Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts after dunking against Dyson Daniels #5. Kevin C. Cox/ Getty Images After 82 games of basketball, the NBA playoffs are finally here, with the No. 3 seed Knicks starting their postseason journey against the rising sixth seed, Atlanta Hawks.
Knicks fans may not have envisioned this opponent, but Saturday’s Game 1 against the Hawks rekindles a playoff rivalry that first flared up between New York and Atlanta in 2021.
Content to drop one seed, the Hawks rested their starters against the Heat in their season-finale loss. This strategic move set up a first-round matchup with Jalen Brunson and Co.
The Knicks are favored to win the series, with bet365 setting their odds at -280 for an outright victory, and the Hawks at +230 to pull off an upset.
Although Trae Young is no longer with the team, Atlanta has been performing well of late, thanks to rising star Jalen Johnson and the breakout of combo guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
At 6-foot-9, Johnson is a nightly triple-double threat due to his versatility. But his inconsistent shooting from beyond the arc suggests the Knicks will tolerate his perimeter attempts.
Several rotation players have also thrived in their debut seasons with the Hawks, including Alexander-Walker, veteran scorer C.J. McCollum, and former Warrior Jonathan Kuminga.
Outside of Onyeka Okongwu, though, the Hawks’ rotation of bigs is extremely limited.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3). Dale Zanine-Imagn Images However, while Quin Snyder’s group may be undersized, they like to play fast, finishing third in total fastbreak points in the regular season.
All eyes will be on Mike Brown, who holds an impressive 6-1 series record in the first round as a coach in the playoffs — the one loss came against the Warriors in seven games while Brown was coaching the Kings.
The defensive skills of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart will have to counter Atlanta’s haul of wing playmakers. At their peak, this trio of defenders has the potential to change a series, just as they did against Boston last season.
Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to be a handful opposite Okongwu. Towns averaged 28.5 points and 15.5 rebounds in two appearances versus the Hawks this season. In addition, Mitchell Robinson’s timely offensive rebounding could spell trouble for Atlanta.
Combine the shot creation and clutch genes of Brunson into the mix, and I’m leaning toward the Knicks’ winning ways to carry over into this opening-round series.
Brown has the coaching advantage over Snyder, who enters this series with a relatively poor 23-34 overall playoff record.
The Hawks will likely take one game on their own home court, but I foresee the Knicks’ size and big-game experience giving them just enough to close out Atlanta in five.
The Play: Knicks to win Series 4-1 (+340, DraftKings Sportsbook)
Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
