How Knicks’ versatility overwhelmed the Hawks and why it matters going

After a brutal Game 3 loss in Atlanta put New York in a 2-1 hole, many thought their worst fears about this team were realized. There was no cohesion — the offense looked directionless, the defense debilitated by the team’s best player.

The three games that followed were a complete reversal. The Knicks topped the Hawks by 16, 29, and a whopping 51 points to close the series, making their strongest statement of readiness to contend to date.

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It was only the first round against an upstart team, but it may have solidified what this team’s winning identity will be these playoffs: versatility. The postseason is all about matchups and adjustments, and the Knicks have all the talent, but sometimes struggle with utilizing it.

It didn’t look that way to close out the Hawks. Everything coach Mike Brown preached and implemented was executed to glowing perfection. The Knicks ate the early struggle and adjusted to win the series — here’s how.

Their biggest issue through three games was the offense — completely freezing down the stretch of Game 2 and well into Game 3. Jalen Brunson struggled outside of the first quarter of the postseason, and the Knicks failed to get other creators to pick up the slack.

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They corrected this by getting Brunson off-ball much more and running their offense through their most glaring advantage — Karl-Anthony Towns. Every half-court possession moved through him in the pinch post, as Brown and the Knicks employed flex action to create cutters and space.

This gave Brunson many easier opportunities and higher-efficiency outputs, and opened the door for OG Anunoby to step up. The Knicks needed more scoring with the slow…