Julius Randle bounces back in time to help Knicks tie series with Hawks 1-1

© Elsa Atlanta forward Danilo Gallinari (right) tries to get around Knicks’ Julius Randle (left) in the second quarter during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Derrick Rose scored 26 points, Julius Randle shook off a miserable first half to lead a third-quarter turnaround and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 on Wednesday night in Game 2 to tie the series.

Randle was 0 for 6 with just two points at halftime and the Knicks were staring at a 13-point deficit. But with Rose moving into the starting lineup to open the third quarter, Randle scored 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the period as the Knicks surged into the lead.

The winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds despite another poor shooting night. He was 5 for 16 after going 6 for 23 in the opener.

Trae Young scored 30 points for Atlanta after having 32 and hitting the tiebreaking shot in Game 1. Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter added 18 apiece.

Game 3 is Friday night in Atlanta, where the Hawks will be allowed to welcome a full capacity crowd for the first time

Sixers take 2-0 lead, Russell Westbrook injured

Ben Simmons put a spin move on Russell Westbrook that sent him sprawling to the floor several minutes before a leg injury sent the NBA’s triple-double king to the locker room.

With Simmons soaring and Westbrook ailing, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 120-95 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Game 3 is Saturday night at Washington.

Hornets sticking with Borrego

The Charlotte Hornets have picked up the team option on coach James Borrego’s contract for next season, said a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the Hornets do not publicly release information about staff contracts. It’s unclear if the Hornets will look to sign Borrego to a long-term contactcontract.

Borrego is 95-124 in three seasons with the Hornets, including a 33-39 mark this season. The Hornets qualified for the play-in tournament as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference but were eliminated after being routed 144-117 by the Indiana Pacers.

Several players called the performance embarrassing.