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The New York Knicks will take on the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
The action begins Sunday with the Knicks welcoming the Hawks to Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the highly anticipated series.
The New York Knicks finished with a 41-31 record in the regular season. They made the postseason for the first time since 2013 in Tom Thibodeau's maiden season as head coach.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks' season picked up after a mid-season coaching change, as they finished in fifth spot following Nate McMillan's hire. The Hawks registered a 41-31 record to end their regular season.
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks Series Schedule
Game 1: Hawks at Knicks | Madison Square Garden | Sunday, May 23th, 7 p.m. ET | TNT
Game 2: Hawks at Knicks | Madison Square Garden | Wednesday, May 26th, 7:30 p.m. ET | TNT
Game 3: Knicks at Hawks | State Farm Arena | Friday, May 28th, 7 p.m | ESPN
Game 4: Knicks at Hawks | State Farm Arena | Sunday, May 30th, 1 p.m. | ABC
Game 5: Hawks at Knicks | Madison Square Garden | Wednesday, June 2nd, TBD*
Game 6: Knicks at Hawks | State Farm Arena | Friday, June 4, TBD*
Game 7: Hawks at Knicks | Madison Square Garden | Sunday, June 6, TBD*
* If necessary
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks Regular Season Head-to-Head Record
The New York Knicks held the regular-season matchup bragging rights as they won all three games played between the two sides. The first game, which took place on January 4th, went in favor of Julius Randle and co. with a scoreline of 108-113.
Randle's colossal 28 point and 17 rebound effort was enough to down the Atlanta Hawks, who lost despite Trae Young scoring 31 points on the night.
In the next meeting, which took place on February 15th, the New York Knicks obliterated the Atlanta Hawks with a scoreline of 112-123. Julius Randle was the difference-maker again as he ended the game with 44 points and 9 rebounds.
The third and final game took place on April 21st, which the Atlanta Hawks managed to take to overtime. The match still ended in the New York Knicks' favor, with Clint Capela's 25 points and 22 rebounds performance going in vain. Julius Randle led all scorers with 40 points.
New York Knicks strengths heading into the playoffs
The New York Knicks' regular-season success could be accredited to their resolute defense, which registered an impressive defensive rating of 108.2. They also conceded the lowest points per game (104.7) in the 2020/21 NBA season.
Tom Thibodeau's defensive strategy led to the Knicks being the third-best defense in the league, only behind the Lakers and 76ers.
The New York Knicks' rebounding is also their strong suit, especially on the defensive end. The Knicks averaged 35 defensive boards per game in the regular season.
Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Nerlens Noel have been instrumental figures in ensuring that the New York Knicks are among the best rebounding teams in the league.
Also Read: Who has the most game-winners in NBA history?
Atlanta Hawks strengths heading into the playoffs
The Atlanta Hawks finished the regular season as a top 10 offense, managing an offensive rating of 115.7. They averaged 113.7 points per game as Trae Young, John Collins and Clint Capela formed one of the best offensive trios in the league.
The Hawks also possess the ability to trouble the New York Knicks on the offensive glass. Nate McMillan's team racked up 10.6 boards on the offensive end, creating second opportunities for their playmakers and shooters.
The Atlanta Hawks were the fifth most efficient team from the charity stripe, so the Knicks will have to think twice before sending them to the free-throw line.
New York Knicks weaknesses heading into the playoffs
The New York Knicks are a team prone to turnovers, ranking sixth in turnovers per game (12.9 per contest). Julius Randle has been the main culprit, turning the ball over at an average of 3.4 times per match.
The lack of ball movement has also been a problem for Tom Thibodeau's offense, as the Knicks finished second last in assists per game in the regular season. The team solely relies on the isolation ability of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, which could be a problem in the first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta Hawks weaknesses heading into the playoffs
Turnovers have been a cause of concern for Nate McMillan's side as well. The Atlanta Hawks had the ninth-most turnovers per game in the 2020-21 campaign.
The defense has not been reassuring either, as the Hawks finished outside the top 20 in defensive rating and averaged just seven steals per game. Atlanta will certainly have to show more active hands on defense if they want to progress to the second round.
Players like Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Lou Williams are not proficient on the defensive side of the ball, which makes them a huge liability against the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks Series Prediction
As the aforementioned statistics reflect, this series is set to be a battle between the Atlanta Hawks' offense and the New York Knicks' defense.
If the Atlanta Hawks manage to win at least one of their first two games on the road, only then can the series be expected to last up to six or maybe seven games. The New York Knicks are the favorites to win the first round. This is because of their brilliant defense, which gives nothing away cheaply, and the fact that they have one of the most in-form players in the league in Julius Randle.
The Hawks will count on the likes of Trae Young and Clint Capela to deliver, both of whom were in impeccable form during the regular season.
We predict that the New York Knicks will win the first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks in six games.
Also Read: 2021 NBA Playoffs: 5 Bold predictions for Round 1 of Eastern Conference matchups
