ATLANTA — Karl-Anthony Towns started the job in Hotlanta. OG Anunoby finished it.
After the Knicks coughed up an 18-point lead against the struggling Hawks, Anunoby arrived with the two biggest plays of Saturday evening’s 128-125 victory — the go-ahead free throws with 29.6 seconds left, then a steal from Trae Young on the following possession.
In the end, Anunoby, who struggled with his shot for much of the evening, finished with four free throws, a steal and two boards in the final 30 seconds as the Knicks celebrated after Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s potential game-tying trey clanked off the rim at the buzzer.
“I’ve said this to him. OG’s an All-Star if he wants to be,” Mike Brown said. “He, at his size, his length, his strength, his athleticism, his feel, he can do so much out there. He just has to impose his will on the game every single play.
“He was fabulous. In the clutch, he was awesome. Awesome.”
Before that finish, Towns was the hero with 36 points and 16 boards, dominating the small Hawks lineup.
Towns feasted from the foul line, rewarded with whistles for his aggressive and controlled style while connecting on 17-of-18 free throws. Towns also grabbed boards and hit three treys, a performance that became necessary because Jalen Brunson wasn’t at his All-NBA best.
“I loved [Towns’ aggressiveness],” Brown said. “I talked to him in front of the team. When he screens and he rolls, we’re a different team because the pressure he puts on the defense on his roll is unbelievable. Because if he catches in the pocket — it’s a wrap. He’s getting fouled or he’s getting fouled and he’s scoring because his momentum is going that way and he’s so quick. He’s a monster when he rolls.”
Brunson, meanwhile, scored 34 points but took 29 shots, and he also committed a nearly disastrous turnover with under a minute left by getting stripped by Alexander-Walker.
It would’ve been an ugly collapse after the Knicks led by 18 midway through the third quarter and 10 early in the fourth.
The Hawks (15-18) fought back in the fourth quarter but dropped their sixth straight, all without Kristaps Porzingis. The former Knick remains out with an illness after being diagnosed last season with a disorder that causes a rapid heart rate, among other symptoms.
Even taking Porzingis’ extended absence out of the equation, Atlanta is a disappointment and has been linked to a potential trade for Dallas’ Anthony Davis.
The Knicks? They’re still cruising along at 22-9, still the favorites to win the Eastern Conference while winning eight of their past 10.
They also are navigating injuries and lineup experiments.
With Josh Hart and Miles McBride both shelved with ankle sprains Saturday, Brown shook up his rotation in a surprising way.
Rookie Mohamed Diawara started for the second time this season, taking the spot of Hart — who will miss at least two more games.
Much more surprising, Brown’s first sub off the bench was two-way contract Kevin McCullar Jr., who entered Saturday with 10 total minutes this season.
It turned into a smart move from Brown, who watched McCullar go off for six points and six rebounds in the first half. McCullar, whose upside comparison coming out of college was Hart, became a revelation as New York took a 13-point lead into the break.
So the Knicks didn’t have Josh Hart, but they got enough from his stunt double.
McCullar, whose NBA career was stalled last season by a lingering knee problem, finished with 13 points in 23 minutes on 4-for-7 shooting with eight rebounds, including four offensive. He even pulled off a Hart-like dive near the bench for a loose ball.
“[McCullar] was fantastic,” Towns said, “and he was exactly what we say when we say next man up, and the bench was a spark when we really needed it to win the game.”
It became a supplemental performance to the all-around play of Towns and the late-game heroics of Anunoby.
