After a hiccup in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, the Atlanta Hawks toppled the New York Knicks in back-to-back games at State Farm Arena over the weekend. As a result, the Hawks lead the first round series by a 3-1 margin as the scene shifts back to Manhattan on Wednesday, and the Knicks must find their footing in order to avoid a hasty elimination.
Hawks big man Clint Capela provided some potential bulletin board material for the Knicks on Tuesday but, aside from that, New York must find answers on the offensive end. The Knicks are scoring only 103.1 points per 100 possessions in the series, and that won’t cut it, even while acknowledging New York is holding Atlanta below its regular season offensive efficiency. Julius Randle enjoyed a tremendous season, but the All-Star forward is shooting just 27 percent in the series, and the Knicks will need Randle, RJ Barrett, and Derrick Rose to carry a considerable offensive workload in Game 5.
For Atlanta, Trae Young has been a revelation in the series, continuing his stellar play from the regular season under the brightest of lights. Young is averaging 27.5 points and 10.0 assists against the Knicks, and he appears to be in total control offensively. The Hawks also put high-level shooting on the floor most of the time, with Atlanta catching fire to the tune of a 47 percent three-point clip in their two home games. Though the Hawks are unquestionably favored in the series, they also may have some urgency in Game 5, as the Knicks have home-court advantage and any signs of life in front of a raucous crowd could provide optimism for New York to generate a comeback.
From a betting standpoint, Game 4 went Over the total of 208.5 points and Atlanta covered the closing point spread of 5 points as a favorite.
Game 5 TV Info
Tip Time: Wednesday, June 2; 7:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT
Game 5 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Series Prices: Hawks (-1430), Knicks (+700)
Spread: Knicks -1.5 (-112), Hawks +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over 208 (-112), Under 208 (-109)
Money Line: Knicks (-121), Hawks (+102)