Four years ago, the Knicks were unceremoniously booted from their first playoff appearance since 2013 by a young, exciting Atlanta Hawks team that would go on to finish two games shy of the NBA Finals. In the last four seasons, the Hawks have regressed to a perennial play-in team, missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons after play-in exits, while the Knicks have emerged as contenders, improving every year to being on the cusp of the NBA Finals themselves in 2025.
After four years of debilitating
mediocrity, the Hawks have retooled and made moves to attempt to make a move in a weakened Eastern Conference. Have they done enough to revitalize this rivalry, or will it remain a one-sided (one-player) beef?
Knicks’ Record vs Atlanta in 2024-25: 3-2
- November 6, 2024: Hawks won 121-116
- December 11, 2024: Hawks won 108-100 (NBA Cup Quarterfinal)
- January 20, 2025: Knicks won 119-110
- February 12, 2025: Knicks won 149-148 (OT)
- April 5, 2025: Knicks won 121-105
While the two teams didn’t come close to fighting for playoff seeding or squaring off in the playoffs, their regular-season matchups had plenty of fire. Starting in November, the Knicks were still trying to figure stuff out with their brand new crew and were the recipients of the Zaccharie Risacher breakout game. The French rookie dropped 33 points in his best performance of his young career, as the Hawks took down the Knicks in Atlanta to open the season series.
The two teams faced off in the NBA Cup in December, which saw the Knicks open up a double-digit lead early and lead by as much as 10 in the third quarter, only to get smothered in the second half. A 29-8 run over just under nine minutes in the third quarter flipped the game and saw the Hawks advance to Vegas. In the closing seconds, Trae Young mimic’d rolling dice on the Knicks’ logo in a situation that was deeply overblown.
From there, the Knicks didn’t lose again to Atlanta. In January, the Knicks rallied from a shaky first half with an explosive third quarter. Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson combined to score 60 points on 24-for-35 from the field in a needed win for morale at MSG.
In February, the two teams faced off in a playoff-like atmosphere with preseason levels of defensive intensity. Nobody could defend worth a damn, as the two teams combined for 297 points in an OT affair. Trae was spectacular (38-19), but the Knicks got 44 from Karl Anthony Towns, 36 from Brunson, and 26 from… Precious Achiuwa? The Big Sneeze started with OG Anunoby out (in case you wondered why the defense was so poor) and had one of his best games in a Knicks’ uniform.
The matchup in April was a rare fifth game in the season series. The Hawks were stuck in play-in irrelevance and were without Jalen Johnson, Clint Capela, and others. The Knicks were without Brunson, Mitchell Robinson, and Deuce McBride themselves, but eviscerated the Hawks’ defense. They led by as much as 33 and scored 108 points through three quarters before coasting and making it look closer than it was.
Knicks/Hawks 2025-26 Schedule:
Sat, Dec 27, 2025: Knicks @ Hawks (8:00, MSG)
Fri, Jan 2, 2026: Hawks @ Knicks (7:30, Prime Video)
Mon, Apr 6, 2026: Knicks @ Hawks (7:00, Peacock)
Atlanta’s Offseason Moves:
In:
- Kristaps Porzingis (trade)
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (FA)
- Luke Kennard (FA)
- N’Faly Dante (FA)
- Asa Newell (draft)
Out:
- Clint Capela (Rockets)
- Caris LeVert (Pistons)
- Terance Mann (Nets)
- Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers)
- Georges Niang (Celtics then Jazz)
The Hawks’ big move was swapping out their big men, finally moving on from Clint Capela to acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the unloading Celtics. Porzingis has tortured the Knicks since he was traded to the Mavericks in 2019, but was a ghost in last year’s postseason due to a mysterious illness. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard also jump on board to add key depth, shooting, and defense.
They not only lost Capela, but microwave scorers in LeVert and Mann. Georges Niang was a hair away from cashing a crushing buzzer-beater against the Knicks last season, but has been banished to Utah.
Projected Starters
PG: Trae Young (ATL) / Jalen Brunson (NYK)
SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL) / Mikal Bridges (NYK)
SF: Dyson Daniels (ATL) / OG Anunoby (NYK)
PF: Jalen Johnson (ATL) / Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK)
C: Kristaps Porzingis (ATL) / Mitchell Robinson (NYK)
Both of these lineups are in flux. Four of Atlanta’s starters feel locked in, but NAW could be pushed to the bench for the likes of sharpshooter Luke Kennard, defensive big man Onyeka Okongwu, or Zaccharie Risacher. It could be based on matchups or just evolve over the course of the season. Of course, there’s the Deuce McBride/Josh Hart/Mitchell Robinson debate for the Knicks’ fifth starter, as well.
These lineups would have a lot of defense. Young isn’t a good defender at all, but the Hawks can overwhelm you with their mountains of wings, especially with Jalen Johnson returning from injury. The question is how well they can create offense outside of Trae. He’s liable to some really shaky performances. Do they have enough to overcome?
Knicks’ Predicted Record vs Atlanta this season: 2-1
The Hawks always seem to get up for the Knicks. Despite not many holdovers left from 2021, they seem to enjoy playing the role of villain, specifically Trae Young. Two games in Atlanta don’t help, but the Knicks have more than enough to win this season series as long as they stay healthy. We won’t see them until the dying days of 2025, so we’ll know a lot about these two teams heading into their first duel.
