By Daniel Feuerstein | New York, NY | April 13th, 2026
The 2025-26 regular season is over, and now it’s time for the New York Knicks to make a run in the NBA Playoffs, as they open their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, beginning at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 18th. If this series is going to be a battle like the three games this season between these two teams, then this series might go the distance, or will the Knicks be too much to handle and make this a quick one before heading to the next round?
Regular Season Recap
The Knicks played three games in the regular season against the Hawks, going two and one as they won both games on the road in Atlanta while losing at home. The two road wins at State Farm Arena had the Knicks edging the Hawks by three points, especially in their last game on April 6th, when the Hawks almost tied the game on a late shot from midcourt, but the shot was just behind the buzzer, and the backboard lit up while still in the hand of the player, but the Knicks lost at the Garden by 12 on January 2nd.
Trey Young Traded
The last time the Knicks played the Hawks in the playoffs, Trae Young was on the team, and he faced R.J. Barrett, Emmanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose, Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, and Alec Burks. The Knicks lost in five. After that series began, the Jalen Brunson era began to bring the Knicks back to importance in the NBA. Young was traded on January 7th to the Washington Wizards for C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert to get younger and more dynamic, while Young was suffering a quad injury.
What the Knicks need to do
The most important improvement the Knicks must make is to start right away and not get off to a poor start. They have been guilty of poor starts, and that forced them to play catch-up all game long. While they have made the fourth quarter their best quarter of the games, they can’t have slow starts. They must be ready to go once the opening tip is ready to go. They must be dominant at The Garden and on the road at State Farm Arena. Their improved defensive effort has made them more difficult to play against when the opposition has the ball.
The Villanova Three, along with Towns and Anunoby, must continue their spectacular play under Head Coach Mike Brown. But for Mike Brown, what he needs to do is to use his bench players in important moments when the starters need their rest. Big minutes must be given to Landry Shamet, Deuce McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Mohamed Diawara to balance the team to be competitive and dangerous. Hopefully, Tyler Kolic can make a return from the I.R. to improve the Knicks during the playoffs.
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