The wait is over. The New York Knicks’ 80th campaign was a grueling 82-game marathon (83 if you count that Vegas scrimmage), but by almost every measure, it was a success. They finished 53-29, tying for the tenth-best winning percentage in franchise history; finished with a top-five offense and a top-ten defense; and claimed the third seed in the Eastern Conference to secure their 46th trip to the NBA Playoffs. Not a bad showing for freshman-veteran coach Mike Brown.
For pros like Jalen Brunson, though,
success is measured by the final outcome: whether the Larry O’Brien Trophy ends up in the case and a new banner is hung at MSG. All season long, the subject of whether the Knicks are true championship contenders has been talked to death. Tonight, they begin their march to glory when they host the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round. Bring on the Birds.
The two teams know each other well. New York won the regular season series, 2-1, but both wins were decided by three points. (They lost by 12 on January 2.)
This season, Atlanta’s front office wisely sent the deadweight of Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. In 41 games with Atlanta, the veteran McCollum has averaged 18.7 points while shooting 46% from the field. On a fairly young team, he brings helpful playoff experience.
Another smart move by Onsi Saleh? Trading cash and a 2027 2nd round draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Nickeil Alexander-Walker last July. Alexander-Walker had a career season in the land of peaches, playing 78 games and averaging 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, 40% three-point shooting, and 15 field goal attempts per game. The 27-year-old quickly emerged as a cornerstone of Quin Snyder’s game plan.
The lynchpin, however, is Jalen Johnson. In his previous four seasons, the 6’8” forward had logged two triple-doubles. On this campaign, J.J. lit up the stat-sheets nightly, finishing with 13 triple-doubles and leading the team with 22.5 points, 10.3 boards, and 7.9 assists per game. It was a star-making season for the 24-year-0ld—and he’s no slouch on either end. He, Onyeka Okongwu (15.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG), and Dyson Daniels (11.9 PPG, 2 SPG) were all big reasons why Atlanta finished as a top-ten defense.
Zaccharie Risacher (9.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG) has primarily served as a bench player for the latter half of the 2025-26 season after being moved out of the starting lineup in late February. While he started 45 games earlier in the season, he was replaced by McCollum to adjust the team’s spacing and rotation.
Atlanta’s expected starters tonight: Daniels, McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Johnson, and Okongwu. Their injury report Jonathan Kuminga (knee) and Daniels (toe) as game-time decisions, and Jock Landale as OUT. For the Knicks, expect everyone to suit up. Their starters are all the usual suspects: Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Prediction
ESPN.com thinks the Knicks have a 70% chance of victory tonight. We do, too. Much of this game will be decided on the glass, where the Knicks need to limit second-chance opportunities from Atlanta’s active frontcourt. Our heroes should have the advantage in the paint, especially with the mid-sized Hawks missing Landale (and Risacher not offering a lot of help). Snyder might even deploy Christian Koloko, signed to a two-way contract, if New York is really knocking the feathers out of his club in the paint.
The Hawks rated fifth for pace and can be dangerous on the move, so New York will be wise to control the tempo and limit their turnovers. That’s not necessarily easy to do against these thieving Hawks.
Atlanta is the league’s fifth-best shooting squad from beyond the arc, but guess what? The Knicks rank fourth. Whichever team is hotter is more likely to compile an early lead, but this will probably be a game of runs and determined down the stretch. If you liked Captain Clutch in the regular season, wait until you see what Brunson does in the playoffs, with a strong whiff of the Larry O’ in his snout. Prediction? The Knicks clamp down in the final minutes and win by eight.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (53-29) vs Atlanta Hawks (46-36)
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 6 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
