New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks Preview
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Preview
We are halfway through the season, and the Atlanta Hawks are 3.5 games out of the final play-in spot (currently occupied by the New York Knicks). They have lost four in a row and are staggering around like Apollo Creed in Rocky IV. They possess the third-best offensive rating and the third-worst defensive rating in the league.
The team entered the 21-22 season on cloud nine and is now reeking of desperation at the trade deadline. Speaking of transactions, Atlanta's front office finally gave up on Cam Reddish after 2.5 seasons of highs, lows, and everything in between.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have won four of their last five games and are clinging to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference. Their hope is that adding Reddish will provide some much-needed energy to the slowest team in the league.
There is nothing wrong with playing slow-down basketball if it equates to an efficient offense. But the Knicks rank 24th in offensive rating, and their defense isn't much better.
Julius Randle leads the Knicks with approximately 19 points and 10 rebounds per game. But arguably, their second-best player is Evan Fournier, who still isn't matching his numbers from Orlando but is certainly looking more comfortable than he did in Boston.
Injury Report
The Knicks' health has improved as a whole. But they will be without their two floor generals tonight; Derrick Rose (ankle) and Kemba Walker (knee) are both out. Cam Reddish (ankle) will also miss his return to Atlanta.
We are still waiting on an official injury report from the Hawks. However, Clint Capela (ankle) has missed the last two games, while Jalen Johnson (ankle) and Kevin Knox (not with the team) missed last night's game in Miami.
Odds
SI Sportsbook lists the Hawks as 2.5-point favorites and the over/under is set at 213.5. While the Hawks looked much better against the Heat last night, they still found a way to lose late in the game. Also, let me remind you that the Hawks are tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for the worst record against the spread (15-26) in the NBA. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for highlights, breaking news, and analysis.
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