Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks 12:00 2/4/2018 [Game #54]

rady

Administrator
Staff member

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(15-37) -- (23-30)

VenueTVTIME
Madison Square Garden, New York, NYMSG0 PM EST


Probable starters:


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Injury Report

Atlanta HawksNew York Knicks
DeAndre Bembrey - Left groin strain (OUT)Ron Baker - Right shoulder injury (OUT)
-Joakim Noah - Personal reasons (OUT)
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Game Preview

NEW YORK -- The Atlanta Hawks head to Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon for the rubber match of the teams' season series.

More importantly, the Hawks need to get their defense back on track.

Until its Jan. 26 game against Charlotte, Atlanta had allowed 119 or more points six times in their first 47 games. Including that game, a 121-110 Hornets win, the Hawks have allowed 119 or more in four of their last five, including a 119-110 loss at Boston on Friday.

"I mean, you can score, but at the end of the day you still got to get stops and we didn't do that today," Atlanta's Dennis Schroder said after the loss to the Hornets.

For the Knicks, defense has not been the primary problem. In fact, New York ranks in the top 12 in the NBA in points allowed (105.6) and rebounds (44.4).

But a stagnant offense led by a fading Kristaps Porzingis has averaged only 104.2 points per game this year. And things are getting worse.

New York has combined to score only 163 points in its last two games, losses at Boston and Milwaukee.

Porzingis, who ranked among the league's five best scorers in the early part of the season, has come undone. He scored a combined 33 points in the losses to the Bucks and Celtics and got little help from his running mates.

The Knicks' second-leading scorer, Tim Hardaway Jr., totaled 10 points in the two games on 2-of-24 shooting.

"My shots weren't falling," Hardaway told reporters after the 92-90 loss to the Bucks. "I put this on me. I put this one on my shoulders. I take all the blame for this."

In the team's first matchup, a 116-104 Hawks victory in Atlanta, New York's offense did well enough -- shooting 51 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 86 percent from the free-throw line -- but the Hawks had seven players in double figures, led by Dennis Schroder's 26 points. Porzingis had 28 points in the matchup and Hardaway 22, but with Enes Kanter out, New York's starting center Kyle O'Quinn had two points.

Sixteen days later in MSG, Porzingis scored 30 and Doug McDermott added 23 off the bench in a 111-107 Knicks win. In that game, New York led by 10 with six minutes left, only to watch the Hawks climb to within two with 20 seconds left before the Knicks closed it out.

"The bench stepped up tonight," coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters after the win. "That was huge for Doug; for us too. ... He attacked the basket. I thought we did a better job of getting downhill, getting down the lane and then kicking out. With the combination of Jarrett (Jack) and Ron (Baker) , Frank (Ntilikina) did some of that and Doug drove in there, so when we keep it spread out and we drive it, it gives a few more opportunities to shoot threes and get to the basket and maybe even get fouled."

(STATS / cbssports.com)
 
Thanks for the great game thread, Rady.

I think we take this one at home. As we all know, it would be great if Hornacek gave the young guys more minutes today, but we may very well see another round of DNPs for Burke, WHG, and Dotson.
 
With his recent struggles the last 2 games, will be interesting to see if THJ steps up against his former team.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Thanks for the Super Bowl Game-Thread Rady .... The 15-37 Atlanta Hawks giving opponent over 115 pts could mean a nice afternoon win for the Knicks today.
The way Tim Hardaway been shooting (2-24) the past two games i would put THJ on the DNP list today, so Dotson could get playingtime.
The way KP been performing the past 2 months if KP doesn't get 5 rebounds in 20 minutes on the court I'm benching KP the rest of the game for WHG.
When was the last game our TIRED KP had a double-double game?
Courtney Lee playingtime minute (35) has a lot to do with why the Knicks are (7-21) on the road.
Lance Thomas performance has been great for TANKING last season n this season .. The trio of Lance, Cee, and Hornacek's substitute coaching will be tied with the Hawks record at the end of the season for a 1-4 lottery pick if the Knicks dont get rid of the trio by the trading deadline.
 

tiger0330

Legend
KP 1-7 and THJ has not taken a shot, not liking how this game is starting. Knicks up 13-11 5mins left in the 1st.
 

tiger0330

Legend
Clyde just said what I was thinking THJ has lost confidence in his shot, different than the beginning of the season, today he seems to be hesitant to take a shot, took his first shot in the 2nd qtr.
 
Knicks trail by 8 late in the 1st half on their home court to arguably the worst team in the NBA. Geez.
 

tiger0330

Legend
First unit comes in and Hawks take their biggest lead 43-36. Knicks looked like clowns on a play where Hawks trap KP, his pass gets stolen but he gets it back and with a 2-1 advantage under the rim they turn it over on a pass out of bounds.

44-38 Hawks at the half. They look pathetic against a bad team at home.
 
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