In the high-stakes theater of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the most visceral reaction to the Atlanta Hawks’ 109–108 victory over the New York Knicks didn’t come from any player or fan in State Farm Arena tonight. The high definition cameras of the NBA on Prime studio captured the thrill within the studio and ensured it replayed hilariously slow. CJ McCollum just came back from his New York trip after erasing Trae Young’s villainous persona there. He then proceeded to show who’s in charge in Atlanta. It had, Taylor Rooks, a Georgia native, sort of defend a moment of dropping her neutrality on the job.

Apart from CJ McCollum and his teammates, it was Rooks who set social media ablaze on Thursday night when she abandoned all journalistic neutrality during the game’s chaotic final seconds. As McCollum’s go-ahead jumper rattled through the rim and the Hawks secured a 2–1 series lead, Rooks was captured on a “behind-the-scenes” replay running across the studio floor in a state of pure euphoria.

The clip which amassed thousands of views showed the exact moment Rooks, looking rather stunning in a red number, is silently screaming and pounding the desk at the game-winner. She even jumped all over the studio and high-fived Dirk Nowitzki and Udonis Haslem. Someone in the studio also said they didn’t need to guess which team she was supporting.

When the Prime crew replayed her reaction in slow motion, Rooks had a slight defense. “Oh listen now, I’m unbiased but when in Gwinnett County, we up.”

That’s a direct nod to her hometown in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She only just reconnected with her roots recently. So ‘her team’ taking the lead warrants a little bias.

While Taylor Rooks and the NBA on Prime team usually film in LA, the Emmy-winning journalist is presumably not traveling between New York and Atlanta for this series. Instead, she did a little something special for her hometown. The Taylor Rooks Foundation partnered with Undue Medical Debt to erase over $2.1 million in medical debt for 1,805 people in Gwinnett County, Georgia. It’s also a special gesture from watching her sister grow up with type 1 diabetes and piles of medical bills.

So her hometown roots are alive and that showed for the first time in the middle of the Knicks-Hawks series. And for good reason.

The Hawks gave Taylor Rooks reason to celebrate

The final sixty seconds of Game 3 will go down as an instant classic in the gritty Atlanta-New York rivalry. After leading by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Hawks almost saw the game slip away. Jalen Brunson completed a brilliant three-point play to give the Knicks a 108–105 lead with just 1:03 remaining.

The State Farm Arena crowd was anxious as the Knicks appeared poised to reclaim the series. However, Jalen Johnson, who finished with a team-high 24 points, rolled in a crucial layup to bring Atlanta within one. On the ensuing possession, the Knicks’ offense stalled as Josh Hart missed a wide-open three-pointer. New York grabbed the offensive rebound but were unable to get another shot off, resulting in a devastating 24-second shot-clock violation.

As Rooks roared, “With 16 seconds on the clock and the Hawks need a bucket, who better than CJ McCollum!” Hawks coach Quin Snyder drew up a play that isolated McCollum against Miles McBride.

Indeed McCollum delivered his second straight legendary performance against the New York Knicks. With the Hawks trailing by one in the final seconds of Game 3, McCollum drilled a cold-blooded 15-foot fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds remaining, securing a 109–108 victory and a 2–1 series lead.

Although both teams were “sloppy” – Knicks coach, Mike Brown’s words – with near equal turnovers, the victory marks a significant turning point in the series, as Brown lamented his team’s inability to “take care of the ball” in the closing moments. While New York is already demanding a new tactician, Taylor Rooks is representative of the pure excitement felt by Hawks nation right now.