Hawks vs Knicks NBA Playoffs: 3 Reasons Atlanta Can Upset New York

While the Atlanta Hawks are heavily underdogs going into this series, there are still multiple ways they can win. Recently, ESPN media have picked against the Hawks to win this series, but they are still favored by most to take it to a sixth or seventh game.

Let's take a look at some reasons the Hawks could pull off the series upset against the New York Knicks.

1. One of the best teams in the league since the second half of the season

The Hawks finished the regular season with a 46-36 record. At the All-Star break, Atlanta held a 26-30 record. Per Elias Sports, the 2025-26 Hawks are just the third team in NBA history to be 4+ games under .500 at the break and finish the season 10+ games over .500.
— Hawks PR (@HawksPR) April 13, 2026

While this season hasn't been the best overall, the Hawks managed to turn it around after returning from the NBA All-Star Break and making moves that improved the team. During this second-half stretch, the Hawks have been playing good team basketball, leading the NBA in assists per game at 30.1 and posting one of the best records, going 20-6 in that stretch.

In this turnaround, the Hawks look like a team that is truly together compared to the first half of the season and are top-10 in the NBA in defense, an area that was a problem before. However, the big point to emphasize is that during these games, Atlanta beat some playoff teams, and even in the few they lost, they kept most of those games close.

2. Defensive problems

Hawks poked at the Knicks defense by putting Jalen Brunson and KAT in action and playing out of it.

-KAT on Daniels who becomes a screener. Johnson clears the wing, Daniels flips the angle and NAW pulls up
-Brunson on Daniels who screens. Show hits McBride, lane is open pic.twitter.com/olJZVVHGw4
— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) April 7, 2026

While things didn't end the way they wanted in Atlanta's last matchup, they figured out a way to play against the Knicks, who are a top-five defensive team. In doing so, the Hawks found ways to exploit the Knicks' two best offensive players by forcing them into action on defense, which both Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns struggle with.

As of this season, KAT has a defensive rating of 109.6 but struggles with drop coverage, while Brunson, a relatively smaller guard, has a defensive rating of 117.2. In last year's playoffs, the Indiana Pacers, a young, fast-paced team, beat the Knicks by pushing the pace and forcing the Knicks into mistakes.

Many times throughout the series, you could see the Knicks arguing about defensive miscues and the Pacers taking advantage of both KAT and Brunson on the pick-and-roll. This ties perfectly into what the Hawks do well in terms of creating mismatches and pushing the pace, which is something the Knicks continue to struggle with.

3. Knicks turmoil

Melo on KAT "What I'm seeing here, disconnect, IDK where…can't make pass like that & not be happy––

VC "Say it

Melo "He's not touching ball?

VC "Yes
…
Melo "OG 5 Josh 7 Mikal 4–can't have & think we going to win in postseason…haven't seen KAT JB PnR, always opposite sides" pic.twitter.com/bezxlnntVj
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 1, 2026

While the Knicks have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, record-wise, they still have issues with their approach to the game. Throughout the season, KAT has voiced his concerns about not knowing his role within the team's offense and has taken a noticeable step back.

In terms of scoring, KAT is averaging 20.1 points per game, the lowest since his rookie season, and his shooting splits have dropped compared to last year under coach Tom Thibodeau. The biggest concern is that he is taking the fewest shots per game of his career, at just 14.

The lack of shooting results from new head coach Mike Brown implementing a system that doesn't make much use of KAT. For most of KAT's career, he's had the ball in his hands, either at the top of the key running a two-man pick-and-pop or going inside the paint when teams tried to switch, to score, which would lead to a double team, and he would pass to an open man.

Using Brown's motion-based offense, KAT has been visibly upset and confused at times, prompting questions from many. Longtime Knicks fan and ESPN sports media legend Stephen A. Smith has said recently that if the Knicks lose to the Hawks in the first round, huge changes will be coming to New York soon.

With the amount of money, draft picks, and coaching changes made to this team, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Knicks make some major moves if the Hawks complete the upset.

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