Quin Snyder's Hawks Are Stunning the NBA — And CJ McCollum Is the Reason Why
The Atlanta Hawks were not supposed to be here. Written off as a fringe playoff team, dismissed as a mid-tier Eastern Conference squad with talent but no identity, the Hawks entered their first-round matchup against the New York Knicks as heavy underdogs. Two games later — and now holding a 2-1 series lead after a stunning 109-108 Game 3 victory — the Hawks are forcing the basketball world to pay attention. And head coach Quin Snyder, for his part, can barely contain his admiration for the man driving Atlanta's improbable run: veteran guard CJ McCollum.
McCollum hit a go-ahead midrange jumper over Knicks guard Miles McBride late in Game 3 on April 23, 2026, sealing back-to-back game-winning shots for the 16-year veteran. It was the same script from Game 2, where McCollum's late heroics delivered a 107-106 Atlanta win. Through three games, McCollum is averaging 27 points — a number that would have seemed implausible for a player who came to Atlanta as a complementary piece, not a closer. Snyder sees something deeper than clutch shooting, though. He sees leadership in its purest form.
The Two-Shot Story That's Defining Atlanta's Playoff Run
Back-to-back game-winners in a playoff series is a rare feat at any age. For McCollum, 34, doing it against one of the most defensively capable rosters in the Eastern Conference is extraordinary. Game 2 ended at 107-106 when McCollum found a pocket in the Knicks' defense and converted. Game 3 was a mirror image: Atlanta trailing or in a one-possession battle late, McCollum isolated against McBride, and a clean midrange pull-up dropping through the net for a 109-108 final.
What makes these moments particularly compelling isn't just the execution — it's the decision-making that precedes it. McCollum's game-winners weren't forced or panicked. They were the product of a veteran reading the defense, recognizing the mismatch with McBride, and trusting a shot he has made thousands of times. That kind of cold-blooded processing under pressure is exactly what Snyder has praised publicly, and it's why Atlanta now controls this series heading into Game 4 on Saturday, April 25 at 6:00 PM ET.
Quin Snyder's Coaching Philosophy on Full Display
Quin Snyder built his reputation in Utah as one of the league's premier offensive architects, a coach capable of unlocking players who had underperformed elsewhere. His tenure with the Jazz produced multiple 50-win seasons and playoff success, even if a championship always remained out of reach. When he left Utah and eventually landed in Atlanta, the question was whether he could build something sustainable with a young, inconsistent roster — or whether he'd be another accomplished coach spinning his wheels on a team without the talent to compete.
These playoffs are answering that question definitively. Snyder's handling of this series has been tactically sharp, but his most important contribution may be cultural. The way he talks about McCollum reflects how he thinks about the game: it's not enough to have someone who can score in crunch time. What matters is how that player operates within the team's framework, whether they're making the right read on every possession, and whether their presence elevates their teammates rather than diminishing them.
Snyder has specifically highlighted McCollum's willingness to defer to Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a key component of Atlanta's offensive balance. That's a nuanced point — most coaches and analysts fixate on a player's ability to take over when the moment demands it. Snyder is identifying something equally important: the judgment to not take over, to trust your teammates, and to keep the defense honest by making the correct pass even when you've earned the right to shoot. That equilibrium is what separates good clutch players from great ones.
CJ McCollum at 34: Why Veteran Experience Changes Everything in the Playoffs
McCollum's career has been defined by quiet excellence. He was a cornerstone alongside Damian Lillard in Portland for years — a second scorer who could absolutely carry a team when needed, but who always operated within a clear hierarchy. His time in New Orleans introduced a new chapter: he became the primary option for the Pelicans and showed he could shoulder that responsibility. Now in Atlanta, he's found a third act that may ultimately be the most impressive of all.
Averaging 27 points through the first three games of this series isn't just a volume achievement. It's a quality achievement. McCollum is making shots that younger, more athletic players can't make — midrange pull-ups off the dribble, floaters over outstretched arms, catch-and-shoot threes when the defense overcommits. These are craftsman's tools, developed over a career of reps and refinement. At 34, when explosiveness inevitably diminishes, the players who survive and thrive in the playoffs are the ones who replaced athleticism with precision. McCollum has made that transition completely.
There's also the experience factor that statistics don't capture. McCollum has been in these moments — trailing late, needing a bucket, thousands of fans creating noise designed to rattle him. He's been there before, failed sometimes, succeeded other times, and accumulated the internal database that allows him to function when other players freeze. That experience is genuinely invaluable in playoff basketball, and it's why Snyder trusts him implicitly in the final minutes.
The Knicks' Problem: How Atlanta Is Exploiting New York's Vulnerabilities
New York came into this series with significant advantages on paper. The Knicks had home-court advantage, a deep roster, and the experience of last year's playoff run. They're built defensively, with multiple capable wing defenders and a rim protection presence that should, in theory, make interior scoring difficult for Atlanta. So why are they down 2-1?
The McBride matchup against McCollum is a microcosm of the series' central problem. McBride is a capable, feisty defender — but he's giving up size and strength to McCollum, and that midrange pull-up is simply a shot the Knicks cannot defend without fouling or leaving someone else open. Every time New York commits extra help to McCollum, it creates opportunities for Johnson and Alexander-Walker. Every time they respect those secondary options, McCollum gets his shot.
Snyder's offense has essentially created a no-win scenario for the Knicks' defense. Atlanta isn't trying to push pace or beat New York athletically in transition — they're methodically executing half-court sets that force the defense to make impossible choices. That's a coaching fingerprint, and it's why Snyder's public praise for McCollum's deferral to teammates matters so much. The Hawks aren't winning because one player is taking over — they're winning because their offense is genuinely balanced and hard to guard consistently.
What This Series Means for the Hawks' Franchise Trajectory
Atlanta has been perpetually on the brink of becoming something significant. Trae Young's emergence made them a must-watch team, and their 2021 run to the Eastern Conference Finals hinted at real potential. But the years that followed were marked by inconsistency, roster questions, and the persistent sense that the franchise was never quite sure what it wanted to be. The Trae Young era ended, and a new identity had to be built.
What Snyder appears to be constructing is a team without a singular focal point — something increasingly rare in the modern NBA, where the league's best teams almost universally run through a top-five player. Atlanta's approach is more collective, with McCollum providing veteran floor-raising, Johnson emerging as a dynamic two-way presence, and Alexander-Walker contributing in ways that don't always show up in box scores. Whether that model can succeed deep into the playoffs against increasingly talented opponents remains an open question, but it's clearly working right now.
A series victory over the Knicks would be a genuine statement. New York is not a flawed team — they're a legitimate contender who had legitimate expectations for this postseason. Knocking them out in the first round would validate Snyder's coaching, McCollum's second act, and the front office's approach to building this roster. It would also set up Atlanta for a second-round matchup where the scrutiny and pressure escalate significantly.
Analysis: What Snyder's Praise Reveals About Great Playoff Coaching
It would be easy to read Snyder's post-game comments about McCollum as standard coach-speak — lavish praise for a player who just hit a game-winner. But there's something more substantive happening in how Snyder talks about leadership and decision-making. He's not just celebrating the result; he's identifying the process that produced it.
The best playoff coaches share a trait: they trust the players who make the right read over the players who simply make the right play. Those are subtly different things. A player can make the right play through instinct, athleticism, or luck. Making the right read requires understanding the game, processing information under pressure, and acting on that processing in real time. McCollum, according to Snyder, does both — and crucially, his reads inform his teammates as much as his own actions.
That perspective on leadership — that the best players make their teammates better by knowing when not to be the option — is something that's easily overlooked in a culture that celebrates individual heroics. Snyder is making an argument that McCollum's willingness to defer to Johnson and Alexander-Walker in the right moments is as important as his willingness to take the final shot in the wrong moments. That's a sophisticated read of what actually wins playoff basketball games, and it reflects well on both the coach and the player he's praising.
For more on the high-stakes sports action happening across leagues this week, see our coverage of the LAFC vs Minnesota United MLS Western Conference clash and the latest from the Anhelina Kalinina vs Bouzkova Madrid Open 2026 preview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current series score between the Hawks and Knicks?
The Atlanta Hawks lead the New York Knicks 2-1 in their first-round NBA playoff series. Atlanta won Game 2 by a score of 107-106 and Game 3 by a score of 109-108, with both games decided by CJ McCollum game-winning shots. Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 6:00 PM ET.
How has CJ McCollum performed in this playoff series?
McCollum has been outstanding, averaging 27 points per game through the first three games of the series. He's hit back-to-back game-winning shots — a midrange jumper in Game 2 to secure a 107-106 win and another clutch midrange bucket over Miles McBride in Game 3 to deliver a 109-108 victory. His performance has been the central story of Atlanta's surprising 2-1 series lead.
What did Quin Snyder specifically say about CJ McCollum after Game 3?
According to ClutchPoints, Snyder praised McCollum's ability to both take over in clutch moments and defer to teammates when appropriate, calling that balance a form of genuine leadership. He specifically highlighted McCollum's willingness to create opportunities for Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a key element of the team's offensive balance.
Who is Quin Snyder and what is his coaching background?
Quin Snyder is the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He previously spent eight seasons as head coach of the Utah Jazz, where he became known as one of the NBA's most creative offensive minds, helping develop players like Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert into All-Stars. He's widely respected for his player development approach and his ability to build cohesive team systems that don't rely on a single superstar.
Can the Hawks realistically win this series against the Knicks?
Holding a 2-1 series lead, Atlanta is in a genuinely strong position. Best-of-seven series where a team wins Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 lead convert to series victories at a high historical rate. The Hawks are playing structured, disciplined playoff basketball under Snyder, and McCollum's clutch production has neutralized New York's defensive advantages. Game 4 on Saturday is critical — a 3-1 lead would put enormous pressure on the Knicks, while a Knicks victory would reset the narrative considerably.
Looking Ahead: Game 4 and the Road to a Potential Upset
Game 4 tips off Saturday at 6:00 PM ET, and the stakes could not be higher for both franchises. For the Knicks, a loss would put them on the brink of an early playoff exit against a team they were widely expected to beat. For the Hawks, a win would put them one victory from a first-round series upset that would instantly become one of the better stories of this playoff cycle.
Snyder's challenge is managing the attention and pressure that comes with being the upset team holding the lead. Atlanta has proven they can execute in close games — two one-possession wins in Games 2 and 3 demonstrate that. The question is whether they can do it again when the Knicks, playing with their season on the line, inevitably make adjustments and play with elevated desperation.
McCollum can't be expected to hit a game-winner in every close game indefinitely. At some point, the process Snyder described — balance, deference, collective execution — has to carry Atlanta even on nights when the veteran guard's shot isn't falling. That's the real test of how deep this Hawks team actually is, and it's the question that Game 4 will begin to answer.
For now, though, Quin Snyder has his team exactly where almost no one expected them to be: in the driver's seat, playing purposeful basketball, and led by a 34-year-old guard who keeps making the biggest shots of Atlanta's postseason when they matter most. Whatever happens from here, this series has already produced something worth watching closely.
