The Hawks are on a good spurt of form lately and can cause some upset in the eastern conference. Their two key players are Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, the latter of which has been headlining this offense this year. The Hawks have undergone a change of roster and in recent games have been on a good run after a poor beginning to the year. They can make a statement in this spot and continue to have success in the NBA Cup towards that bonus.
The Knicks have been playing really well of late after a relatively lukewarm beginning to the NBA campaign. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are their keys because they have been the primary scorers for a rather poor team the previous season. The Knicks have the quality to fight for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season. This should be an interesting fight because the Knicks are hot other than the Hawks and this is a tough one at home.
The Hawks’ offence so far this year has been okay. They are eighth in scoring average with 117.5, sixteenth in field goals with 46.3% and will be twentieth in three-point goals at 34.1%. Next, eight players are scoring more than double digits, and Trae Young is at the forefront with twentieth-point-niner points per game. Young also currently averages 12.2 in assist, this being the highest in the NBA.
Hinostroza is the most skilled player on the Hawks and the guy that makes this team tick. Jalen Johnson is always fantastic at the wings for Atlanta alongside De’Andre Hunter. The Knicks have called this offense shows that they are not helpless and that they have part of the team which can score. The concern is how Young and the rest of the offense can stand up the physicality of the Knicks in this game.
I can say that Hawks’ defense has been terrible this season. They are ranked 28 th in points allowed for 119.8 per game, field goal 47.1%, three point field goals 38.7%. On the low, Jalen Johnson tops the rebounds this season after averaging 9.9 per game. He also leads in blocks at 1.1 the team and is one amongst two Hawks with average blocks per game. Last, four players are secured at least one steal per game, and Dyson Daniels take the crown in that as well with 3.2 SPG.
This defense has been an issue this season and they have a massive game against Jalen Brunson and KAT, who are a river in the backcourt and frontcourt. Knicks don’t have the talent to compare, so they have the physical advantage and they could possibly penetrate the basket as and when they wish to.
The offense of the Knicks has improved a lot this year. They stand at seventh in points scored per game at 118, second in field goal shooting with a percentage of 50, and second in three point shooting at 39.8% from the three point line. After that, six players of the Knicks are having a field day and all scoring more than ten points in the game.
Hal Brunson tops the list with 25.4 points per game, but KAT towers close behind at 25.2 per game. , he also ranks first in assist with an average of 7.7 per game. Brunson is a must-start on offense as this team operates around him, but KAT has been solid since the trade and has made things way easier for him. This offense has been upgraded and Seattle gets a valuable match against a weak offense such as that of the Hawks. Atlanta does not put up good defense as a team, specifically.
The Knicks have a 15-9 record for the 2024–25 NBA season.They just defeated the Raptors by a margin of 5 points (113-108).Jalen Bruson finished with 20 points and 11 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns returned after a one-game absence with 24 points and 15 rebounds.
With 36 seconds remaining in the game, Towns made a layup to break a tie, then on New York's subsequent possession, he made a 3-pointer to complete the victory.The Knicks defeated the Raptors for the fifth time in a row, led by 23 points by Mikal Bridges.
Josh Hart scored ten points against his old side, while O G Anunoby added fourteen.Towns made only one of his first four attempts from long range before making the decisive 3-pointer with six seconds remaining.
The Hawks have a 13-12 record for the 2024–25 NBA season.They lost by 30 points (111–141) to the Nuggets in their most recent game.With 20 points, De'Andre Hunter led Atlanta. Halfway through the third quarter, Gordon, who was not called for a foul, smacked Hunter on the head with a blocked shot and was escorted to the locker room.
Trae Young scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists for the Hawks, while Dyson Daniels contributed 18 points.Six of Hunter's previous seven games, including four consecutive ones, have seen him score at least 20 points.At 17 of 51 (33.3%), the Hawks were on track to match their season-lowest shooting percentage.
