Shaquille O’Neal Trolls Hawks After Embarrassing 51-Point Loss Hand Knicks First-Round Series

Shaquille O'Neal pulled a hilarious stunt during Knicks-Hawks blowout.

Shaquille O’Neal Trolls Hawks After Embarrassing 51-Point Loss Hand Knicks First-Round Series

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Shaquille O'Neal trolled the Atlanta Hawks during halftime of Game 6 by performing a comedic CPR stunt on their mascot.
  • The New York Knicks achieved a historic 51-point victory over the Hawks, marking the largest halftime deficit in NBA playoff history.
  • The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals after winning the series 4-2, with all five starters scoring in double digits.

During his time on Inside the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal has pulled off several priceless stunts. He did so once again, heading into halftime of Game 6 of the New York Knicks-Atlanta Hawks series on Thursday night.

Heading into the penultimate game of the series, the Knicks blew the Hawks away from the start. They were 83-36 up at halftime. The 47-point deficit at halftime is the largest halftime deficit in NBA playoff history. In the end, the Knicks recorded a 140-89 blowout at the State Farm Arena and sealed the series 4-2.

On Inside The NBA at halftime, O’Neal pretended to perform CPR on a plush Harry the Hawk, the Hawks’ mascot. After performing CPR, he proceeded to lay the plush figure into a makeshift casket. In the midst of his hilarious stunt, he sang:

It’s so hard to say goodbye!

Shaquille O’Neal is well known for his funny personality and stunts alongside co-analyst and former player Charles Barkley on the show. The two often engage in friendly banter and some silly bets, much to the amusement of their fans.

The “Diesel” left no stone unturned in trolling the Hawks. It was an anticlimactic ending to what was a thrilling series till Game 5. The Hawks won both Games 2 and 3 by one point and led the series 2-1. However, they were not able to capitalize on their home-court advantage as they went on to lose the next three games.

The Hawks did not get the result they would have desired, and they would like to forget Game 6 as soon as possible. But it was a promising 2025-26 campaign for the Hawks despite trading away their former face of the franchise, Trae Young, at the trade deadline this year. They finished at sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 46-36 record.

New York Knicks put up a dominant performance on both ends of the floor

After an Eastern Conference Finals finish last season, many expected that the Knicks would be the favorites to come out of a wide-open Eastern Conference this year. However, they have shown signs of inconsistency in form since the turn of the year.

After losing in Games 2 and 3 against the Hawks, there were a few alarm bells ringing inside the camp. But they displayed their playoff experience and blew their opponents in Game 6. It was a dominant performance from start to finish on both ends of the court on Thursday.

All five Knicks starters scored double-digit points. OG Anunoby led the scorers with 29 points followed by Mikal Bridges with 24 points. Jalen Brunson may not have been at his scoring best, but he did record 17 points, eight assists, and two steals in under 29 minutes. The Knicks committed just nine turnovers to the Hawks’ 19.

The Knicks became the first team in the East to book their spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They await the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics series.

Karl-Anthony Towns wants to dominate games like Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal has been critical of Karl-Anthony Towns in the past. Heading into the postseason, he challenged the Knicks center to be more dominant and play like a big man. While Towns has often been criticized for not stepping up as a secondary option for the Knicks this season, he did impress in Game 6 against the Hawks.

Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns (Image via Athlon Sports)

After the game, Towns revealed that he wants to dominate games like O’Neal.

For me as a big man, I just wanted to dominate the game like Sha, especially in these moments.

Karl-Anthony Towns in his post-match press conference

Towns was up to the task from start to finish as he recorded a triple-double in a close-out game. He even showed his playmaking abilities and was dominant on the glass as well. The knicks will be hoping to see more of such performances from their center as the playoffs progress.

Also Read: