ATLANTA (AP) — The New York Knicks set an NBA playoff record Thursday night by taking a 47-point halftime lead over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The Knicks led 83-36 at the break, after leading by as many as 51 at one point in the second quarter.
Before Thursday, the biggest halftime playoff lead was 41 points. It had happened twice: Cleveland led in Boston 72-31 at the break on May 19, 2017, and Indiana led the Cavaliers 80-39 at the half of game on May 11, 2025.
The 47-point lead tied for the second-biggest — including regular season games — in the NBA's shot-clock era, which started in 1954. Dallas led the Los Angeles Clippers by 50 points at the break on Dec. 27, 2020, and Golden State led Sacramento by 47 at the half of their game on Nov. 2, 1991.
New York also tied for the third-highest first-half point total in NBA playoff history. Oklahoma City scored 87 against Denver on May 7, 2025; Cleveland scored 86 against Golden State on June 9, 2017; and Dallas scored 83 against Sacramento on May 8, 2003.
Atlanta actually had a 9-0 run in the early moments to take a 9-5 lead. The Knicks answered that with a 43-6 run.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
