{"id":190811,"date":"2026-04-19T17:22:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T21:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=190811"},"modified":"2026-04-19T17:22:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T21:22:18","slug":"hawks-must-fix-these-3-things-after-game-1-loss-to-knicks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/19\/hawks-must-fix-these-3-things-after-game-1-loss-to-knicks\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawks Must Fix These 3 Things After Game 1 Loss To Knicks"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Atlanta Hawks played their first playoff game since 2023 on Saturday. They fell to the New York Knicks, 113-102, in a raucous Madison Square Garden. The Hawks struggled to generate consistent half-court offense throughout the contest. Plus, New York’s physical brand of defense bothered Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/a> and Jalen Johnson<\/a>, the Hawks’ top two scorers, for most of the game.<\/p>\n

The Knicks did exactly what they were supposed to do: protect home court. If Atlanta wants to steal that advantage heading back to State Farm Arena, it must make key adjustments on both ends of the floor in Game 2.<\/p>\n

Hawks Must Fix These 3 Things After Game 1 Loss To Knicks<\/h2>\n

Hawks Lost the Game 1 Fastbreak Points<\/h3>\n

Atlanta consistently ranked inside the top five in pace throughout the 2025-26 campaign. The Hawks finished fifth in pace<\/a> this season and third in fastbreak points<\/a>, averaging 18.1 transition points per game. In contrast, the Knicks finished with the sixth-slowest pace in the league. The Hawks rely on easy buckets in transition off steals and pushing the ball up the floor quickly after securing a defensive rebound.<\/p>\n

However, New York edged Atlanta in fastbreak points, 22-13, in Game 1. The Knicks normally prefer playing a slow, grind-it-out half-court game. This allows Jalen Brunson<\/a> and Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> to carve up opposing defenses in the pick-and-roll\/pop. The Hawks cannot allow New York to win this category. The Knicks already have the advantage when it comes to half-court offense.<\/p>\n

If the Hawks make this a long series, they must win the fastbreak points more often than not. In the second half of Game 1, they fell into the Knicks’ trap of playing slower, more isolation-based basketball. While CJ McCollum<\/a>‘s shot-making in the first half kept the Hawks in the game, some of those same looks bounced off the rim in the second. He finished with 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting.<\/p>\n

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The Hawks shot just 41.9% from the field with 12 assists in the final two frames. Atlanta thrives off of ball movement and getting into its sets quickly while the defense is still getting back. It must find a way to speed up New York, which could lead to some turnovers and easy looks on the break.<\/p>\n

Hawks Must Prevent Switches on Jalen Brunson Screens<\/h3>\n

Brunson scored a game-high 28 points<\/a> on Saturday, including 19 in the first quarter. On the surface, some fans might say Dyson Daniels<\/a>, last season’s Most Improved Player<\/a>, had a poor defensive night against the Knicks star. However, according to Second Spectrum data, Brunson scored just two points when Daniels was his primary defender.<\/p>\n

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Per Second Spectrum data, Jalen Brunson scored 2 points in Game 1 when Dyson Daniels was tracked as the primary defender. https:\/\/t.co\/GNDllMjbm7<\/a><\/p>\n

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) April 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n