Jalen Brunson scores 28 points as the Knicks defeat the Hawks in the opening game

Jalen Brunson scores 28 points as the Knicks defeat the Hawks in the opening game

Jalen Brunson scores 28 points as the  Knicks  defeat the Hawks in the opening game NEW YORK On the fourth anniversary of his first 40-point performance, Jalen Brunson may have added his tenth to his list of accomplishments. However, he went 0-for-7 from the field in his difficult second half, ending that possibility. In Game 1 of their first-round series on Saturday, the New York Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 thanks in part to his efforts. In front of an enthusiastic Madison Square Garden crowd, Brunson made his first six shots and scored 22 of his game-high 28 points in the first half. Even though he struggled in the final 24 minutes, the Knicks' depth helped New York build a 19-point lead in the second half. "It was a hard-fought win. It was physical," Brunson said. "It was a grind-it-out game." Brunson was inadvertently kicked in the groin area by  Hawks  guard CJ McCollum on a jump shot in the third quarter, earning McCollum a technical foul. While attemp…