Hawks’ Jonathan Kuminga reveals key to Game 2 win over Knicks

After being a non-factor in the Atlanta Hawks’ 113-102 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their first-round matchup in the 2026 NBA playoffs, Jonathan Kuminga came alive in Game 2 on Monday night.

Kuminga, who’s earning more and more of head coach Quin Snyder’s trust, ended up playing 35 minutes, including crunch time, in their 107-106 win in Game 2. He’s becoming a huge X-factor for the Hawks, and he’s starting to prove himself as a winning player in the right situation.

Kuminga deserves plenty of credit for being a stout defensive presence on the night, as he did such a good job of containing Karl-Anthony Towns, especially in the fourth quarter. Everything else was gravy; he added 19 points on 7-12 shooting from the field (1-4 from deep, 4-6 from the foul line), and he’s becoming the first man off the bench for the Hawks.

After the game, Kuminga made it clear as to what the Hawks must take care of moving forward if they were to pull off an upset over the Knicks.

“I don’t have any words. Gotta fight. Gotta win the trenches. That’s what it was all about. Just winning the small margins, playing hard, fighting, and coming out with the win,” Kuminga said as he was walking back to the locker room, via the official NBA account on X (formerly Twitter).

“We gotta win the trenches… I think that's what it was all about.”

Jonathan Kuminga (19 PTS) & CJ McCollum (32 PTS) after Atlanta's comeback win on the road in Game 2!

Series tied 1-1… Game 3: Thursday, 7pm/et on Prime https://t.co/aP4wbkDYOt pic.twitter.com/XjQrbtZC66

— NBA (@NBA) April 21, 2026

Acquiring Kuminga was a risk the Hawks took, as they did not believe in the reliability of Kristaps Porzingis’ health. And with this Game 2 performance, the Hawks are looking like the big winner of that trade.

Through the years, there has been some doubt simmering regarding the viability of Kuminga as a winning basketball player. But he seems to have found his groove off the bench for the Hawks, buying into Snyder’s system which seems to have instilled some belief in him.

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