Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks: Game Preview, Injury Report, Starting Lineups for Tonight's Matchup

The Atlanta Hawks are back in action tonight with an excellent chance of claiming their first playoff appearance as a top-six seed since the 2020-21 season. They're hoping to catch a similar spark by closing out the season strong. That continues against a familar rival in the New York Knicks.

The Knicks are one of the four best teams in the Eastern Conference and they've looked dominant at times this season. They won the NBA Cup in December, and they've been able to establish themselves as a contender behind their solid two-way play. Their starting lineup definitely has its issues, and they may not have the depth to make a serious Finals run, but the Knicks are going to be a very tough out in the Eastern Conference, and this is a good measuring stick for the Hawks.

Atlanta hasn't really fared well against the Knicks recently - they're 1-4 over their last five games. However, that one win came earlier this season where they blew New York out, 111-99, without Karl-Anthony Towns or Josh Hart in the game. Therefore, the Hawks can't expect this game to necessarily go the same way. Even so, Atlanta's playing some of its best basketball when they need it most, and there's no reason why it shouldn't look very competitive with an opponent it might end up facing in the playoffs.

By the Numbers

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Knicks, New York Knick — Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to drive past Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Blowout wins over the Magic and Nets show that the Hawks offense is quietly one of the best in the league. They are 6th in points, 13th in FG%, 5th in 3P%, 18th in FT%, 17th in rebounds (20th in OREB, 12th in DREB), 1st in assists, and 11th in turnovers per game. They're 15th in offensive rating this year.

The advanced numbers are starting to paint a pretty favorable picture of Atlanta's defense. They're 18th in points allowed, 17th in FG% allowed, 11th in 3P% allowed, 22nd in rebounds allowed, 5th in steals, and 17th in blocks. They're 9th in defensive rating this year.

New York's offense has been one of the best units in the NBA with Jalen Brunson at the helm. They are 10th in points, 11th in FG%, 4th in 3P%, 9th in FT%, 7th in rebounds (5th in OREB, 10th in DREB), 13th in assists, and 7th in turnovers per game. They're 3rd in offensive rating this year.

The defense has also been quite good this season despite starting a questionable defender in KAT. They are 5th in points allowed, 7th in FG% allowed, 20th in 3P% allowed, 3rd in rebounds allowed, 19th in steals, and 27th in blocks. They're 8th in defensive rating this year.

Three Reasons The Hawks Can Win This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, Risacher, Zaccharie Risache — Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks to drive past New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The last time the Hawks played the Knicks at full strength was back in December and Atlanta narrowly lost that game in part because they got demolished on the boards. New York had 55 rebounds to Atlanta's 37 while out-working them on the offensive glass with a 19-9 edge. Since the All-Star break, the Hawks have been 8th in OREB% and 6th in overall REB%. They've gotten much better at keeping possessions alive and tapping into their athleticism to end possessions on defense.

Another large factor in the Knicks beating the Hawks was a fantastic performance from Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns absolutely tormented the Hawks with 36 points and 15 rebounds. There's a chance that he doesn't suit up for tonight's game, depriving the Knicks of one of the rare centers who can actually space the floor. Towns' defense hasn't been good this season, but there's no question that he's very dangerous as a scorer when the jumper is falling. Even if he does play, there's no telling how his elbow injury might bother him when he returns.

The Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but their perimeter defense hasn't really been up to par as of late. They're in the bottom third of the NBA for both 3P% and three-point attempts. Judging the perimeter defense just by 3P% isn't necessarily accurate, but the Knicks haven't been amazing at guarding shooters by virtue of having two questionable defenders in KAT and Jalen Brunson. Mikal Bridges is usually a good defender, but he hasn't been as good on that end this season.

Three Reasons The Hawks Might Lose This Game

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Knicks, New York Knicks, — Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) looks to drive past Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

OG Anunoby doesn't always get the credit he deserves for being one of the NBA's best defenders. He's essential to the Knicks' defense, and the numbers bear it out. Opponents shoot 2.9% worse at the rim (82nd percentile), and New York's half court defense is 3.2 points per 100 possessions better in his minutes. Jalen Johnson has still fared reasonably well against the Knicks, but Anunoby is an amazing defender, and he'll pose a challenge for Johnson to solve.

The Knicks didn't have a lot of assets, but they were able to add some depth at the trade deadline. They added Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans and he's made a big difference off the bench with his screening and shooting. Alvarado has been particularly effective with KAT and OG - the KAT-Alvarado duo has a +16.9 net rating in 252 minutes together while the numbers are even better with OG (+23.7 net rating over 206 minutes). It'll be interesting to see how the Knicks use Alvarado to slow down either Nickeil Alexander-Walker or CJ McCollum. He's a tenacious defender as well, sporting a STL% of 2.4% since being traded to New York.

One of the hardest parts of beating the Knicks has been their ability to get back into games after being down. They don't go away and actually play their best basketball in the clutch. This season, they have the highest net rating (+11.6) in the fourth quarter by far. It's because they've been able to routinely get stops when they need to. They have the best fourth quarter defensive rating in the NBA by far. Atlanta can't afford to loosen up with any leads that they build, which has been a problem at times this season.

How to Watch

Here is how you can watch tonight's game:

Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

Where to Watch: NBCSN/Peacock

Projected Starting Lineups

Hawks

G - CJ McCollum

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

F - Dyson Daniels

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

Knicks

G - Jalen Brunson

G - Josh Hart

F - Mikal Bridges

F - OG Anunoby

C - Karl-Anthony Towns