The Hawks did an excellent job of staying with New York despite an excellent night from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, but came up short at the end.

It might be unfair to fully judge a Knicks team missing a starter (OG Anunoby — foot) and a key rotation piece (Mitchell Robinson — ankle), but Wednesday’s 149-148 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks only added fuel to those questioning whether the Knicks are legitimate title contenders.

The Hawks played another game in Madison Square Garden just before All-Star break. The starters were Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Mo Gueye, and Onyeka Okongwu. The Knicks led 20-12 through the first five minutes.

A s usual, the matchup between the Hawks and Knicks is one of the most entertaining in the league. Atlanta took the first two games of the season series, knocking the Knicks out o