The New York Knicks delivered a historic beatdown to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night, routing them 140-89 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series to advance to the conference semifinals.

New York shattered NBA playoff history by taking a 47-point halftime lead of 83-36, the largest margin ever at the break in a postseason game. The Knicks also posted their largest playoff victory margin in franchise history at 51 points, tying for the sixth-biggest in NBA playoff annals. They jumped out to a 40-15 lead after the first quarter, the biggest in the shot-clock era for a playoff period, fueled by a blistering 43-6 run across the first half.

OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29 points, including 26 in the first half on efficient shooting, while Mikal Bridges added 24 points. Jalen Brunson contributed 17 points and eight assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns notched his second triple-double of the series with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Knicks' starters rested early in the second half after building an insurmountable lead.

For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson had a team-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists, but Atlanta managed just 12-of-39 field goals and committed 14 turnovers before halftime. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, and Jonathan Kuminga each scored 11 points in a disjointed offensive effort.

Tensions boiled over in the second quarter when the Knicks led by 50 points. Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels were ejected after a skirmish following free throws by Anunoby.

The series had been competitive early, with New York winning Game 1 113-102 at home before dropping razor-thin decisions in Games 2 (106-107) and 3 (108-109). The Knicks then turned it on, winning Game 4 114-98 on the road, Game 5 126-97 at home, and capping it with Thursday's demolition to close out the third-seeded Knicks over the sixth-seeded Hawks 4-2.

New York advances to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fourth consecutive season, awaiting the winner of the Detroit-Orlando matchup. The Knicks' dominant close to the series underscores their depth and defensive intensity, holding Atlanta to 89 points despite playing on the road.