After one of the biggest wins of the Quin Snyder era of Hawks basketball, the Atlanta Hawks are in a tied series with one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and a chance to take the series lead against a raucous home crowd.
It won’t be easy for the Hawks to pull this off. Despite winning Game 2, the Knicks are still a more talented team on paper and they would have won that game if not for an incredible fade-away shot by CJ McCollum over OG Anunoby and a terrible shot by Mikal Bridges. Atlanta’s lack of size at center and overall depth at that spot reared its head throughout the matchup, and it’ll continue to be a problem for the series.
Obviously, the Hawks can still win the series irrespective of what happens tonight. However, their two best players – Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker – haven’t come alive yet and they’ll have the crowd on their side. That lines up nicely for a decisive Game 3 win in Atlanta if the Hawks can execute.
By the Numbers
Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
It’s a very small sample size, but it’s interesting to see how the Hawks’ offense has performed so far compared to the rest of the postseason bracket. Out of the 16 postseason teams, they are 9th in points, 5th in FG%, 8th in 3P%, 13th in FT%, 13th in rebounds (14th in OREB, 9th in DREB), 8th in assists, and 4th in turnovers per game. They’re 10th in offensive rating so far.
The defense has been a problem at times for the Hawks, but they held the Knicks to 32.4% shooting from deep in Game 2. They are 10th in points allowed, 11th in FG% allowed, 14th in 3P% allowed, 13th in rebounds allowed, 9th in steals, and 8th in blocks. They’re 13th in defensive rating thus far.
New York’s offense was very strong in Game 1 and faltered in Game 2 down the stretch. They are 5th in points, 7th in FG%, 4th in 3P%, 4th in FT%, 3rd in rebounds (12th in OREB, 1st in DREB), 12th in assists, and 3rd in turnovers per game. They’re 4th in offensive rating in the playoffs.
They’ve had no answer for CJ McCollum, but the Knicks have largely held up against the Hawks’ offense well. They are 7th in points allowed, 11th in FG% allowed, 9th in 3P% allowed, 4th in rebounds allowed, 11th in steals, and 8th in blocks. They’re 8th in defensive rating thus far.
Strategic Changes in Game 2
Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) rebounds against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half of the 2026 NBA Playoffs in front of forward Jalen Johnson (1) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Earlier in the series, I suggested that it might be worth considerating an elevation of Jonathan Kuminga to the starting lineup and bringing CJ McCollum off the bench. Given McCollum’s play in the first two games, that would not be a smart decision for head coach Quin Snyder to make. However, Snyder did make a good call by using Kuminga as the defender on KAT rather than Onyeka Okongwu or Mo Gueye. Kuminga isn’t as tall as those players, but he’s a lot stronger and more physical. His defense on Towns in the fourth quarter was critical to Atlanta’s win while also being responsible for two steals and a blocked shot. It’ll be interesting to see if Snyder continues to utilize this matchup in Game 3.
One of the worst blunders either coach made was Knicks head coach Mike Brown’s decision to leave a lineup without Karl-Anthony Towns or Jalen Brunson in the game for 4 minutes. It ground the Knicks’ offense to a standstill while placing an unnecessary burden on the Brunson/KAT duo to bail the Knicks out when checking back into the games. Brown’s decision is one of the biggest reasons why New York lost Game 2 and he should be looking to avoid that mistake in Game 3.
Speaking of offensive creation beyond Brunson and KAT, the offensive process that led to Mikal Bridges getting the last shot in Game 2 doesn’t make sense. He’s been known for his defense all year and the shooting comes and goes. Tonight was definitely a night where the Hawks were able to limit his impact. They’ll need to continue doing that throughout the series as Bridges has been a critical postseason player for the Knicks as recently as last year.
What To Expect in Game 3
Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) controls the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nickeil Alexander-Walker hasn’t quite had the series his regular season performance would have suggeted, but the good news is that he has two games in front of the home crowd to get back into the series. Alexander-Walker should be looking to get downhill while potentially having the benefit of some favorable reffing at home. A big game for NAW in Game 3, especially given his slow start to the series, seems likely.
Josh Hart has come up big for the Knicks at several points throughout the playoffs, but grabbing a combined 27 rebounds through the first two games cannot be allowed to continue. Even though the Hawks are light at center, they do have several good rebounders on the roster in Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Mo Gueye and even Zaccharie Risacher. It’s high time they prioritized matching New York’s rebounding from the non-center spot with increased effort and better timing.
While Kuminga gave them good minutes on KAT in Game 2, I would be somewhat surprised if the Hawks counted on the same strategy working twice with great results. Mixing up the coverage on Brunson rather than just using Dyson Daniels has worked well, so it’ll be interesting to watch and see whether the Hawks guard KAT with a combination of Dyson/Kuminga/Okongwu or devote mostly one defender towards stopping him all game. OG Anunoby has quietly also had a really strong series and it might be worth alternating defensive coverages in order to slow him down. Perhaps it would make sense for Kuminga to step in to guard Anunoby, thereby freeing Johnson to roam off of Josh Hart to provide some rim deterrence as a help defender. Either way, the strategy for how they defend KAT, Brunson and Anunoby will be critical to their chances in Game 3.
How to Watch
Here is how you can watch tonight’s game:
Tip-off time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Where to Watch: Prime Video
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