CJ McCollum's clutch 16-foot fadeaway with 12.7 seconds remaining propelled the Atlanta Hawks to a dramatic 109-108 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Game 4 of the best-of-seven series will take place on Saturday in Atlanta.

The Hawks appeared to be in control, leading 96-85 with 8:06 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Knicks mounted a furious comeback, tying the game at 105-105 following a three-pointer by Miles McBride at the 1:41 mark. Jalen Brunson added a three-point play just 38 seconds later, putting New York ahead for the first time in the quarter.

Not to be outdone, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson responded with a quick bucket, cutting the Knicks’ lead to 108-107. New York then had a chance to extend their advantage, but Brunson missed a potential game-winning shot, an airball with 16.4 seconds left. The Hawks regained possession after a shot-clock violation by the Knicks.

After a timeout, Atlanta set up McCollum for the game-winning shot. The veteran guard drained a smooth fadeaway jumper over the defense, giving the Hawks a 109-108 lead.

"Great play by Quinn [Snyder, Hawks coach]," McCollum said postgame. "He knows what he's doing with that clipboard. He threw me open, and I got to a spot and did what I had to do to get this win."

The Knicks had one last opportunity, but Atlanta's defense stifled their final possession. A loose ball was recovered by Jonathan Kuminga as time expired, sealing the win for the Hawks.

"You've got to give Atlanta credit, but we definitely had our chances," said Knicks coach Mike Brown. "I liked the fight that our guys showed. I like the resiliency that our guys showed. You know, we were down a couple of times by 18, 16 points and our guys continued to fight to give us a chance down the stretch."

Johnson led the Hawks with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while Kuminga came off the bench to score 21 points. The Knicks were paced by OG Anunoby, who tallied 29 points, while Brunson finished with 26 points. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds.

Atlanta’s shooting barrage early in the game set the tone, as the Hawks connected on 6 of 8 three-pointers in the first quarter to outscore New York 33-21. Kuminga’s 10 points in the opening period helped the Hawks build an early lead. Brunson and Anunoby scored all of New York’s points in the first quarter.

The Hawks led by as many as 18 points (56-38) after a four-point possession with 3:46 remaining in the second half. But the Knicks surged to close the gap, finishing the half on a 12-2 run to narrow the deficit to 58-50.

New York continued to claw its way back in the third quarter, trimming the Hawks’ lead to just four points (69-65) with 6:40 remaining. However, Atlanta responded with a late push, taking an 88-80 lead into the final frame.

With the series now heading into Game 4, the Hawks will look to extend their advantage on their home court. -Field Level Media/Reuters