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ATLANTA — Karl-Anthony Towns started the job in Hotlanta, and OG Anunoby finished it.
After the Knicks fumbled an 18-point lead against the struggling Hawks, Anunoby arrived with the two biggest plays of Saturday evening’s thrilling 128-125 victory — an and-one go-ahead putback with 30 seconds left and then a steal from Trae Young on the following possession.
In the end, Anunoby, who mostly struggled throughout the night, finished with four points, a steal and two rebounds 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.
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.
The point guard scored 34 points but took 29 shots, and he also committed a nearly disastrous turnover with under a minute left while getting stripped by Alexander-Walker.
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 are also navigating injuries and lineup experiments.
With Josh Hart and Miles McBride both shelved with ankle sprains Saturday, coach Mike 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 also 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 a Hart-like eight rebounds, including four offensive. He even pulled off a Hartsian dive near the bench for a loose ball.
It became a supplemental performance to the all-around play of Towns and the late-game heroics of Anunoby.
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