Atlanta, GA
💃🏽 Clubbing at the High
High Frequency Friday
Oct. 25 — The weekend is here, and if you’re looking to fill your dance card, between One Musicfest at Central Park,Jerry Seinfeld at the Fox, or the Hawks at State Farm Arena tonight, there is much to choose from. Visit our How Do You Atlanta? event calendar for more ideas.
☀️ Sunny and 81° today. The weekend also looks warm and sunny.
🫏 Former President Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen, and Tyler Perry joined Vice President Kamala Harris at her Clarkston campaign rally yesterday, which drew an estimated 20,000 people.
⚖️ Defense attorneys for the three Brunswick, GA men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery are asking for a new trial for their clients.
🌳 A full master plan for The Stitch – the Downtown Connector capping park – will be released on Oct. 31.
👂 DeKalb County CEO-elect Lorraine Cochran-Johnson started her constituent listening tour in Dunwoody this week. See where else she’s headed.
🏡 A movement to declare the Candler Park neighborhood a city historic district has failed after a community vote.
💨 Conyers residents are demanding the BioLab chemical plant answer their questions, pay restitution, and leave town nearly a month after smoke from a fire brought daily life to a standstill.
🚒 DeKalb Fire & Rescue had to rescue two 10-year-old boys who tried to zip line after hours in Dunwoody’s Brook Run Park.
🎗️ A group of local Jewish organizations is hosting “Reflecting on a Year of Heartbreak, Resilience, and Hope” on Sun., Oct. 27 from 2-5 p.m. The event is open to all, but registration is required.
🍔 Tucker Meat Market owner Andrea Woolf is trying to bring home the title of the World Burger Champion at the World Food Championship next month.
⛸️ An ice skating rink will be a part of Brookhaven’s citywide winter celebrations for the first time this year.
ELSEWHERE
🙏 President Joe Biden will visit a Native American reservation today, where he’ll formally apologize for federal Indian boarding schools’ historical abuses.
⚖️ The Los Angeles district attorney said he will seek resentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who killed their parents in 1989, saying they’ve “paid their debt to society.”
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Clubbing at the High
• Film Review: ‘Conclave’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
Have a good weekend,
Collin & Sammie
🎹 Join us Sat., March 29 for an Intimate Evening with Jason Isbell LIVE at The Fox Theatre! Tickets go on sale today, Fri., Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. at FoxTheatre.org!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Friday evening jazz and DJs transform the High into Atlanta’s hottest nightclub
🎷 Twice a month on Friday night, the High Museum of Art stays open later than usual for High Frequency Friday and Friday Jazz. Both evenings invite people to see the High in a different light — beyond just a museum — offering music, dancing, cocktails, and mingling with art as the backdrop to it all.
People begin lining up for Friday nights at the High well before the doors open at 6 p.m. Crowds come dressed to the nines, transforming the museum into the city’s hottest pop-up nightclub for four hours featuring some of Atlanta’s best DJs and jazz musicians.
Once the doors open, museum staff members begin scanning QR codes on tickets. The line moves quickly. People soon find the cocktails, beer, and wine inside and head toward the music.
🎨 Learn more about the pop-up here.
Georgia Power hosts backpack and supply drives for families in need
SPONSORED BY GEORGIA POWER
🎒 This summer, Georgia Power employees teamed up with local organizations to host backpack and supply drives to support families in need. Spearheaded by 15 citizen chapters across the state, these grassroots efforts gathered more than 2,800 backpacks filled with essential school supplies, benefiting 20 school districts.
Georgia Power employees are not just giving back; they’re helping to create a supportive environment where education can thrive. It’s all about building a brighter future for students across Georgia, one backpack at a time.
➡ Read the full story here.
2. ‘Conclave’ is petty politics done right
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🗳️ One of the most important locations in “Conclave” – a film that beautifully recreates echoing church halls and the dramatic, high ceilings of the Sistine Chapel – is a simple auditorium.
It’s here where a few men are trying to decide who should become the next pope. The men in this room – including Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who has been tasked with running this election – think it imperative that the progressive Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) wins. Mostly because he doesn’t want it. “No sane man would want the papacy,” Bellini says.
It’s a familiar adage, although perhaps used in an unfamiliar setting; the person who does not seek power is usually the best person to wield it. “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the novel by Robert Harris, meditates on many ideas like this, ideas that feel poignantly on the nose in today’s climate.
It’s a political thriller dressed up in a cardinal hat, but one that’s a lot more fun to languish in than our current political state. “Conclave” isn’t reinventing the wheel, but is an eminently watchable and entertaining parable about the perils of ambition and what happens when grown men get a little too big for their britches.
⛪ Read Sammie’s full review here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. ATL United faces Messi in playoffs, World Series begins
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGIA POWER
⚽ Atlanta United plays in Round One of the MLS Playoffs against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Apple TV+; 92.9 FM). The Five Stripes advanced after beating CF Montréal in a penalty shootout.
⚾ Game 1 of the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers is in Los Angeles tonight at 8:08 p.m. (FOX). This will be the 12th time the iconic MLB teams have faced each other in the Fall Classic.
⚾ Former Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela died this week at 63. The Mexican-born star started “Fernandomania” by winning both the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981.
🏀 The Atlanta Hawks won their season opener against the Brooklyn Nets 120-116 in Atlanta on Wednesday night. The Hawks face the Hornets at home tonight at 7:30 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Network; 92.9 FM).
🏈 Previously winless Kennesaw State upset previously unbeaten Liberty University on Wednesday night 27-24 as fans rushed onto the field.
🏈 Here are tomorrow’s local college games:
- Georgia Tech plays at Virginia Tech at noon (ACC Network; 93.7 FM)
- Georgia State plays at Appalachian State at 1 p.m. (ESPN+; 88.5 FM)
- Mercer hosts Western Carolina at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
- West Georgia hosts Southern Utah at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Morehouse College hosts Fort Valley State at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Georgia Southern lost to Old Dominion last night.
- No. 2 Georgia and Clark Atlanta are off this week.
🏀 The New York Liberty won the WNBA Finals in overtime against the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 on Sunday. The championship-deciding Game 5 was the most-watched WNBA Finals game in 25 years.
🏈 The Falcons play division-rival Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Sun., Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. (FOX; 92.9 FM).
🏈 The Drive for the GHSA State Title continues tonight with Woodward Academy vs. Decatur, live on the Peachtree Sports Network at 8 p.m. Stream the game here.
♂️ The Sports Section is sponsored by Gameday Men’s Health Buckhead, offering testosterone, weight loss, peptide, and ED therapies so you can get back in the game. Learn more today!
🎹 Join us Sat., March 29 for an Intimate Evening with Jason Isbell LIVE at The Fox Theatre! Tickets go on sale today, Fri., Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. at FoxTheatre.org!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top Stories of the Week
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Two long-derailed Dunwoody properties move forward with new owners
② Kemp announces another $1B tax rebate
③ 7 classes in Atlanta for keeping your kitchen and culinary skills sharp (pictured)
④ Capitol skybridge proposal concerns historic preservationists
⑤ Georgia Supreme Court delays ruling on election board rules until after Nov. 5
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
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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