New York's guard depth prevails in Atlanta despite Nickeil Alexander-Walker's monster 36-point night—but our NAW overs got absolutely torched.
Game Flow
The Knicks and Hawks traded baskets in a back-and-forth affair that came down to the final possessions. Jalen Brunson orchestrated New York's offense with precision, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker put on a scoring clinic for Atlanta. The game remained tight throughout, with neither team ever establishing a comfortable cushion. New York's balanced attack—spreading the load across OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and role players—proved the difference in a 108–105 final that felt closer than the score suggested.
Standout Performances
Jalen Brunson was vintage: 30 points and 13 assists in 39 minutes, commanding the Knicks' half-court sets and distributing to open shooters when Atlanta overplayed the pick-and-roll. His 13 AST total was a significant overage on our projection. Nickeil Alexander-Walker responded with a career-best 36 points on an efficient 12/19 shooting (7 threes), also adding 3 assists and 2 rebounds for a 41.0 Points + Rebounds + Assists total. Despite the offensive brilliance, his rebounding was modest (2) and steals nonexistent, a rare vulnerability. OG Anunoby chipped in 22 points and 5 boards, while Karl-Anthony Towns provided a steady 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists—all while shooting 9/12 from the floor.
For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson (21 PTS / 11 REB / 5 AST) came one rebound shy of a double-double and worked hard on both ends. CJ McCollum (17 PTS / 6 AST) was functional but quiet by his standards. The Hawks' bench and depth rotations—Jonathan Kuminga (5 PTS / 5 REB), Dyson Daniels (11 PTS / 12 REB / 3 AST), and others—lacked the punch needed to support Alexander-Walker's individual brilliance.
Prediction Accountability
We hit 67.0% of our active props (124/185) and cashed a solid $517.27 with a 28.0% ROI—respectable work overall. But the night had a Jekyll-and-Hyde quality: Josh Hart became our golden goose, going 1/3 FG for just 2 points and missing the game's flow entirely. We nailed five separate Hart unders (PRA 24.5, PR 19.5, PA 16.0, PTS 12.5), banking massive margins—the PRA alone hit with a -14.5 margin at 23% confidence. Jordan Clarkson's minimal minutes (9) and muted output ensured his unders cashed easily too.
But Nickeil Alexander-Walker was our antagonist. We projected him conservatively on several fronts and he bulldozed through every ceiling we set: UNDER pts+ast 26.0 hit for a +13.0 margin at 75% confidence (his actual was 39); UNDER pts+reb 25.5 missed by +12.5 at 75% confidence; UNDER points 23.5 missed by +12.5 at 19% confidence. Those high-confidence misses stung. Similarly, Jalen Brunson's assist total (13) exceeded our UNDER pts+ast 31.0 line significantly (+12.0 margin)—his playmaking was elite.
Closest heartbreakers: Jonathan Kuminga (OVER three_pm 0.5, actual 0.0) and OG Anunoby (OVER assists 1.5, actual 1.0) missed by half a bucket each.
Turning Point
With approximately 4 minutes remaining and the score hovering around 103–101 NYK, **Jalen Brunson** executed a pick-and-roll against a scrambling Hawks defense, finding an open cutter for a layup that extended the lead to 105–101. Atlanta's subsequent offensive possession stalled when CJ McCollum's three-point attempt rimmed out, and New York secured a crucial defensive rebound. This sequence—around the 4:00 mark of Q4—essentially sealed the game, as the Hawks couldn't recover despite Alexander-Walker's continued scoring threat down the stretch.
Key Performers
Brunson was the engine of New York's offense, dishing 13 assists to orchestrate the half-court sets and exploit Atlanta's perimeter defense. His assist total significantly overdelivered on our projections, though his shooting efficiency (11/26 FG) was pedestrian. He hit the clutch moments when it mattered.
NAW had an all-time night, dropping 36 on 12/19 shooting with 7 threes—his Points + Rebounds + Assists total of 41.0 crushed our OVER 26.5 line by 14.5. However, his limited rebounding (2) and zero steals meant he didn't threaten our upper-echelon projections on every front. Still, our high-confidence UNDER pts+ast and UNDER pts+reb misses were costly.
Towns was efficient (9/12 FG) and versatile, hitting our OVER pts+ast 23.5 (+3.5 margin) and OVER pts+reb 32.5 (+0.5 margin on a razor's edge). His rebounding prowess and assist distribution were hallmarks of a controlled performance in a tight game.
Hart's off night became our profit engine. With just 2 points and minimal touches, he crushed five separate under props, including the massive PRA 24.5 (-14.5 margin) at low confidence and PR 19.5 (-12.5 margin). His lack of involvement in a close game was the silent win we didn't anticipate.
Box Score Leaders
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | 3PM | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 36 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 30+sharpshooter |
| Jalen Brunson | 30 | 3 | 13 | 3 | double-double30+floor-general |
| OG Anunoby | 22 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Prediction Breakdown
By Confidence
| Bets | Hits | Misses | Hit% | P/L | ROI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| high | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60.0% | +$7 | +14.5% |
| medium | 23 | 15 |
How Our Predictions Held Up
We hit 67.0% (124/185 active props) and generated $517.27 profit with a 28.0% ROI—solid across the board. Low-confidence props punched above their weight (67.5% hit rate), but high-confidence plays stumbled badly, posting just 60.0%. The **Alexander-Walker disaster** (three high-confidence unders all blown past) and **Brunson's assist overage** were our two biggest misses; they were offset by **Josh Hart's complete absence**, which sent multiple unders flying. The portfolio weathered the variance well despite individual stat-line shocks.