Atlanta, GA
Will The Atlanta Braves Ever Throw Another No-Hitter?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 11: Travis d’Arnaud #16 (L) and Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves … [+]
Raisel Iglesias didn’t record the first two outs in the ninth inning on May 11 in easy fashion. But after he got Pete Alonso to ground out to short on the eighth pitch of the at-bat and the 14th pitch of the inning, a feeling of inevitability enveloped Citi Field.
The Braves fans who’d already begun drowning out the Mets fans in the crowd of 38,919 began doing the Tomahawk Chop. And Braves fans, Mets fans and impartial observers alike took out their phones as J.D. Martinez stepped to the plate.
It was finally going to happen. The Braves, the epitome of sustained pitching excellence, were going to throw a no-hitter. Who didn’t want to have video proof of the final out and the end of the drought?
Except, of course, this no-hit bid ended like every other no-hit bid by the Braves over the last 30-plus years when Martinez hit a first-pitch fastball about 10 feet beyond the right field fence to end a combined pursuit of history by Max Fried (first seven innings), Joe Jimenez (eighth inning) and Iglesias.
These are the Mets, so you expected Ronald Acuna Jr. to scale the wall and do a somersault while making the gem-saving catch, but no. The Braves’ no-hitter drought is such a strong entity that even the perpetually woeful Mets can’t snap it.
Nor could the less-woeful Cubs and Padres over the last 10 games, which increased the Braves’ no-hitter drought to a whopping 4,877 games — counting the playoffs — since Kent Mercker held the Dodgers hitless on April 8 1994.
The only teams for whom features about their no-hitter droughts would be more evergreen are Cleveland (no no-hitters since Len Barker’s perfect game against the Blue Jays on May 15, 1981), the Blue Jays (no no-hitters since Dave Stieb, a chapter by himself in any book about near no-hitters, finally threw his lone no-hitter against Cleveland on Sept. 2, 1990) and the Royals (no no-hitters since Bret Saberhagen’s gem against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 26, 1991)
“It’s rare — how many have there been out of ever single game that’s been played?” Braves catcher (and former Mets catcher, because of course) Travis d’Arnaud said following the Braves’ 4-1 win. “How many have there been total?”
Entering play Thursday, there were 383 no-hitters thrown in 239,022 games since 1876. That means the odds of a no-hitter being thrown are 0.002 percent per game (or 0.0016 percent, if you want to be more exact).
The odds of seeing a no-hitter since 1995 — the first full season of the Braves’ drought — are even lower at 0.001 percent per game (or 0.0006 percent, if you want to be more exact).
So on one hand, it’s understandable the Braves haven’t thrown a no-hitter. It’s hard to do, even for a team that’s pitched better than almost anyone else over the last three decades. Since 1994, the Braves rank second in baseball with 2,656 wins, a 3.80 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
But the Yankees, who are first in wins since 1994, and the Dodgers, who are first in ERA and WHIP, have combined for nine no-hitters (and two perfect games, both by the Yankees) since Mercker’s gem.
Seventeen other teams have thrown multiple no-hitters since 1994, including the Marlins, who have the fourth-worst record in baseball in that span but also have six no-hitters. That’s tied for the most with the Phillies behind the Astros (eight). Even the Mets, who used to be the poster franchise for no no-hitters, have thrown two no-hitters.
And none of those teams with multiple no-hitters had a trio of Hall of Famers accounting for almost 20 percent of their starts since 1994. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz combined to start 922 games for Atlanta, albeit none since 2008. They finished with no no-hitters in a combined 1,903 starts, but the likes of Chris Heston, Bud Smith, Philip Humber and Jose Jimenez combined for four no-hitters — Humber’s was a perfect game— over 146 career starts.
At least Glavine, Maddux and Smoltz are in good company. Tim Hudson, who played nine seasons of his borderline Hall of Fame career in Atlanta, never threw a no-hitter for the Braves. Nor have current ace-caliber Braves Chris Sale or Spencer Strider.
Fried is the third All-Star to start a Braves’ no-hit bid broken up in the ninth in the last 10 years Shelby Miller’s bid was broken up by the Marlins with two outs on May 17, 2015) while Mike Foltynewicz had his pursuit of history ended June 30, 2017, when current Braves first baseman Matt Olson led off the ninth with a homer for the Athletics. And Sean Newcomb, who came within an out of a no-hitter against the Dodgers on July 29, 2018 was a former first-round draft pick who was the centerpiece of the Andrelton Simmons trade with the Angels at the start of the Braves’ rebuild in 2015.
“With all the Hall of Famers running through here and guys with electric stuff — they’re not easy, so many things have got to go right,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Maybe the pitcher to get everything to go right will be Fried, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning for the third tie this season Wednesday, when he settled for a complete game three-hitter in a 9-2 win over the Cubs. Or maybe it’ll be a pitcher in the midst of an otherwise ordinary career.
Or maybe the Braves will just keep going and going without a no-hitter, continuing their decades-long success on the mound while embodying the quirky and random nature of the no-hitter, or the lack of one.
“It’s really cool to be a part of an almost one — 26-outer,” Braves centerfielder Michael Harris II said. “So hopefully this season or in the near future, we can squeeze one out.”
Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.
The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks prediction, pick for Game 1 of 2026 NBA Playoffs first round
Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
The NBA playoffs are officially underway with a loaded opening round. Taking place in the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the New York Knicks.
You can check out the full series preview on DraftKings Network here.
Looking at the odds for the series opener, the Knicks enter as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks are +205 underdogs with the game total set at O/U 218.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Eastern Conference series opener.
Hawks vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Atlanta Hawks went through a midseason transition, moving on from Trae Young after he headlined the production for the franchise for the past eight years. The Hawks have not missed a beat amid the major midseason shakeup, finishing as the sixth seed in the conference with a 46-36 overall record. On the season, Atlanta has gone 44-38 against the spread, and the game total has gone 41-41 to the over/under.
Jock Landale is the only player set to miss the matchup tonight. Jalen Johnson headlines the production, posting averages of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had a breakout season in a new location, adding 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. CJ McCollum adds 18.7 points and 4.1 assists across his first 41 games with the organization, while Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Jonathan Kuminga, and Zaccharie Risacher also play notable roles.
Quin Snyder’s group scores 118.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Hawks also rank 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, and fifth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.0 points per game against Atlanta, which ranks 18th in the league. They also rank ninth in defensive rating, 18th in opponent field goal percentage, and 12th in opponent three-point percentage.
The New York Knicks entered the season with legitimate title aspirations. They have had some notable ups and downs, but now face this opportunity. New York finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and sit in third place in the East. The Knicks have gone 44-39 against the spread, and the game total has gone 38-45 to the over/under.
The Knicks enter this matchup with a clear injury report and a large sample size of the team playing together. Jalen Brunson headlines the production with 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns pitches in 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists of his own. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are responsible for the production at the wing positions, while Josh Hart sets the tone for this team from a hustle standpoint. New York also did an impressive job building out the bench unit this season, with players like Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek capable of serving as X-factors off the bench.
As a team, the Knicks are scoring 116.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA. New York also ranks third in offense rating, 11th in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 110.1 points per game against the Knicks, which ranks fifth in the league. They also rank seventh in defensive rating, fifth in opponent field goal percentage, and 20th in opponent three-point percentage.
Hawks vs. Knicks pick, best bet
These are two teams at different stages of their timeline, but neither will be afraid of this playoff spotlight. The Knicks pushed their chips in around this core and are hoping to be rewarded for it. They fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals last year and have made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. Atlanta missed out on the playoffs in back-to-back years and turned a new page direction with Jalen Johnson now leading the charge. Without Trae Young, the Hawks now lean on more of a defensive-minded identity and have a roster loaded with athleticism.
During the regular season, these teams faced off three times. They split the first two matchups, which took place on December 27th and January 2nd. New York picked up a narrow 108-105 victory in the most recent game, which took place on April 6th. Both sides were aware that this was a potential postseason matchup, and this game had some major seeding implications. It was an evenly matched game in which neither team was able to extend a lead beyond 10 points, and the rebounding battle was separated by just one board. The biggest discrepancy came with the Knicks shooting 50% compared to the Hawks shooting 40%, and New York outscoring Atlanta 52-34 in the paint.
While there are higher expectations for this Knicks team in the postseason outlook, the Hawks stack up fairly well in this matchup. Jalen Brunson will be at the heart of the offensive attack for New York. But his biggest weakness is when he is guarded by high-level athletes with a size advantage over him. The Hawks have built out a roster loaded with this archetype of player, and there is not a clear matchup for Brunson to hunt in most lineup combinations.
Brunson has enough experience and savvy to will settle in over the course of the series. But expect some growing pains in the early parts of this matchup, and for this to be a huge hurdle for this Knicks team. I am backing the Hawks to cover the 5.5-point spread and would not be shocked if they steal the opening game. This is a series in which neither side should be expected to pull away by major margins throughout. Count on Atlanta to have defense success and have a clear gameplan for limiting the impact of Brunson. Expect this matchup to come down to the wire and take the points in the series opener.
Best Bet: Hawks +6.5 (-112)
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