Knicks Game Night (Series Preview): 2026 NBA Playoffs, Round 1, Game 1 – NYK (3) vs. ATL (6); Prime Video
After 11 long months, the Knicks are back in the playoffs!
In a season that was originally deemed the most anticipated in over three decades, the Knicks didn’t quite dominate the Eastern Conference as they were supposed to. But in the playoffs, that can change. In the playoffs, anything can happen. And this year, it’s NBA-Finals-or-bust for the Knickerbockers.
It is that time again — the time when everything matters. The time when the greatest prevail, heroes are made, and stars become champions.
With their captain, Jalen Brunson, at the helm, the Knicks will host a young kettle of Hawks in the first round, eager to erupt on the Garden floor, especially with their explosive three-point shooting. Meanwhile, the Knicks will have to stay poised and composed if they want to win a matchup in which they enter as heavy favorites.
Image Courtesy: New York Knicks
The Series:
The Knicks won the season series over Atlanta 2-1, but the team they faced in the second half of the season was very different from the one they faced in the first half. Atlanta traded away Knicks nemesis Trae Young, and their young stars became their battery pack.
The Hawks will have players in this series with whom we are unfamiliar, like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a sharp three-point shooter. Players like Alexander-Walker will try to make life difficult for the Knicks, but they must not let the Hawks get under their skin as Young did five years ago.
The Hawks excel in transition, and they hold the fifth-best three-point shooting margin in the NBA. They also steal the fifth most balls per game. Therefore, if they begin to thrive in transition, they are likely to incorporate their downtown game, which allows them to go on lethal scoring streaks.
However, Atlanta commits 14.2 turnovers per game, good for 10th in the NBA, while the Knicks commit 13.6 per game. That difference may seem insignificant, but for the Knicks, who will have the edge in experience, plus home-court advantage, it is crucial to be the better turnover team.
For a young Hawks cast, turnovers will be more difficult to overcome than for the Knicks, who have been down this road before. It’s unlikely this first-round matchup will be as challenging as what the Knicks faced against Detroit last postseason, but that doesn’t mean the Hawks, an excellent three-point shooting team, won’t bother the Knicks.
Here’s the thing: The Knicks’ three-point defense, in terms of three-point percentage against, ranks 20th in the NBA. Defending beyond the perimeter has been an issue for the Knicks all season, and it has become a storyline entering these playoffs.
The Knicks had a similar issue last year, which they managed to overcome against a Boston team that attempted a high ratio of three-point shots.
But that was last year. This year is different.
The Hawks aren’t afraid to take three-point shots. The Knicks must be careful not to let those threes get them down. The Knicks have the fourth-best offensive rating in the league, while Atlanta has the 14th-highest. New York also has the seventh-best defensive rating, while Atlanta ranks 10th.
The Knicks can trust their game plan. The pressure is on Atlanta, especially at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
Head coach Mike Brown, who has had a successful first year in New York, will be watched very closely this postseason, especially in this first-round series. Obviously, if the Knicks don’t beat Atlanta, it will be considered a disastrous collapse, and Brown will likely be relieved of his duties. However, things won’t be as clear-cut for Brown if the Knicks only get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau because he couldn’t get them over the conference finals hump. As head coach, he was responsible for the uprising of a franchise that had been mediocre at best for decades, but at this point in the team’s evolution, Brown is the better option.
Brown preaches the importance of pace, and this year’s team has a deeper bench than last year’s. They are also more defensively sound, with a more well-rounded offense.
The Lineup:
Brown will likely start Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart against Atlanta tonight. Brunson is a proven playoff performer, and Hart knows how to elevate his game in big moments. So does Bridges, but his and Anunoby’s defense has been inconsistent this year.
Last postseason, Bridges and Anunoby formed “Wingstop,” a reliable tandem of three-point stoppers and pick-and-roll defenders off the wing. This postseason, “Wingstop” will be tested again, but the Knicks will also need offense from their best wing defenders, especially if Brunson gets double-teamed.
Towns, meanwhile, is a bigger story. After a slow start to the season, he had a much better second half, especially in terms of discipline. Towns tends to draw some ugly, often inexplicable fouls, even though he is a sharp shooter with immeasurable physicality. He doesn’t usually play to his full potential, especially when it comes to driving to the hoop. However, there isn’t anybody in Atlanta who can adequately guard him.
Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta’s center, is 6-foot-9, but he might struggle to stop Towns’s versatility. Towns can score in the paint, from downtown, or from just about anywhere else. Therefore, the Hawks might have to pin a guard against him instead, but that will take away from their defense on Brunson.
Towns and Brunson have synchronized much more in recent weeks. In the playoffs, they will need to stay in sync if they want to, because separately, they are All-Stars, but together, they can be unstoppable. It is all about teamwork, trust, and effort. Given the Knicks’ experience, they should hold the upper hand in all three categories against the Hawks.
Off the bench, Brown will likely use Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, and Jordan Clarkson. This removes José Alvarado and Mohamed Diawara from the picture, but down the stretch, their moments could arrive. McBride and Shamet are the Knicks’ best on-ball defenders, which is important when you’re trying to dictate pace off the bench. Both players thrive off three-point shooting, but injuries have hampered their stride.
While Brown is unlikely to deploy Towns and Robinson together, there is a chance he could start Robinson in some games. Robinson was probably the Knicks’ best defender in the regular season. While Towns led the league in double-doubles and ranked second in rebounds overall, Robinson is a top-five offensive rebounder.
The Knicks average the sixth-most offensive rebounds per game in the NBA, while the Hawks average the 18th-most. The Knicks also average the seventh-most rebounds per game overall, while Atlanta ranks 18th. Also, because the Knicks scored the seventh-most second-chance points this season, while Atlanta scored the 20th-most, there is certainly a chance Robinson starts a game or two this series.
The only thing that could prevent Robinson from starting games, aside from KAT’s talent, is that teams enjoy fouling him as a strategy. Free-throw shooting is Robinson’s weakness. He recorded a 40.8% free-throw shooting rate this season. Last year, the Celtics fouled him more in six games than he had ever been fouled; Thibodeau kept him on the court anyway.
Closing:
Ultimately, as Knicks fans, we are very fortunate to be in a position where it is “Finals-or-bust” for our team. As I have been saying since Opening Night, it is a privilege to have this opportunity.
For fantasy to become reality, the Knicks must perform. There is a target on their back this year, which is a testament to their recent accomplishments, but also unfamiliar territory. The Knicks have been underdogs for years. Now, teams know how to beat them, and as much as they have improved, everybody knows their weaknesses.
For the Knicks to beat Atlanta, it is all about composure and grit. If the Knicks execute their game plan, they will win the series. But if they falter, the Hawks will be ready to take full advantage.
Game Information:
Teams: New York Knicks (53-29, 30-10 Home) vs. Atlanta Hawks (46-36, 22-19 Away)
Time: 6:00 PM (5:00 PM CDT)
Network: Prime Video (Pregame and Postgame on MSG)
Venue: Madison Square Garden – 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001
Monday Line: NYK -6.5 (ESPN Bet)
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Knicks
