New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The Atlanta Hawks may see the return of their star guard Trae Young as they attempt to break their three-game losing streak at home against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Young, who has an average of 23.9 points and leads the league with 11 assists per game as of Tuesday, suffered a sprained right rib in the third quarter of the Hawks' 123-93 loss to the Boston Celtics at home on Monday.
Hawks head coach Quin Synder did not provide a specific timeline for Young's return after Monday's game, but the three-time All-Star was listed as probable on the injury report released on Tuesday.
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Atlanta has already been dealing with injuries to multiple players less than a month into the regular season.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) and Vit Krejci (hip) are both expected to be out for several weeks, while guard Kobe Bufkin continues to sit out after partially dislocating his shoulder for the second time last month.
If Young is unable to play on Wednesday, Dyson Daniels, Garrison Mathews, and rookie Keaton Wallace will have to step up as the primary ball-handlers for the Hawks, who have lost five out of their last six games after starting the season with two consecutive wins.
Snyder said, "We have a lot of guys who are competing. That's all we can ask for. Even in games like this where the score is lopsided, there are still things we can take away from it. We will try to do that."
Forward Jalen Johnson may have to take on a bigger scoring role for the Hawks, as he is currently averaging 18.4 points per game.
Johnson seemed to be under pressure at the beginning of the season after signing a five-year, $150 million contract last month. However, he has scored 20 or more points in four of the last five games and has recorded double-digit rebounds three times during that stretch.
The Knicks, who are finishing up a four-game road trip, have won their last three games against the Hawks in Atlanta. This will be the first of four meetings between the two teams this season.
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New York won their first two games of the trip before falling to the Houston Rockets 109-97 on Monday.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points and eight assists, but with the rest of the team struggling, he was forced to play 42 minutes and was visibly fatigued towards the end of the game. He missed three consecutive shots in the final 2:16 after the Knicks had cut the lead to three points.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said, "He wanted to keep playing. He's in great shape. You're not going to make every shot. So, take your shots."
Brunson leads the Knicks with an average of 26.0 points and 6.0 assists per game, while Karl-Anthony Towns has an average of 21.3 points and a team-high 12.5 rebounds.
This will be the first time that Hawks nemesis Towns will face them in a Knicks uniform. In 15 career games against Atlanta, Towns has averaged 23.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He was traded to the Knicks from the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 2nd.
The Knicks may have guard Cameron Payne back in the lineup after he missed Monday's game due to a strained left hamstring. Payne is currently averaging 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in five games this season.
Meanwhile, the Hawks may also see the return of De'Andre Hunter, who has missed the last six games with a right knee injury. Hunter, who has recorded 36 points and 13 rebounds in two games this season, was listed as questionable on the injury report released on Tuesday.
New York vs. Atlanta Recap MAY 30TH 2021
Atlanta's Trae Young torched the visiting New York Knicks for 27 points and led the Hawks to a 113-96 win in Game 4, giving them a 3-1 lead in the series.
Young added nine assists and made four 3-pointers, raising his scoring total to 110 points in the series.
Atlanta extended its home winning streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the NBA.
Atlanta's John Collins finished with 22 points and eight rebounds and played the fourth quarter with a lip laceration suffered after being elbowed by Julius Randle. The foul was initially called on Collins, but the play was challenged by Atlanta coach Nate McMillan and overturned by replay.
The Hawks also got 21 points off the bench from Danilo Gallinari, 12 points from Bogdan Bogdanovic, 11 from Kevin Huerter, and 10 points and 15 rebounds from Clint Capela.
New York was led by Randle with 23 points, on 7-of-19 shooting, with 10 rebounds and seven assists. R.J. Barrett scored 21 and Derrick Rose added 18 points and six assists.
The Knicks led 26-25 after the first quarter and Atlanta held a 53-49 lead at halftime.
The Hawks broke the game open in the third quarter by outscoring the Knicks 35-22. They extended their lead to 88-71 when Bogdanovic hit his fourth 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining in the period.
New York got as close as 90-74, but Atlanta scored seven straight points, including a 3-pointer by Huerter and a Gallinari dunk, that stretched the advantage to 97-74.
Tensions remained high throughout the contest. New York's Reggie Bullock was called for a technical foul during a timeout with 3:30 left when he sprinted toward the Atlanta bench and had to be restrained by teammate Alec Burks. Less than a minute later, Randle was whistled for a Flagrant One on a foul against Gallinari.
There were 14 lead changes and six ties in the first half.
The best-of-seven first-round Eastern Conference series returns to New York for Game 5 on Wednesday.