Atlanta, GA
Braves out-slug Twins for the second night in a row in 8-6 extra innings win
For the second night in a row, the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins brought us a wild baseball game. This one was much more dramatic but in the end, Atlanta’s lineup brought the boom for the second night in a row as they powered their way to an 8-6 win over Minnesota.
I’m very happy to report that the bats stayed alive for the Braves after last night’s explosion of offense at Target Field. Atlanta didn’t have to wait long to put some runs on the board against Simeon Woods Richardson, as the second inning was a productive one for Atlanta. Matt Olson led off the inning with a double and that eventually set the stage for Michael Harris II to come to the plate with one out and a chance at an RBI. Money Mike cashed in not just Olson but himself as well, as he hit a 109-mph laser that just about stayed fair and landed in the fair portion of the seats in the right field patio. The dinger made it 2-0 and while this wasn’t a huge explosion like what we saw last night, it was still very encouraging to see both Olson and Harris keep up the good work with their bats.
Meanwhile, the Twins weren’t having a ton of trouble getting men on base against Spencer Schwellenbach. In fact, the Twins got two runners in scoring position with two out after Carlos Santana and Ryan Jeffers hit a single and a double, respectively, to get things going with two outs. However, Schwellenbach was able to walk the tightrope by striking out Austin Martin to end the inning. The good news is that Schwellenbach kept the Twins off the board but he was also over 50 pitches through two innings, so it was readily apparent that he wasn’t going to get deep into tonight’s game.
The Twins continued to hassle Schwellenbach while he was out there, as Minnesota had a runner in scoring position in each inning that he was out there past the first inning. However, Schwellenbach was able to prevent Minnesota from getting the big hit that would’ve gotten them on the scoreboard. Matt Wallner doubled with two outs in the third but Schwellenbach induced a ground ball to get out of it.
Carlos Santana and Max Kepler made it to second and third base, respectively, with just one out on the board in the fourth. Fortunately, Scwhellenbach got out of it after Whit Merrifield made a circus catch for the second out and then he struck out Austin Martin again on a foul tip to keep the Twins off the board once again.
Spencer Schwellenbach had a bit more breathing room in the fifth inning but this would end up being the end of his night, regardless. He got the first two outs of the frame with no problem but we ended up seeing something pretty rare as Schwellenbach walked two (2) straight batters to reach 106 pitches and the end of his road. Dylan Lee was called upon to clean up the mess and he did just that, as he struck out Royce Lewis to keep the Twins off of the scoreboard once again. It was a short night in terms of innings pitched for Schwellenbach but he pitched admirably and was able to do his job in terms of keeping the Twins off of the scoreboard by hook or by crook.
It also helped that he had received some more run support before he exited the game. Atlanta’s half of the fifth inning started with Ramón Laureano hitting a leadoff single and then he was joined on the basepaths by Orlando Arcia after he coaxed a walk out of Simeon Woods Richardson. Those two then combined for one of the least-likely double steal combos that you could think of when it comes to this particular ballclub. After Jorge Soler walked with two outs to load up the bases, that was the end of the night for Woods Richardson and it was up to Jorge Alcala to deal with Marcell Ozuna.
Alcala failed at that task, as Ozuna sent one hurtling over Willi Castro at short and into the grass in left field for a two-out, two-RBI single that made it a 4-0 lead for the Braves. After Scwhellenbach and Lee teamed up to keep it a four-run lead, the obvious hope was that Atlanta could cruise to victory after that.
Sadly, things would get mighty close and mighty interesting once the seventh inning rolled around. Jesse Chavez took the baton in the sixth inning and pitched a scoreless frame, so Brian Snitker decied to try to get his bullpen a bit more rest by keeping Chavez out there for the seventh as well. That immediately backfired as the Twins proceeded to lay the BABIP smackdown upon Chavez as they started the seventh with a single, a double and a single to make it 4-2 Braves. Joe Jiménez was called upon to put the fire out by leaning upon his slider to get the three outs — with his slider basically proving to be unhittable for Carlos Santana. However, the Twins did cut the deficit to one run after Edouard Julien welcomed Jiménez to the game with an RBI double that made it 4-3 so this game went from being comfortable to nervy in a hurry.
The Twins weren’t done, either. After the Braves went down quietly in the seventh inning, it sure seemed like Joe Jiménez was going to follow suit with a three-up, three-down inning of his own. That was not the case, as Willi Castro hit a double that got past Ramón Laureano in right field and Brian Snitker gave Jiménez the hook and sent Raisel Iglesias out there to face Trevor Larnach. Iglesias should’ve sat down Larnach on three straight pitches but his 95-mph fastball that was right over the plate was called a ball to make it a 1-1 count. Iglesias then gave Larnach a changeup out of the zone and blooped it between Jarred Kelenic and Michael Harris II in left-center for a game-tying RBI single. Iglesias struck out Matt Wallner immediately afterwards but that was a lame consolation prize considering that the game was back to being tied.
Atlanta went down in order in the ninth inning as well and it was up to Iglesias to send the game into extra innings. Perhaps because he was feeling like he got jobbed out a bit in the eighth inning (or perhaps because he’s just really, really good right now), Iglesias went out there and retired the Twins in short order in the ninth inning, ensuring that this game would head to extras. While it was extremely frustrating to see a four-run lead go up in smoke in the way that it did, the Braves were still in the game and that was all that mattered at this point.
Iglesias’ work ended up paying off in spades because the Braves proceeded to put up a crooked number in the 10th inning. At first, it seemed like this was going to be a frustrating frame after Marcell Ozuna hit a double that caused Austin Martin to hit the deck on the warning track while trying to field it. The frustrating part came because Kelenic somehow managed to not score on the play. However, things turned in Atlanta’s favor right after it as Kelenic proceeded to charge for home plate on a grounder from Matt Olson. Kelenic went in headfirst and the throw was high anyways, so he scored and the Braves were back in the lead.
Atlanta kept right on pouring it on, since they were now in a situation where they had a actual runner in scoring position instead of the Manfred Runner. Travis d’Arnaud took advantage of the situation by smacking one right up the middle to plate pinch runner Luke Williams to make it a 6-4 game. With one out on the board, Ramón Laureano came to the plate looking to do some damage and he did just that, as he took a 102-mph heater from Jhoan Duran and sent it into the gap in right single for a two-RBI double that cracked the game open once again. Atlanta added two more baserunners after this to load up the bases with one out but Caleb Thielbar managed to get Whit Merrifield to GIDP to mercifully end the inning for the Twins.
Now it was on Pierce Johnson to finish things off and it seemed like things would go smoothly after he got Carlos Santana and Ryan Jeffers for the first two outs. The 10th inning served as a microcosm for how the entire game went, as the Twins absolutely refused to go gentle into that good night. Minnesota proceeded to string together three-straight two-out singles to make it an 8-6 game and also bring the winning run to the plate. Johnson’s struggles were understandable considering that this was his third appearance in four days and so it was obvious that he was running on fumes while trying to finish Minnesota off. Fortunately, he was able to make it past the finish line as he managed to strike out Matt Wallner to end the game and give the Braves another high-scoring win.
For the second night in a row, Atlanta’s bats were able to carry the team to victory and that is certainly an encouraging sign. The pitching can’t be elite every night, so it’s been good to see Atlanta’s offense get going like they have over the past couple of nights. This was another wild one but the lineup stepped up their game when they needed it in order to put themselves too far in front for the Twins to reach.
The Braves are now 12 games over .500 for the first time since May, they’ve won their third-straight series on the trot and now they’ll have Chris Sale going tomorrow as they try to pick up their first sweep since June. It starts at 7:40 p.m. ET once again and y’all had better be there (with ‘there’ being either the ballpark or in front of your TV or radio) for it!
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)
Atlanta child hunger rates rising
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is launching a retail fundraiser to combat a 70% surge in local food insecurity caused by rising inflation.
ATLANTA – One in six children in Atlanta will go hungry tonight, according to data from the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
The organization, which provides food for nearly 300,000 households every month, reports that the need for assistance in the community is both significant and expanding. Greg Sims, a representative of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said the pantry network has experienced a 70% increase in visitors over the last four years.
What they’re saying:
“Neighbors, kids, seniors, hard-working adults that are struggling to make ends meet and afford enough food,” Sims said. “We have seen 70 percent increase in neighbors visiting our pantry network over the last four years.”
Rising costs have forced many local families to make difficult financial trade-offs. Sims noted that inflation has played a major role in the growing demand for food assistance, as families often prioritize fixed costs over their grocery budgets.
“It’s easiest in budget to cut food you can’t cut utilities you can’t cut your rent, so what gets left off is food,” Sims said. “Parents may go skip meals so kids can eat that often-common coping.”
Local perspective:
To combat these rising numbers, the food bank is participating in the annual “Fight Hunger, Spark Change” campaign through May 3. The initiative raises funds when customers round up their totals or purchase specific products at Walmart or Sam’s Club locations. Officials confirmed that every dollar donated through the program stays within the local community.
“Last year’s campaign generated almost 400K to support our work, which in the end, abled us to provide more than a million meals to our community,” Sims said.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank currently partners with approximately 700 food pantries throughout the state to distribute resources. Sims emphasized that food insecurity can affect anyone, regardless of their circumstances or appearance.
“Folks all different backgrounds are dealing with food insecurity, and you may not know it looking at a person standing next to you in the shopping aisle,” Sims said. “We are here for you, and we have resources available to you.”
By the numbers:
- 1 in 6: The number of children in Atlanta who will go hungry tonight.
- 300,000: Households served by the food bank every month.
- 70%: The increase in pantry visitors over the last four years.
- 700: The number of food pantries throughout the state that partner with the food bank.
- $400,000: The amount generated by last year’s campaign to provide millions of meals.
What you can do:
The organization added that it is also in constant need of volunteers to support its daily operations. Learn more at https://www.acfb.org/
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which provided data on local hunger rates and campaign details, as well as Greg Sims, a representative for the organization who spoke about the impact of inflation on Georgia families.
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