The Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks today in Game 1 of their first round series.
The Knicks are poised to go on a big playoff run, where anything shy of the NBA Finals will likely be viewed (reasonably enough) as a disappointment. The Pistons were perhaps the best team in the Eastern Conference this year, but they are VERY banged up right now. Meanwhile, the NEXT best team in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics, were defeated by this very Knicks team (and the Knicks handled them well in the regular season, too). The Cavs aren’t that good.
THIS is the perfect time for the Knicks to make it to the Finals, and once there, who the heck knows, right?
The Hawks, meanwhile, are mostly just happy to be here. They were under .500 at the All Star break, but went on a crazy run in the second half, mostly against teams that weren’t playing to win, but still, to get to 46 wins when being under .500 at the All Star Break is still very impressive.
This Hawkes team is just too darn small. They have the defenders to hang with Jalen Brunson as well as anyone (he’ll still get his, but he’ll have to work HARD for it), but their big men just can’t hang with KAT and Mitch. Now that Mitch can play more minutes, the Knicks should be DESTROYING the Hawks on the boards.
Add it all up, and even with the Hawks’ feistiness, where do you see them ever winning a game in this series? This isn’t as easy as if the Knicks were playing the Raptors, but I don’t think it’s FAR from that. I think five games is a conservative pick (a sweep would be the baller prediction), but conservative or not, I’ll go with it.
Let’s go, Knicks!
And, as always, Fuck Trae Young!
4 replies on “2026 NBA Playoffs Round 1: Knicks vs. Hawks Game 1 – Time to Exorcise the Ghost of Trae Young”
5 games sounds right.
I went to NBA com and did the bracket, and damn if when the moment of truth came I didn’t go with the Pistons over the Knicks in the ECF Finals. 6 games. Just had to face it that I didn’t believe. Ouch.
West got spicy fast; I could see Denver going all the way, also could see them losing to the Wolves. Or to OKC, or the Spurs. But in the end they were my pick.
I think we would beat them. I just don’t think we’ll get past the physicality of Detroit.
So wait, the Knicks have to wait for this game to end?
LET’S GO KNICKS!!!!! AND … F TRAE YOUNG
Amazon not working. Awesome.
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