Knicks Take a Flight to Atlanta to Take on a Soaring Young Hawks Team

After once again a tough loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks will look to bounce back against their formidable foe, the Atlanta Hawks. O.G Anunoby will look to continue his superstar level of play while the majority of the Knicks guards aim to return from injury. Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Cam Payne are all listed as game-time decisions for this matchup. Over the last stretch of games before the playoffs, the Knicks have got to prove they can compete with the best teams in the league. It is essential to create at least an ounce of fear in their opponents so they can exploit those feelings in the postseason.

Game Insight

Every time Atlanta and New York play we are guaranteed a barnburner of a matchup and I expect nothing less come Saturday afternoon. The last time they played the game was sluggish at first but finished as an overtime thriller where the Knicks won the back-and-forth high-scoring showdown 149-148. The season series is currently tied at two games apiece so this one will be the one to break the deadlock. You can expect an intense playoff-ready atmosphere in Atlanta for this game and the rivalry will make its presence known immensely. 

Key Matchup 

The matchup to watch in this game for me is Most Improved Player candidate Dyson Daniels up against “The Warden” Mikal Bridges. Two extremely talented defenders who have been playing flawless basketball as of late. Daniels is the current front-runner for Most Improved Player and has blossomed into a near-star player for Atlanta and has kept them afloat in a season that otherwise would have been a lost cause for the Hawks. Bridges has been a certified bucket for the past few weeks and has shown great efficiency from the field. It will be a toe to toe face-off that will only see the better ball player prevail, whichever player is able to do so will earn a prevalent advantage in this game's result.