Just three years ago, these two teams were bitter, hated rivals. Now, with both teams heading in different directions, it doesn’t feel the same.
It seems like yesterday when the Hawks and Knicks were heated rivals. Fresh off of a bitter playoff series in 2021 that vaulted Trae Young into Reggie Miller talks, the two squared off on Christmas later that year, with the Knicks coming out on top. Three things about that matchup come to mind today: Kemba Walker’s triple-double, Obi Toppin’s Eastbay in garbage time, and the fact that Matt Mooney and Tyler Hall made their only appearances as a Knick during Obi’s highlight. Fun.
The series hasn’t had much juice since then. There have been some thrilling meetings but with the Knicks ascending to contention and the Hawks being stuck in neutral for three years now, the rivalry feels like it has come and gone. Maybe something is in the cards for a rebirth this year?
Knicks’ Record vs Atlanta in 2023-24: 2-1
- October 27, 2023: Knicks won 126-120
- November 15, 2023: Knicks won 116-114
- March 5, 2024: Hawks win 116-100
Fun Fact: The Knicks last lost the season series to the Hawks in 2017-18 (1-2).
The first meeting between the two teams was after the Knicks’ season-opening defeat against the Celtics. The Knicks responded by leading for almost the entire game and surviving a late charge after Trae Young committed a turnover and missed a layup on back-to-back possessions late. Young went a ghastly 4-for-16 at home while Brunson made eight threes. De’Andre Hunter smoked the Knicks with 27.
The second meeting, also in Atlanta, came in November. Both teams were playing their 11th games, meaning they only met once in the last 71 games. Odd. The Knicks built an early 13-point lead but Atlanta battled back, capping off an 11-0 run with a Saddiq Bey jam to put them up seven late. Our heroes rallied back and, in the clutch, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson hit back-to-back buckets to sink the Hawks. Randle put together a 29/10/8 masterpiece while Jalen knocked down another six threes. Trae Young again couldn’t hit water if he fell off a boat.
The third meeting in MSG featured two teams in vastly different directions, but the shorthanded Knicks ran into a buzzsaw that night without Brunson, Randle, or Anunoby. Predictably, the Hawks trounced them from the start and survived a valiant third-quarter comeback by the Hart and DiVincenzo-led Knicks to put them away late behind an ultra-efficient 26 by Jalen Johnson.
Knicks/Hawks 2024-25 Schedule:
- Wed, Nov 6, 2024: Knicks @ Hawks (MSG)
- Mon, Jan 20, 2025: Hawks @ Knicks (MSG)
- Wed, Feb 12, 2025: Hawks @ Knicks (MSG)
Second straight year with no national TV games for this matchup. The juice is gone.
Atlanta’s Offseason Moves
In:
Dyson Daniels (trade
David Roddy (trade)
Larry Nance Jr. (trade)
Cody Zeller (trade)
Zaccharie Risacher (Draft)
Out:
Dejounte Murray (Pelicans)
AJ Griffin (Rockets)
Saddiq Bey (Wizards)
Wesley Matthews (unsigned)
Two storylines dominated Atlanta’s offseason. First, the shocking surprise of winning the first overall pick in the lottery despite being in the play-in tournament. Unfortunately, that good fortune would’ve been much better if it happened in 2023 or 2025. We’ll see with Risacher. Dejounte Murray was also shipped off to New Orleans after an uncomfortable fit with Trae Young. Steady veterans in Nance and Zeller will add depth, while they add draft capital and an intriguing young piece in Dyson Daniels. They also pulled the trigger on an AJ Griffin trade. Man, that was a bust of a pick.
Projected Starters
PG: Trae Young (ATL) / Jalen Brunson (NYK)
SG: Bojan Bogdanovic (ATL) / Mikal Bridges (NYK)
SF: Jalen Johnson (ATL) / OG Anunoby (NYK)
PF: Zaccharie Risacher (ATL) / Julius Randle (NYK)
C: Clint Capela (ATL) / Mitchell Robinson (NYK)
De’Andre Hunter probably also starts in certain packages. Maybe he starts over Risacher to start the season? Unlike with some other teams, this is one I can argue the Knicks sweep across the board, although I do like Jalen Johnson and think he could emerge as a bigger scoring threat this year with Murray gone.
Knicks’ Predicted Record vs Atlanta this season: 3-0
Look, two of the three games in MSG, a talent advantage up and down the lineup, and a good recent history. The Knicks only lost a game last year because they were severely shorthanded. If they can avoid that, I think they’ll be fine to sweep the Hawks this season as Atlanta doesn’t figure to be as competitive in the East this year.