New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks Preview: How, Who to Watch in Part II of Thanksgiving Road Trip

The New York Knicks will look to get back over .500 on Wednesday night when they look to declaw the Atlanta Hawks for the second time this season.

After Monday night, the New York Knicks can't wait to get back on the road again. 

Having briefly lingered above .500 after a three-game winning streak, the Knicks will look to return to the realm of the winning on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks. New York dropped a 114-98 decision to the Boston Celtics in Monday's opener of a five-game road trip, a game that was far from as one-sided as its final score indicated. 

Trae Young Holds 'Love and Respect' For Knicks Despite Christmas Snub

In an attempt to regain a winning record, the Knicks will descend upon Atlanta for the second time this season. New York previously prevailed in a 126-120 victory on Oct. 27 behind a 31-point showing for Jalen Brunson. The Hawks embarked upon a four-game winning streak after the Knicks' visit and are coming off a matching 126-120 triumph in Detroit on Tuesday night. Atlanta won't visit Madison Square Garden until March.

What: New York Knicks (5-5) @ Atlanta Hawks (6-4)

Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

When/Watch: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG

Who's Favored: NYK -1

Keep An Eye On: Jalen Brunson

Brunson was the energizer behind the Knicks' first victory in Atlanta this season, scoring 31 points to help them recover from an anemic opening night showing. This time around, Brunson is feeling raw over a tepid second half against the Celtics. He was far from New York's primary issue but he must've gotten a look at the box score: the Knicks were a minus-15 when he was on the floor over the final 24 minutes on Monday.

“We had a one-point lead going into the third quarter but we should have had an eight- or nine-point lead," Brunson noted, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "We didn’t really close out the first half well so they had momentum going into the third. I’m not even going to say we, I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. I’m not leading like I should be leading. I just need to be better.”

Hawk to Watch: Trae Young

It's perhaps a cliche cop-out to point out Trae Young in a matchup with the Knicks, but he's set to be back in the lineup after welcoming his second child earlier this week. Young is on pace to tie last year's career-best in assists and he has no doubt helped the Hawks' offense flow in the early going. It'll take everyone in the Knicks' backcourt ... including the potentially returning RJ Barrett ... to keep Young in check. The narrative behind Young's supposed relationship with the Knicks has been drastically overblown in his favor thanks to five precious games in 2021. It's time for the Knicks to start thwarting that narrative once and for all.

They Said It

“Probably the chemistry, on and off the floor, in a short amount of time ... I think that’s pretty special. When you can have guys connect and gel right off the bat without much time together is always a sign of something that can be special.”-Immanuel Quickley on the success of the Knicks' second unit (h/t Zach Braziller, New York Post)

Prediction

Moral victories lingered in Monday's visit to Boston, but the Knicks have a prime opportunity in the latest edition of this so-called rivalry. The rest of the road trip is fairly manageable but it's jam-packed, especially with a back-to-back due for the weekend. Expect the Knicks to prevail in this one, especially if they use their defensive size to silence an Atlanta pace that currently ranks third in the NBA.

Knicks 104, Hawks 98