The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks played a memorable five-game series last year in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Atlanta won that series, and will look to win again when the Knicks and Hawks square off on Saturday night. In our NBA picks for Saturday, we take a closer look at Knicks vs Hawks and determine whether or not the Knicks can flip the script on a Hawks team that had their number last postseason.
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Knicks vs Hawks Betting Pick
This game will be played at State Farm Arena at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, November 27, 2021.
Why Bet The Hawks:
✅ Atlanta is 8-1 at home this season, with their lone loss on their home floor coming against the Utah Jazz. Utah might be the best team in the NBA, or is at least in the conversation, as the Hawks have beaten every other opponent they have faced while playing the role of host. That will continue against a struggling Knicks squad.
✅ Right now, the Knicks’ starting lineup has simply lacked cohesion and the scoring punch they were expected to have going into the year. Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier simply haven’t been all that much better than Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock were in their roles a season ago. Until that changes, and until Julius Randle starts playing like he did last year, the Knicks are doomed to losing to teams like this one.
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✅ Both teams are traveling to Atlanta for this game after playing on Friday night. But the Knicks are going from New York to Atlanta, while the Hawks are going from Memphis to Atlanta. And with Atlanta traveling home, they should have an edge even if they are playing for the second straight night.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks were blown out on Friday night by the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks were never really competitive in the game, allowing Devin Booker to go off from the start. New York will have to be better defensively against the Hawks than they were for against the Suns, though that could be a challenge given that they are playing the second leg of a back to back while traveling from New York to Atlanta.
Another challenge for the Knicks will be guarding Trae Young, which they had a problem doing in last year’s playoffs. The Knicks still don’t have a bona fide defensive stopper for situations like this, and they have been worse as a whole defensively than they were last year. That could be a problem against a Hawks team that has proven it knows how to beat them.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks picked up their seventh straight win on Friday night, blowing out the Memphis Grizzlies on the road. Atlanta benefited from an early exit from Ja Morant due to injury, never looking back against a Grizzlies team that was suddenly overmatched at the guard spots. Against the Knicks, Atlanta won’t have as overwhelming an advantage at guard, but they have shown that they have the Knicks’ number already.
For Atlanta, the key to this game will be simply avoiding a lull on the second night of a back to back. The Hawks are 8-1 at home and have been dominant against the Knicks over the last year or so. As long as the Hawks maintain their focus, they should be able to win convincingly here.