Suni Lee attended the Knicks versus Hawks playoff game on Monday evening and became widely popular online for her influence on the game’s outcome.
The Knicks uploaded a video clip of Lee smiling and waving, with the caption, “welcome back @sunisalee_.” Lee appeared to be enjoying herself in the celebrity section while having a drink. Internet users noted that Suni’s presence affected players’ performance, especially Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
One user questioned, “OG HOW YOU GONNA MISS BOTH FREE THROWS WITH HER WATCHING??” Another one added, “OG always reacts when she’s around.” One person mentioned, “This is the second year in a row they’ve blown a 4th-quarter lead in front of her.”
The online discussions happened after the Hawks won 107-106 against the Knicks, tying the playoff series at one game apiece.
CJ McCollum scored 32 points and spearheaded Atlanta’s comeback after trailing for almost all of the game and falling behind by 12 points in the last quarter. “It’s a long game,” McCollum said. “You’ve got to play to zero.”
Atlanta claimed its first lead of the second half at 101-100 with 2:09 remaining in the game when McCollum scored. Following that, Jalen Brunson tied the score with a 3-pointer, then McCollum responded by scoring two more points to make it 105-103 with 33 seconds left. He missed two free throws with 5.6 seconds on the clock, offering New York a win opportunity.
However, the Knicks rushed down the court with no timeouts remaining; Mikal Bridges was unable to score from beyond the arc as time ran out.
Jonathan Kuminga contributed 19 points off the bench for Atlanta, while Jalen Johnson tallied 17, including two in the final minute that gave Atlanta a four-point edge. Brunson led New York with 29 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18 points.
“This is a game we should have won,” Knicks forward Josh Hart stated. “In the playoffs, you can’t give away games.”
Following Towns’ scoring 14 of his 18 points in the third quarter, the Knicks had a commanding lead of 78-64. They held an eight-point advantage in the game’s last five minutes.
From 1954-55, the start of the shot clock era, the Knicks had never lost a playoff game in which they led by 12 or more points after three quarters, except once. The Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals as Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter.
For four consecutive seasons, the Knicks hope to advance to the second round, marking their longest streak since 1991-92 to 1999-2000.
The Hawks will host Game 3 on Thursday night as the sixth seed.
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