From The Sports Desk: Now we’re even

NBAFrom The Sports Desk: Now we’re even The lower-seeded Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves had comeback wins yesterday, to pull even in their respective playoff series.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum, left, argues with New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York.Yuki Iwamura / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 21, 2026, 3:00 PM EDTBy Rohan Nadkarni and Ben KamisarThe NBA playoffs haven’t truly started until a visiting player inspires a vulgar chant from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. Atlanta’s C.J. McCollum did that last night, as the Hawks mounted a late comeback to down the New York Knicks. Our Rohan Nadkarni breaks down last night’s NBA action below.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Also, our Ben Kamisar profiled arguably the most athletic player in the NFL draft, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. Read an excerpt of the article below. We’ll have more NFL draft and NBA playoff coverage here and, as always, on the NBC News website.NBA PlayoffsThe Hawks stole Game 2 from the Knicks yesterday, overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit to snatch a 107-106 victory. The Hawks were led by McCollum, who led all scorers with 32 points.After languishing on the tanking Wizards to begin the season, the 34-year-old McCollum was spectacular for Atlanta, repeatedly hunting Jalen Brunson and sinking clutch shot after clutch shot in the fourth, including a run of six straight points in the game’s final minutes. The performance endeared McCollum to the MSG faithful, and at one point he was on the receiving end of a very vulgar chant after a heated exchange with Jose Alvarado.“I’m no villain, I’m a nice guy with two kids and a wife,” McCollum said in an attempt to deflect postgame. “I think it’s admiration. Great, passionate fans in a hostile e...