NEW YORK (Interstat) — Jalen Brunson scored 39 points and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-97 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, taking a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Brunson added eight assists and three rebounds in 35 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. OG Anunoby had 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Knicks shot 45 of 79 from the field and 25 of 34 from the free-throw line.

The Hawks, who led the series 2-1 after consecutive one-point wins, never recovered from a 13-point first-quarter deficit. New York led 64-48 at halftime and extended its advantage to 90-87 after three quarters before pulling away in the fourth.

Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Dyson Daniels scored 17 points and Onyeka Okongwu added 16. The Hawks shot 37 of 83 from the floor but were outscored 36-25 in the fourth quarter.

New York’s defense forced 10 turnovers and blocked six shots. The Knicks can close out the series Thursday night in Atlanta.