ATLANTA — NBA playoff history was made Thursday evening as the New York Knicks established a commanding 47-point halftime advantage over the Atlanta Hawks during Game 6 of their Eastern Conference opening round matchup.
At intermission, New York held an 83-36 advantage after their lead had swelled to as much as 51 points during the second quarter.
The massive halftime margin surpassed the previous NBA playoff record of 41 points, which had occurred on two prior occasions: Cleveland’s 72-31 advantage over Boston on May 19, 2017, and Indiana’s 80-39 lead against the Cavaliers on May 11, 2025.
New York’s 47-point advantage matches the second-largest halftime lead in NBA history since the shot-clock era began in 1954, including both playoff and regular season contests. Dallas holds the record with a 50-point halftime lead over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 27, 2020, while Golden State previously held a 47-point advantage against Sacramento on November 2, 1991.
The Knicks also matched the third-highest first-half scoring performance in NBA playoff history with their 83 points. Oklahoma City previously scored 87 against Denver on May 7, 2025, Cleveland tallied 86 versus Golden State on June 9, 2017, and Dallas recorded 83 against Sacramento on May 8, 2003.
Despite Atlanta opening the game with a 9-0 scoring burst to take a 9-5 advantage, New York responded with a devastating 43-6 run that completely changed the game’s momentum.
