Game Preview: Knicks vs. Hawks, January 2, 2026

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Happy New Year, P&Ters!

After blowing a 19-point first-half lead to the San Antonio Spurs (who were without Victor Wembanyama for much of the fourth quarter) on New Year’s Eve, the Knicks (23-10) will look

to bounce back by taking down the Atlanta Hawks (16-19) for the second time in about a week.

The Hawks just ended a seven-game losing streak (one that they nearly ended against the Knicks last Saturday) by blowing out the Timberwolves without Trae Young. It continues a mystifying trend where the Hawks are significantly better without their all-star point guard. In games that Young has started and finished, Atlanta is just 1-8.

That 15-11 record when Young is injured will be put to the test tonight, as the man whose entire legacy is based on two moments against the Knicks is out with a quad contusion. It’s his 26th missed game of the season, and many are wondering if the hourglass on his Hawks tenure is running out. That’s a story for another day, though.

Why are the Hawks so good without Young? It’s almost entirely predicated on the defense, which is significantly better when he’s not getting hunted by teams’ star guards whenever he’s on the court. General manager Onsi Saleh has done a good job building the team full of lanky, defensive wings and has added enough scoring to allow them to stay above water offensively.

The Knicks will also be missing Josh Hart and Landry Shamet once again, but could also be down one or both of their big men. Mitchell Robinson will play either tonight or tomorrow against Philly, but that’s unknown. Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable with an illness.

Projected Starters

Nickeil Alexander-Walker seems to have harnessed the genetics that he shares with 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After signing a four-year, $60 million deal to jump from Minnesota, NAW has seized the opportunity with Young sidelined, posting a career-high 20.6 points a night on 44.9% from the field and 38% from deep. He had 25 on Saturday, so the Knicks can’t leave him open.

Dyson Daniels fell to 2-3 in his career against Jalen Brunson on Saturday, failing to stop the captain from topping 30 once again. He’s not quite defending the same way he did last year when he came second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, but he will try to make life difficult for Brunson tonight. One note on him: he’s been one of the worst shooters in basketball this season (12.7% from 3).

Jalen Johnson will be an all-star this year, and the former No. 20 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft seems to be taking Trae’s place as the face of the franchise. Johnson has been a triple-double threat every single night, but struggled with foul trouble against the Knicks on Saturday. Even so, he put up a very respectable 20-12-9 and his improvements as a playmaker have been notable. The Knicks could’ve drafted him, ya know!

Zaccharie Risacher is a former No. 1 pick who, despite flashes, has disappointed in his brief NBA career. In a similar way to Julian Champagnie on Wednesday, Risacher lit up the Knicks as a rookie last season for a 33-point gem, but those flashes have been few and far between as a pro. He doesn’t seem to be progressing, struggling to be more than a fourth option and shooting worse than last season.

Onyeka Okongwu would’ve been the Hawks’ MVP if they pulled off the upset on Saturday, but he fouled out in the closing minutes after nailing six threes and scoring 31 points. Whoever is guarding him, whether Mitch, KAT, or Hukporti, has to respect his jumper. He’s still a hair below league average on the season, but so was Champagnie. Players just get superpowers sometimes.

Note: Kristaps Porzingis has returned from his illness and would normally start, but it seems likely he’ll come off the bench as the Hawks manage his increasingly befuddling sickness.

Prediction

With no Trae Young to hunt when New York has the ball, the Knicks will be encountering a much stiffer defense today than the Hawks have delivered recently. With KAT potentially sidelined, they’ll have to get OG Anunoby out of his recent funk and get Mikal Bridges back to the aggressive scorer he was earlier in the season.

Part of the reason the Hawks rallied and nearly completed a massive comeback on Saturday was that the Knicks went cold from three-point range. The return of Deuce McBride should help, as he continues to get his legs under him.

Ultimately, the Knicks haven’t lost consecutive games since Halloween. They dominated the boards in the last meeting, and whether it’s Mitch or KAT playing, they’ll do it again enough to pull it out.

Knicks by 9.