Knicks vs. Hawks: 3 things to know, prediction for 1st-round series
· Yahoo Sports
It was back in early January when New York Knicks owner James Dolan set the expectations for this season.
Visit mwafrika.life for more information.
Essentially, it boiled down to Finals or bust.
The Knicks last year advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but fell short of making it farther. That prompted the firing of coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Knicks hired Mike Brown, and established a new standard.
So can the Knicks live up to Dolan’s expectations?
They’ll look to take the first step by beating the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, a series that begins April 18 (6 p.m., Amazon Prime) at Madison Square Garden.
Here are three things to know about the series:
1. How Knicks and Hawks got here
The Knicks finished the regular season 53-29, owners of the third seed in the East. They went through some turbulence during the season adjusting to Brown’s system – especially Karl-Anthony Towns – but figured things out as the year progressed. They also made some critical defensive adjustments.
Still, the Knicks, who won the NBA Cup, proved to be among the most dangerous teams in the league.
The Hawks went 46-36 to earn the sixth seed.
Atlanta got hot at the right time, going 19-6 in their final 25 games (it should be noted that the quality of opponents wasn’t strong).
The Hawks traded point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in January and that moved seem to provide a spark.
2. Knicks vs Hawks during regular season
There’s no doubt this won’t be the easiest matchup for the Knicks – facing the Toronto Raptors would’ve been a more manageable path for Brown’s team.
These teams faced each other five times during the regular season, with the Knicks winning both meetings.
But they weren’t easy wins.
Both victories came by just three points, and the second win required a brilliant 17-point fourth quarter from Jalen Brunson.
The Hawks won by 14 points back in early January at The Garden.
3. Knicks vs Hawks players to watch: Jalen Brunson, Jalen Johnson
The Knicks have star power and a formidable starting lineup.
But they’ll go as far as Brunson will take them. If he’s neutralized or isn’t playing well, their offense takes a major hit.
He averaged 26.0 points during the regular season, shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three-point range on career-high 7.1 attempts per game.
The 6-foot-8 Johnson was the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Duke.
Johnson had the best year of his career, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field. He shot 35.2 percent from the perimeter on 4.7 attempts per game.
Knicks vs. Hawks Prediction
Knicks in 6
As well as the Hawks have played of late, the Knicks still have the talent and experience. That makes a huge difference in the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Knicks vs. Hawks: 3 things to know, prediction as NBA playoffs begin