In a possible Eastern Conference first-spherical playoff preview, the visiting New York Knicks look to decelerate the streaking Atlanta Hawks on Monday evening.
New York (50-28) owns a 1 1/2-recreation lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 3 spot within the East coming into Sunday’s play. Atlanta (45-33) presently nurses a 1 1/2-recreation lead over Toronto for fifth.
The Knicks have received consecutive video games over the ailing Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls, however they’re ending the common season with 4 straight towards postseason-certain opponents.
Last outing, New York led by as many as 47 factors throughout Friday’s 136-96 win over Chicago. While first-12 months head coach Mike Brown understands the street will get more durable from right here on out, the crew is constructing good habits on the proper time.
“We’re not going to jump on people 38-16 every game, but hopefully we continue with the same mindset to start games,” Brown stated. “With the same sense of urgency, sense of physicality, making our opponents feel us, while trying to get out in transition and share the basketball the way we did.”
The Knicks are additionally hoping to submit a clear harm report forward of Monday evening. The crew has loved the return of Miles McBride (12.1 factors per recreation), who underwent hernia surgical procedure in early February.
While McBride works again into the rotation, Karl-Anthony Towns’ standing is up within the air. Towns did not play towards Chicago with an elbow harm and is listed as questionable towards Atlanta.
Towns averages 20.1 factors and a crew-excessive 11.9 rebounds per contest. Jalen Brunson leads the Knicks with 26 factors and 6.7 assists per recreation.
Atlanta, in the meantime, continues to play in addition to any crew within the East. The Hawks have received 13 straight residence video games — the franchise’s longest streak since profitable 14 in a row within the 2009-10 season.
Head coach Quin Snyder’s crew has gone 18-2 since Feb. 22, with 16 of these wins coming by double digits.
Arguably essentially the most spectacular aspect of the crew’s turnaround is how little time Atlanta’s core has had collectively. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was signed within the offseason, averages a profession-excessive 20.6 factors and has turn into a candidate for the league’s Most Improved Player award.
CJ McCollum (18.6 ppg in 38 video games for Atlanta) came to visit in a January commerce that despatched Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. The crew additionally picked up Jonathan Kuminga (11.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg in 13 video games for the Hawks) on the commerce deadline from the Golden State Warriors.
In complete, the Hawks’ present roster has 9 gamers that weren’t on the 2024-25 squad.
“The fact that our group has connected the way they have in a short period of time really speaks to those guys in the locker room,” Snyder stated. “There’s a foundation that we’ve tried to lay. They’ve embraced one another as much as anything.”
The emergence of fifth-12 months Atlanta ahead Jalen Johnson hasn’t damage, both. Johnson paces the Hawks with 22.8 factors, 10.3 rebounds and eight assists per recreation.
Johnson has compiled 5 double-doubles in his final six outings and 13 triple-doubles this season.
–Field Level Media
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