Atlanta, GA
Instant Takeaways From A Historic Atlanta Hawks Win Over The Sacramento Kings
The Atlanta Hawks pulled this win off because they have the two best players in the game and the Kings don’t have anything close.
While that may sound fairly obvious, it was noticeable because there’s an argument to be made that the Hawks let their foot off the pedal for long stretches of the game and played down to their competition. The Kings made it a game despite the injuries by leaning into the drive-and-kick game, making their open threes and doing their best to keep up with the Hawks in transition. However, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were too good.
With the game tied at 97-97, Atlanta went on a 20-6 run to take definitive control of the game behind superstar performances from their two best players. Johnson had 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds while burying several momentum threes when the Hawks needed him most. However, NAW was more consistent from start to finish. He scored 27 points on just 14 shots, hitting 4/9 from deep and going a perfect 9-9 from the charity stripe.
Sacramento gave it their all despite the injuries and got a vintage performance from DeMar DeRozan with 22 points on 9-18 shooting and even two threes. Daeqwon Plowden, Killian Hayes and Maxime Raynaud all had good games as well in order to give the Kings some life. Ultimately, though, the NBA is defined by star power and the Hawks had more of it tonight.
Sluggish To Start
The Hawks were missing a few names tonight, but there’s no real excuse for the way that they played tonight to start. They let the Kings control the first quarter and then had to claw their way back with four minutes left in the second quarter. Precious Achiuwa started the game out strong, scoring 12 points in the first half, and Maxime Raynaud had some nice moments on offense. However, it was a pretty poor effort on defense for the Hawks and they needed to turn things around in order to get back into the game.
Even so, ending the first half by shooting 33% from deep and only holding a 30-28 advantage in point paints was uninspiring from Atlanta. Onyeka Okongwu’s absence definitely lingered, but it wasn’t a terrible start from Jock Landale. Landale chipped in 12 points and six rebounds, posting a team-high +23 alongside Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He finished the game with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, coming alive in the fourth quarter and burying a huge momentum three-pointer. However, the Christian Koloko minutes went terribly for Atlanta. He was a -11 in just six minutes. With Okongwu gone, their struggles on the defensive glass have been evident and it’s going to be a flaw they have to work around for the rest of the season.
Zacch Attack Back
Zaccharie Risacher is still one of the best shooters on the Hawks when he’s feeling it and tonight was a great example of that. He scored 10 points in 11 first-half minutes while nailing two threes. It provided a nice counterpoint to Johnson and NAW. His off-ball movement also played a role in the Hawks getting 20 assists in the first half. Atlanta’s done a great job of not letting the ball get stuck in most of their games this season, but that wasn’t necessarily true against the Celtics. They rectified those mistakes early.
He was a lot more quiet in the second half, but the Hawks really needed him in the first half to keep them in the game and he stepped up despite the lack of heavy minutes.
No Daniels, Hawks Scramble
Although it’s very possible to argue that Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also a contender for this title, Dyson Daniels has quietly been the second-most important player for the Hawks this season. There is no one on the team who brings his combination of passing, rebounding and defense. Even though the Hawks got 10 steals to the Kings’ five and passed the ball well tonight on the whole, their defensive communication was off for a lot of the night. The Kings got great minutes out of Killian Hayes and the overall operation looked very sloppy tonight because they didn’t have Daniels helping to organize things. His presence also makes a big difference for Jalen Johnson. Johnson quietly had to fight for a lot of his points tonight and got visibly frustrated at multiple points in the game.
Leaving Daequon Plowden wide open to tie the game with eight minutes in the fourth quarter is an excellent example of the little things that Daniels adds to the Hawks. His game runs completely contrary to the idea that a player must be a passable shooter from deep in order to add value on the court.
Mastering the Margins
The Hawks got the performances they needed from their stars, but they also did a good job of taking care of the details by the end of the game. It wasn’t a complete effort all the way, but it was encouraging to see the Hawks win the possession battle. They only had 12 turnovers to Sacramento’s 15 and ended up tying the Kings with 27 defensive rebounds apiece after a shaky start on the glass.
On defense, they stole the ball ten times and ran the floor well in transition. The lack of a paint advantage was noticeable – the Kings out-scored them in the paint by a 56-44 margin. However, it ended up not making much of a difference because they took care of everything else.
It’s a good win for the Hawks, but a much stiffer test comes up on Monday in the re-match against the Celtics. This is an important game for the Hawks due to the 76ers beating Charlotte and keeping possession of the seventh seed. They’ll have plenty of competition for the No. 6 seed down the stretch and the Eastern Conference matchups are going to loom large in April.
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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