Karl-Anthony Towns' 34 points weren't enough in the Knicks' 121-116 loss to the Hawks

The Knicks (3-4) lost to the Atlanta Hawks (4-5) 121-116 on Wednesday night, losing their second straight game to complete a four-game road trip and fall under .500.

Here are the takeaways…

– The Knicks lived and died in the three-game battle against the Hawks. In a slow and sloppy first quarter (six turnovers), they shot 4 of 14 (28.6 percent) from three balls but only trailed by four, 26-22. The second quarter was much different, as the Knicks made 10 three-pointers and were 14 for 28 from three in the first half, which tied a team record for makes in a half. New York kept the momentum going and outscored Atlanta 28-24 in the third quarter, leading to four more three-pointers and entering the fourth quarter tied at 89-89.

Karl Anthony cities made five three-pointers but missed a corner and shot down a point with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, leading to one Clint Capela Fastbreak dunk for a 114-111 lead. The Hawks closed the game with a 16-6 run and outscored the Knicks 32-27 in the fourth quarter. New York finished the game 22 for 47 from three games (46.8 percent).

– Towns led the Knicks with 34 points, including 20 in the first half. He only had two points in the third period, but turned it on in the fourth and scored 12 points to keep the Knicks in the game. The former No. 1 overall pick also had 16 rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal.

– Jalen Brunson had a tough shooting night going 8 of 18 from the field and 4 of 10 from three for 21 points. Former Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges also struggled shooting, going just 4 of 10 with two three-pointers for 10 points.

– Zacharie Risacher showed why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and had the best game of his young career. The rookie scored 22 of his 33 points in the first half with a total of six three-pointers. Jalen Johnson almost had a triple-double (23-15-7), Trae Young added 23 of his own and Capela finished the game with 18 points and six rebounds. Atlanta shot 45 percent worse than New York, but outscored New York 48-41 and won the turnover battle by seven.

– Miles McBride scored 16 points with four three-pointers in 28 minutes off the bench. Tyler Kolek scored the Knicks' remaining bench points and finished with six points in nine minutes. He became the first Knick to make his first four three-point attempts, knocking down two three-pointers in the second quarter.

Game MVP: Zacharie Risacher

Risacher posted a +14 on the floor in 37 minutes of play and scored more than one goal. The 19-year-old had seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the win.

Highlights

What's next?

The Knicks return home after a four-game road trip Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who are off to a surprising 1-6 start. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m