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The Atlanta Hawks will look to go up 3-1 when they take on the New York Knicks in the fourth game of their first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.
In the last game of the series, the Hawks pulled away in the second quarter and eventually eased to a 105-94 win. The Atlanta crowd cheered on Trae Young and co. while booing the men from the Big Apple, and the Knicks couldn't recover in the second half.
Match Details
Fixture - New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks | Game 2, 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time - Thursday, May 30th, 2021; 1:00 PM ET (May 30th; 10:30 PM IST).
Venue - State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks' victory in Game 3 came about because of their phenomenal second-quarter performance.
They caused 24-second violations in defense, forced turnovers and outscored the New York Knicks 29-13 in that quarter. They now have another game at home to take a 3-1 series lead and move to within a win of reaching the next round.
It was a cohesive team effort from the Atlanta Hawks. Clint Capela had 12 rebounds and two blocks while also scoring 13 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 15 points, scoring 3-4 from beyond the arc. De'Andre Hunter went 5-11 from the field, while Danilo Gallinari was 4-8.
As many as seven different players scored in double digits, which helped the Hawks to a win. However, the Hawks' defense also impressed, restricting the Knicks to under 100 points and making the latter's lives tough at the defensive end.
Key Player - Trae Young
As the TNT commentator Spero Dedes said, Trae Young is sprinkling his stardust on the NBA playoff scene.
In his first-ever playoff series, the young and cocky Young has hit a game-winner on the road, dropped consecutive 30-point games and most recently dished out 14 dimes. Ten of his 14 Game-3 assists came in the first half.
Young is averaging 27.7 points and 10.3 assists per game, doing so on remarkable 48/43/94 shooting splits in the ongoing first-round series.
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Trae Young | Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic | Small Forward - De’Andre Hunter | Power Forward - John Collins | Center - Clint Capela.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks have an incredible defense, but their offense has not always been up to the mark.
They were ranked 23rd in the league in offensive rating during the regular season, something that has carried forward into the playoffs as well. Their main scorer and the 2021 NBA's Most Improved Player, Julius Randle, has been abysmal from the field. That has meant that the Knicks' veteran off the bench, Derrick Rose, has been carrying the team on his back.
In Game 3, Rose went 13-21 from the field while the rest of the team was 16-60. He is averaging 24.3 points, 4.7 assists and five rebounds along with 0.7 steals per game in this series, doing so on incredible 50/50/100 shooting splits. Rose is coming off a 30-point game.
Coach Thibodeau is switching things up on the fly, making Rose and Taj Gibson start in Game 3 and benching Elfid Payton and Nerlens Noel. Meanwhile, rookies Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin have also been getting decent minutes.
Key Player - Julius Randle
For the New York Knicks to win this series, Julius Randle will need to play like his usual self. He has missed more shots than he has made, and although he is getting double-teamed on occasion, Randle is missing open looks as well.
The pressure of playing his first-ever playoff series is seemingly getting to him. So far, he hasn't shown any signs of the player who won the 2021 Most Improved Player award.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Derrick Rose | Shooting Guard - RJ Barrett l Small Forward - Reggie Bullock l Power Forward - Julius Randle l Center - Taj Gibson.
Knicks vs Hawks Match Prediction
The Atlanta Hawks have largely outplayed the New York Knicks in this series. They are taking advantage of the Knicks' defensive lapses and have not allowed them to gain any momentum.
This is one of the most important games in the series. That's because the Hawks will try and get a commanding 3-1 lead, while the Knicks will look to even the series at two games apiece. Considering the same, both teams are expected to play their best version of basketball.
Where to watch the Knicks vs Hawks game?
The New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Game 4 first-round 2021 NBA playoffs matchup will be televised nationally on ABC. The game can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: How many flagrant fouls lead to a suspension in the NBA?
