Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Falcons Coach Raheem Morris Tabs Standouts vs. Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Atlanta Falcons faced the Miami Dolphins in joint training camp practices Tuesday and Wednesday before kicking off the preseason Friday night inside Hard Rock Stadium.
With each meeting came an opportunity for Falcons coach Raheem Morris to evaluate his entire team — from the 90-man roster to his assistant coaches — and resulted in a week full of lessons learned for Atlanta’s first-year boss.
Prior to Wednesday’s joint practice, Morris was asked about standouts from the day before. He spoke highly of his team’s trench play, where pads popped and physicality was as high as it has been all summer.
“It was the first time I got a chance to see our big guys other than Grady [Jarrett] play in pads versus another team in this setting,” Morris said. “So, I learned a lot about everybody. You get a chance to really see D.O. [David Onyemata] come to life — it was nice to watch. It was good to see T.Q [Ta’Quon Graham].”
Jarrett, Onyemata and Graham sit atop Atlanta’s interior defensive line, but several others beneath them also impressed Morris — starting with veteran Kentavius Street and trickling into the rookie class, where second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro, fourth-round selection Brandon Dorlus and sixth-round choice Zion Logue each made plays.
“That was really good to see, the physicality of the play, the temperament of even Street going out there, even though he’s a veteran type guy,” Morris said. “But it was nice to see those guys and those presence. And then obviously add in Ruke, and you get a chance to see Dorlus come to life and Zion and all those guys.”
Yet for as encouraged as Morris was by the defensive front, the Falcons’ offensive line was equally impressive.
Among Atlanta’s five starters, Morris was the interim head coach over three of them — left tackle Jake Matthews, right guard Chris Lindstrom and right tackle Kaleb McGary — in 2020. But everyone else in the room, from the other starters in left guard Matthew Bergeron and center Drew Dalman to the reserves, is new.
And the offensive line, with a blend of both new and old faces, stood out to Morris.
“Going back again and getting a chance to look at Chris Lindstrom and see how violent he plays when he comes off the ball,” Morris said. “And even Kaleb McGary and then watching Drew Dalman sit in there and [backup center Ryan] Neuzil.”
The group of blockers next to the offensive line also left a lasting impression, as Morris effused praised on tight ends Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner, who signed with the Falcons this spring after spending six and four years, respectively, with the San Francisco 49ers.
“Really on both sides of the ball was huge, particularly at tight end to watch the new tight ends that we brought in and watch those guys go to work,” Morris said. “Both of them — Dwelley and Charlie — seeing those guys play physical at the point of attack, it was fun.”
But that was practice. The game setting was another animal.
The Falcons’ pass rush failed to sack Dolphins quarterbacks Skylar Thompson and Mike White, but the two passers were hit seven times. Harrison had two, while Orhorhoro and Street led five players with one apiece.
Jarrett and Onyemata did not play, giving Morris an extended look at the rest of the room — and he saw a handful of players capitalize on the opportunity.
“You’re really excited about what some of those early guys did when it comes to Street and ‘TQ’ and Zach Harrison,” Morris said. “You’re able to get those guys in there and get those guys out and then you get some of your young guys and they have some extensive play like Dorlus and Ruke.
“That was a lot of fun to see those guys do those things, be able to rush the passers and do different things.”
Behind the defensive line in the middle of Atlanta’s defense is where linebackers J.D. Bertrand, Milo Eifler and Donavan Mutin spent Friday night.
Morris, asked postgame if he had any gut reactions about surprise players, said he wasn’t surprised because he sees the players each day and saw all of them get “good looks,” but the linebackers were the main group that impressed — especially Mutin.
“I will say those linebackers, inside linebackers, Mutin and those guys did a nice job of going out and really playing and playing physical, making some nice plays on defense and really stepping up a couple times there and giving us a chance to win the football game,” Morris said.
Mutin finished second on the team in tackles with six, and led all Falcons with five solo stops. Bertrand posted four tackles, tied with safety Micah Abernathy for third-best.
The Falcons did not play any of their three starting-caliber linebackers in Kaden Elliss, Nate Landman and Troy Andersen. Morris said Atlanta will be counting on that trio throughout the season ahead.
But on Friday night, the story was about those who played.
“You’ve got J.D. who you had really high hopes on, and at the end of the day, Mutin went out and played really well for us,” Morris said. “Those guys played well all across the board at the inside linebacker position. That’s fun to watch and that’s something good to see.”
In the secondary, Morris spoke highly of cornerback Kevin King, who intercepted a pass and broke up another in his first game since the 2021 season. But Morris also offered impromptu praise to another corner: Veteran nickel Antonio Hamilton.
“Pretty positive showing for him,” Morris said about King. “Went out and made a couple nice plays on the ball, got a nice pick. Pretty excited to see him go play. Got a chance to go see Kevin King really show some things and do some things really well for us.
“‘Ham’ had a nice night too also for us, other than the time he guessed that one out when he should have been a deep third, but other than that, he did a pretty good job. Pretty fired up about those guys.”
Morris and staff will get three chances — Monday, Wednesday and Thursday — to see their team practice this week before heading to Baltimore for a preseason bout with the Ravens.
The second preseason game is an important barometer to see which players took coaching points after the first game and ensuing practices, and it’s another key opportunity to prove oneself before cutdown day Aug. 27.
Atlanta and Baltimore are scheduled to play at noon Saturday inside M&T Bank Stadium.
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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