CJ McCollum Addresses Technical Foul After Jalen Brunson Incident

During the Hawks' postgame presser, McCollum addressed his technical foul on Brunson.

“I shot a jumper, and Jalen thought we were at a Broadway show,” McCollum said. “ He acted it out until they reviewed it. It's a normal jump shot, nothing there. Unnecessary, and I look forward to getting my $2,500 back.”

According to league rules, a technical foul could range from around $2,500 to $5,000, depending on the severity of the incident. Brunson was asked about the contact with McCollum after the game, and he simply shrugged it off.

“It wasn't purposeful, so we move forward,” the Knicks star said.

This is the first time that the Hawks have matched up against the Knicks in the postseason since the 2021 playoffs. In their previous series, Atlanta was able to cruise past New York through five games. However, the team had Trae Young at the time.

This current Hawks roster is inexperienced in the postseason, and they are relying on the veteran presence of McCollum. The 34-year-old guard has plenty of playoff experience during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. As the Blazers' second option behind Damian Lillard through eight postseason appearances, the shooting guard has averaged 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 38.4% shooting from deep.

Tonight, McCollum showed his experience, scoring 26 points on 44.4% shooting from deep. That wasn't enough for the Hawks to get a win at Madison Square Garden, however. The young team is learning a lot from the seasoned guard, who was acquired from the Washington Wizards in January.

The Knicks and Hawks will face each other on Monday for Game 2. Atlanta is hoping to tie the series before Game 3 at the State Farm Arena.