(21-15) -- (15-19)
| Venue | TV | TIME |
| Madison Square Garden New York, NY | MSG | 3:30 PM EST |
Possible starters:
Injury Report
| Atlanta Hawks | New York Knicks |
| Kyle Korver Ankle rehabilitation (PROB) | Lou Amundson - Low Back Spasms (QUEST) |
| Thabo Sefolosha - Ankle rehabilitation (PROB) | Cleanthony Early - Injured Right Knee (OUT) |
| Tiago Splitter - Mild right calf strain (OUT) | - |
Game Preview
While the Atlanta Hawks have survived a slump from their best outside shooter, the New York Knicks hope their own scoring woes are close to dying off.
Kyle Korver will continue to search for his touch when the Hawks visit the ice-cold Knicks on Sunday in the second of three meetings in nine days.
Atlanta (21-13) will close its four-game series with New York (15-19) at Philips Arena on Tuesday night to conclude this home-and-home set.
The Hawks have won five of six meetings, including a 112-101 win at Madison Square Garden in late October and a 117-98 home victory Dec. 26.
The most recent was the last of six straight victories for the Hawks, whose streak ended with Monday's 93-87 loss at Indiana before they erased a 19-point deficit in a 121-115 win at Houston a night later.
Atlanta made 14 3-pointers against the Rockets even with 10 misses from Korver in his first career game without a 3 while attempting more than eight. Including his 0-for-8 night against Indiana, he's now gone two straight games without a 3-pointer for the first time since a four-game slump Jan. 13-17, 2012.
"Kyle was instrumental in letting us know to stay strong, keep playing and not get discouraged, and I honestly think that's what put us over the top," said Al Horford, who finished with season highs of 30 points and 14 rebounds. "I'll give him 10 more 3s, and I'll live with every one of them because he's our best option."
Korver is stuck in a 2-for-26 funk from long range in the last four, dropping his 3-point percentage to a career-low 36.4 one year after leading the league at 49.2.
He averaged 21.0 points while making 13 of 27 from downtown in three games against the Knicks during last season's All-Star campaign but has scored just 18 while making 4 of 10 from deep in this season's first two meetings - including three points Dec. 26.
Despite an overall cold night against the Pacers and Korver's struggles, the Hawks have shot 49.0 percent and averaged 109.6 points over their last eight. The stretch follows three straight losses in which they posted marks of 40.5 and 86.7.
They used a well-rounded effort against Houston with Kent Bazemore scoring 26 - more than his previous three games combined - while Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague each added 22. Millsap also had 13 rebounds, five blocks and four assists, while Teague had eight assists and three steals.
New York has experienced its own slump while losing five of six. The Knicks rebounded from a miserable start to erase a 17-point deficit at Chicago on Friday, but the finish was even worse in the 108-81 loss. They missed 17 of their final 19 shots for eight points in the final 12 minutes - the lowest fourth-quarter total in team history.
"It was just extremely frustrating to miss all those shots," rookie Kristaps Porzingis said. "And that just, missing those shots, I think our energy got a little low, and we just couldn't get good defensive stops."
After winning four straight behind 108.3 points per game in mid-December, New York is averaging 93.5 in its last six. The Knicks have finished at less than 40 percent shooting in three of those games.
Carmelo Anthony has still posted 22.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in four games since returning from a sprained right ankle that kept him out for one contest. Anthony has averaged 30.3 points in his last 12 against the Hawks, though he managed just 18 with 12 boards in the last matchup.
(nba.com)
