Hawks Fall to Knicks 121-105, but Bench Shines and Records Keep Falling

The Atlanta Hawks couldn’t keep pace with the New York Knicks on Friday night, falling 121-105 at State Farm Arena. Despite the loss, the game was packed with historic milestones, standout performances from the bench, and another showcase of Atlanta’s gritty defense.

The Hawks’ defense remained active, swiping 11 steals—marking their 47th double-digit steal game of the season. That stat now stands as the second-most in a single season in franchise history, trailing only the 1993-94 Hawks (56). With 756 steals on the year, Atlanta is just three thefts away from overtaking the 1973-74 squad for 10th-most in a single season.

Atlanta’s bench once again made its presence felt, outscoring New York’s second unit by a commanding 53-21. Caris LeVert, Terance Mann, and Georges Niang combined for 41 of those points, contributing to the team’s 22nd 50+ point outing from the bench this season. The Hawks’ reserves lead the Eastern Conference in bench scoring (43.1 PPG) and rank fourth overall in the league—Atlanta’s highest mark since at least 1975-76.

Trae Young continued to carve his name into the record books. With his first assist of the night, he passed Doc Rivers for the most assists in a single season in Hawks history (now at 832). That total is the highest by any NBA player since 2016-17, and Young is on pace to join an elite list of players—James Harden, Oscar Robertson, and Nate Archibald—who have averaged at least 24.0 points and 11.0 assists in a season. Young finished with 16 points, nine assists, and also notched his 500th career steal, passing Spud Webb for 13th in franchise history.

Dyson Daniels added to the night’s historical highlights by recording his 218th steal of the season, surpassing Chris Paul’s 2007-08 mark (217) for the most in a single season since Allen Iverson in 2002-03. Daniels tallied two steals, his NBA-leading 56th multi-steal game of the year—more than any player since Rajon Rondo in 2009-10. He also contributed 12 points, two rebounds, a block, and an assist in 27 minutes, marking his 75th career game with double-digit scoring—57 of which have come this season.

The Hawks won’t have long to regroup, as they return to action tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz. With the playoffs looming, every possession—and record—counts.