Knicks Face Surging Hawks in Tricky Playoff Matchup

Atlanta's hot streak since trading Trae Young poses a challenge for New York in the first round.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 11:40am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a basketball game between the Knicks and Hawks, with the players and court broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape.The Knicks face a surging Hawks team in the first round, posing a tougher challenge than their originally anticipated matchup.NYC Today

The New York Knicks were hoping for an easier first-round playoff matchup against the Toronto Raptors, but instead will face the surging Atlanta Hawks after the Hawks opted to rest their starters in their final regular season game. The Hawks have won 19 of their last 23 games since trading away star player Trae Young, making them a much tougher opponent for the Knicks than the Raptors would have been.

Why it matters

The Knicks were hoping for an easier path to advance in the playoffs, but now face a Hawks team that has been one of the league's hottest teams since making a major midseason trade. This could make the Knicks' road to the second round much more difficult than anticipated.

The details

The Hawks had the opportunity to clinch the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Miami Heat in their final regular season game. However, the Hawks opted to rest their starters, leading to a loss. This set up a first-round matchup between the No. 3 Knicks and the No. 6 Hawks, rather than the Knicks facing the No. 7 Raptors, a team they had already beaten five times this season by double-digit margins.

  • The Knicks and Hawks will face off in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series this weekend.

The players

Trae Young

The former star player for the Atlanta Hawks, who was traded away earlier in the season.

Knicks

The No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Hawks

The No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, who have been one of the league's hottest teams since trading away Trae Young.

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The takeaway

The Knicks' path to the second round of the playoffs just got a lot tougher, as they will now face a surging Hawks team that has been one of the league's best since making a major midseason trade. This could make for a challenging first-round matchup for New York.