Knicks clinch series with historically dominant win over Hawks

The New York Knicks did far more than just win a game or even clinch a playoff series on Thursday night. The New York Knicks put together a masterpiece that will go down in NBA history. 

While setting numerous league and franchise records, the Knicks dominated the Atlanta Hawks to the tune of 140-89. Winning a game that was long over before halftime, New York punched their ticket to the second round. 

To put the Knicks' performance in its proper historical context, New York held a 40-15 lead after just the first quarter. And even though 20-point leads are often not safe in the NBA, that advantage only gradually increased as the game continued on. 

New York made sure the game was over before halftime 

New York set an NBA record for the largest halftime lead ever, going into the locker room up 83-36, a 47-point edge over a team that did beat them twice in the series. 

They then put their final stamp on the record books by totaling the most points any Knicks team has ever scored in any playoff game.