NEW YORK -- Ever since Tim Hardaway Jr. was lost for the foreseeable future with a lower left stress injury, the New York Knicks have looked for a consistent No. 2 scorer.

Kristaps Porzingis -- when healthy -- has the No. 1 spot locked down. But New York has struggled to find a reliable second fiddle.

Coming off the bench in a 111-107 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night, Doug McDermott made a good case to be considered, even if he has yet to move into the starting lineup.

One day after a disappointing loss at Chicago, Porzingis had 30 points and McDermott added 23 points in a reserve role to help upend the feisty Hawks, who entered the game on a 3-4 run after going 3-15 to start the season.

"I was trying to be a little more aggressive out there with Tim out," McDermott said after the game. "Some things opened up for me. When they're finding me on those cuts, it just opens the whole floor for everyone."

Dennis Schroder scored 21 points and Ersan Ilyasova had 20 to lead the Hawks, who shot just 9 for 31 from 3-point range.

With Hardaway sidelined with an injury that may keep him out at least two more weeks, Porzingis shouldered more of the Knicks' scoring load than he already does, which is a lot.

Porzingis had 15 points in the first half and nine in the fourth quarter as he was particularly effective at the end of quarters. Porzingis had 15 points in the final three minutes of each period combined.

"At times we think we made things difficult on him, but he hit some tough shots," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "I felt like he had to hit tough shots to get his 30. He is a great young player but hopefully we made him work."

New York (13-13) needed Porzingis' clutch play to fend off a feisty Atlanta squad missing several players.

The Knicks took control late in the first quarter as Porzingis had five consecutive points to take New York from a 21-19 deficit to a three-point lead. New York's offense ebbed, however. The Knicks went up by seven early in the second quarter, then nine late in the quarter, only to see the Hawks reel off a 17-7 run to take a 52-51 halftime lead.

"We gave ourselves a chance," Budenholzer said. "I am proud about a lot tonight. We have to keep competing for 48 minutes. It was a tough game on the road in a tough environment."

New York went into the fourth quarter up 76-75 but quickly went on a 6-0 run to take a seven-point lead, and eventually led by as many as 11 before the Hawks cut it to three with 20 seconds left.

"We came out ready to play," Porzingis said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game playing a second game on a back-to-back. At the end, we grinded this game out and did what we needed to."

Jarrett Jack added 19 points for the Knicks, who have won two of three after dropping five of six.

With McDermott leading the way, the New York bench did extensive damage. Behind McDermott's 9-of-13 shooting, the Knicks' reserves outscored Atlanta's 45-31. The Knicks turned often to a small lineup to counter Atlanta's, with seldom-used guard Ron Baker playing 31 minutes and scoring nine points.

"When guys play well you want to stick with them," Hornacek said. "Again, that was such a small team, so we felt like Ron could guard any of those guys one through three. He can also come off those picks, make plays and get baskets."

Taurean Prince added 17 points for the Hawks (6-20),

"Obviously we have to play for 48 minutes," Ilyasova said after the game. "In the second half, we picked it up and tried to play better defensively."

NOTES: New York stays home on Tuesday for a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. ... Atlanta stays on the road for a Tuesday showdown against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. ... The Knicks snapped a four-game losing streak against the Hawks, though they still trail the all-time series against Atlanta, 194-175. The last time the two teams met, on Nov. 24, New York blew a 17-point lead in a 116-104 loss.