Knicks Game Night: 2026 NBA Playoffs Round 1, Game 6 – NYK (3-2) at ATL (2-3); ESPN, ESPN App
Tonight’s game will not be easy. The Knicks lead the Atlanta Hawks 3-2 in this first-round series, and with consecutive blowout losses in Games 4 and 5, they carry all of the momentum heading into their opponent’s building. But it isn’t that simple for the Knicks, who will face a Hawks team desperate to save its season.
It is well documented that the Knicks have a size and strength advantage over Atlanta. Karl-Anthony Towns is a vicious monster down low, and he can run the Knicks’ offense powerfully. When Jalen Brunson faced double-teams early in this series, the Knicks struggled to make Towns their primary offensive weapon, but in Game 4, Towns found his second gear.
Towns’s Game 4 success translated to the Garden in Game 5, when he was thriving so much that the Hawks had to move their defense toward him, freeing up space for Brunson. The captain scored an impressive 39 points, pulling the Knicks ahead in this series.
The Knicks won so convincingly that the national media outlets that spent considerable time criticizing the Knicks and Mike Brown moved to the opposite extreme, claiming they are now destined to reach the NBA Finals. But Brown and his players know better than to succumb to the media’s assessment of the Eastern Conference.
This relates to a topic I emphasized early in this series: The Knicks shouldn’t worry about anything other than themselves. It doesn’t matter that the Philadelphia 76ers might beat the Boston Celtics, or that the top-seeded Detroit Pistons could get upset by the Orlando Magic.
It also doesn’t matter what defensive schemes the Hawks reveal, or which player scores the most points for them, because the Knicks are, by and large, the better team. Therefore, at this point in the team’s evolution, Knicks fans should be above naming players like CJ McCollum “villains.”
Villainizing a player only feeds his ego. The reality is that McCollum is averaging 20.8 points per game this series, which leads the Hawks, but pales in comparison to Brunson’s 28.2 points. Brown pinned Josh Hart against McCollum in Games 4 and 5, which slowed his production. But tonight, Hart is questionable to play with a lower back contusion.
This doesn’t rule Hart out completely tonight, but it at least limits his potential production. Therefore, Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride will have to guard McCollum. Despite their limited scoring production in Game 5, Bridges and McBride were two of the Knicks’ best defensive players on Tuesday.
The Knicks have other options if Hart can’t play. Mitchell Robinson is strong defensively, but Brown said he doesn’t want to play him and Towns simultaneously. Hart’s status could change Brown’s mind, though.
Whatever happens tonight, no matter who plays, the Knicks need to assert their dominance from the opening tip. There is no reason to let the Hawks believe, even for a second, that they can push this first-round series to a seventh game.
The Knicks have momentum. They are the better team. They need to close out this series.
Game Information
Teams: No. 3 New York Knicks (RS: 53-29, 22-19 Away) at No. 6 Atlanta Hawks (RS: 46-36, 24-17 Home)
Time: 7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT)
Networks: ESPN, ESPN App (Pregame and Postgame on MSG, Gotham Sports)
Venue: State Farm Arena — 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta, GA 30303
Monday Line: NYK -2.5 (ESPN Bet)
