The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Friday night (7:30 PM ET), and it’s a sneaky important one for both sides.
The Knicks are 23-10 and sitting 2nd in the East, while the Hawks are 16-19 and currently 10th, trying to crawl back into the playoff mix.
These teams already saw each other once this season, and it was tight. The Knicks took the first meeting 128-125 on December 27, so the Hawks already know they can hang if they hit shots and stay connected.
Star-wise, the Knicks go as far as Jalen Brunson takes them. He’s averaging 29.4 points and 6.6 assists with 47.6% from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns has been the steady hammer inside with 21.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
For the Hawks, Jalen Johnson has basically turned into a one-man system, 24.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 52.9% from the field. Trae Young sits at 19.3 points and 8.9 assists in 10 games, but he’s questionable, and his status changes the entire vibe of this matchup.
Injury Report
Knicks
Josh Hart: Out (right ankle sprain)
Landry Shamet: Out (right shoulder sprain)
Mitchell Robinson: Questionable (left ankle injury management)
Hawks
N’Faly Dante: Out (right knee torn ACL)
Trae Young: Questionable (right quad contusion)
Why The Knicks Have The Advantage
This is a classic “pressure game” for the Knicks, because they’re the better team and they’re at home, but the injury stuff forces them to win it the hard way. The good news is they’ve been ridiculous at Madison Square Garden, sitting at 15-2 at home.
Start with the obvious: Brunson controls everything. The Brunson-Towns two-man game is a nightmare because Towns can pop and punish switches, and Brunson lives in that midrange pocket where defenders feel like they’re guarding smoke.
But the real Knicks edge in this matchup is the role-player quality, especially on the wing. Mikal Bridges has given them a consistent two-way motor with 16.3 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. OG Anunoby sits at 15.2 points and 1.8 steals, which matters because he can take the hardest defensive assignment and still hit shots without needing touches every trip.
Even with Josh Hart out, the Knicks still have players who plug holes. Miles McBride has been real production, 12.1 points in 26.5 minutes. Jordan Clarkson has added 10.4 points off the bench. That’s the kind of scoring cushion that keeps you from panicking if the Hawks go on a run.
The other big swing is Mitchell Robinson’s status. If he plays, even in managed minutes, it gives the Knicks a real rim deterrent and a way to win the glass without sending extra help. He leads them with 1.1 blocks per game, and his presence changes how comfortable the Hawks feel attacking the paint.
The Knicks also have the profile of a team that can simply outscore problems. They’re putting up 121.2 points per game and allowing 114.6, which is a clean gap. If they keep the turnovers reasonable and get their usual wing defense, they’re in a great spot to take control by the second half.
Why The Hawks Have The Advantage
The Hawks’ advantage is chaos, pace, and playmaking from places you don’t expect.
Even with Trae Young banged up, this team has leaned into Jalen Johnson as the hub, and it’s working because he’s not just putting up points. He’s basically their point forward, 8.4 assists per game, and he’s doing it while scoring 24.0 and rebounding like a big. If the Knicks send extra bodies at him, he’s comfortable spraying it to shooters and cutters.
And here’s the part people still aren’t respecting enough: the Hawks have real secondary creators now. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.3 points per game, which gives them someone who can punish single coverage if the Knicks load up on Johnson. Dyson Daniels brings the defense and disruption, 1.9 steals per game, and he’s the exact type of player who can make a favorite team look sloppy for five minutes and suddenly the game feels tight.
If Trae plays, even limited, the Hawks can crank the pick-and-roll volume and force rotations all night. If Trae sits, the Hawks can still run offense through Johnson and NAW, and the key becomes ball movement and shot volume. They’ve averaged 31.3 assists per game as a team, which tells you this isn’t a one-guy, your-turn-my-turn offense.
They also score. The Hawks are at 119.3 points per game, and they can absolutely turn this into a track meet if the Knicks get lazy getting back. Plus, they’ve been solid away from home at 10-8, so they’re not walking in here scared.
The Hawks’ win path is simple: force the Knicks to defend multiple actions per possession, hit threes off drive-and-kick, and make the Knicks feel Josh Hart’s absence by turning it into an effort game. If they do that, this can get uncomfortable fast.
Knicks vs. Hawks Prediction
I’m taking the Knicks, mainly because the home record is too strong and the Hawks’ injury uncertainty is too big. If Trae Young sits, the Hawks can compete, but asking them to win on the road against a top-tier team without their lead guard is a brutal assignment.
I think Brunson controls the tempo, Bridges and Anunoby make life miserable on the perimeter, and the Knicks pull away late.
Prediction: Knicks 124, Hawks 116
