Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks Christmas Day Preview
Preview
Bing bong! Christmas Day is here, and the Atlanta Hawks finally return to Madison Square Garden. Sure, the New York Knicks suffocated the Hawks 99-90 in Atlanta on November 27, but this is the matchup everyone has had circled on the calendar since the schedule was released.
Last June, Trae Young took a bow after completing a gentleman's sweep in the playoffs. In September, he further antagonized New Yorkers at WWE SmackDown. Since then, Young has played at an MVP level this season.
Despite rules changes, which have decreased his free throw attempts, Young is averaging a career-high 27.3 points and 9.3 assists per game. No other player is in the top-three in both statistical categories. Thanks to their point guard's prolific offense, the Hawks have the third-best offensive rating and shoot a higher three-point percentage than any other team.
Unfortunately, both clubs have struggled due to illness and injuries in recent weeks. The Hawks have fallen to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Knicks have lost 9 of their last 14 games, and are nestled nicely outside of the playoff picture (familiar territory for them).
Besides Steph Curry breaking Ray Allen's three-point record in the Garden and a few funny Michael Rapaport videos, there haven't been many highlights for the Knicks this season. Julius Randle's production has sunk like a stone in the East River (that's a deep-cut Seinfeld reference for my Gen-X readers). The Knicks' 106.2 points per game would lead you to believe they are generally averse to scoring.
However, it's way too early to count out the Knicks. Since Derrick Rose went down with an ankle injury, Kemba Walker has stepped up to fill the void. NBA Twitter was aghast when Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau voluntarily told the media that Walker was out of his rotation. Our outrage was vindicated when Walker flirted with a 44-point triple-double on Thursday night against the Washington Wizards.
Injury Report
Buckle up for these two injury reports. The Knicks list Derrick Rose (ankle surgery) is out for two months. While Nerlens Noel and Kevin Knox are all in the NBA Health & Safety Protocols.
The Hawks have 8 players in the NBA Health & Safety Protocols. Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, Kevin Huerter, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Sharife Cooper, Onyeka Okongwum, and Wes Iwundu are all sidelined due to the virus. While De'Andre Hunter (right wrist injury recovery) and Solomon Hill (right hamstring surgery) are out as well.
Odds
SI Sportsbook lists the Knicks as 7.5-point favorites. Usually, I like to go with the chalk, but the Hawks played great against the 76ers on Thursday night. John Collins is playing at an All-Star level and Clint Capela just cleared COVID protocols this morning.
Despite all the irregularities, this will be an exciting game between two teams that not only dislike each other but have competing basketball philosophies - small-ball versus bully-ball. It's like the Cold War, except you won't see Clint Capela and Julius Randle working towards a peaceful resolution in Reykjavík, Iceland. Let's hope both rosters are as healthy as possible, and more importantly, Knicks fans don't spit on Trae Young or any other Hawks player this time.
Recommended For You
Interstate 35: Trae Young's Trainer Describes Formative Years
Interview: Nick Van Exel at 50
Oral History: Kobe's Last Game in Atlanta
Like SI Hawks on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Hawks news!
