. Another came in the final seconds of regulation when he got his left shoulder on Staal's shot from the top of the crease.

The Hurricanes appeared to have pushed through late in the first OT, with Jankowski skating in to pounce on a loose rebound and beat Ullmark on the left side with 2:42 left to send the home crowd into a frenzy. But officials reviewed the sequence and determined that Staal didn’t have possession and control of the puck as he entered the zone, coming as Martinook skated through the middle across the blue line for a 1-on-1 chance on Ullmark.

That sequence ultimately led to a hooking penalty on Warren Foegele, with Carolina scrambling an extra attacker and getting Jankowski’s offside-overturned score.

The Senators played without defenseman Artem Zub, who left Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. He had been considered a game-time decision.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal (11) wins a face-off against Ottawa Senators' Claude Giroux (28) during the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Ottawa Senators' Claude Giroux (28) battles for the puck with Carolina Hurricanes' Jalen Chatfield, right, and Jaccob Slavin (74) during the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) blocks a shot by Ottawa Senators' Fabian Zetterlund (20) with Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) looking on during the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Ottawa Senators' Fabian Zetterlund (20) collides with Carolina Hurricanes' Seth Jarvis (24) and Alexander Nikishin (21) the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)