Knicks‑Hawks Game 3
- Knicks and Hawks are tied 1‑1 as the series moves to Atlanta for Game 3 at State Farm Arena tonight. - Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and betting markets show the matchup as essentially a pick ’em. - The game is framed as a leverage point to grab series control after two split home games ( ).
New York and Atlanta play Game 3 on Thursday night with the first-round series even at one game each and home court shifting to State Farm Arena. (nba.com) Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Eastern in Atlanta, and the NBA lists Prime Video as the broadcaster for the game. USA Today’s betting line had Atlanta favored by 1 point as of Thursday, a sign that bookmakers see the matchup as close to even. (nba.com, sportsbookwire.usatoday.com) The split came through two one-possession swings in New York. The Knicks won Game 1, 113-102, behind 28 points from Jalen Brunson and 25 from Karl-Anthony Towns, then lost Game 2, 107-106, when C.J. McCollum scored 32 and Atlanta erased a 12-point deficit after three quarters. (espn.com, espn.com) Game 3 is the pivot point in a best-of-seven series because the winner moves within two victories of advancing and forces the loser to chase the rest of the matchup. The NBA schedule has Game 4 back in Atlanta on Saturday, April 25, before a return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Tuesday, April 28. (nba.com) The seeding says this should be tight. New York finished 53-29 and earned the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, while Atlanta went 46-36 and took the No. 6 seed after a 20-6 run following the All-Star break. (espn.com, espn.com) Atlanta’s early edge has come from McCollum’s shot creation late in games. NBA.com’s preview said McCollum’s 32-point Game 2 helped spark the Hawks’ fourth-quarter comeback, and coach Quin Snyder said he liked the guard’s “leadership” with the ball in his hands. (nba.com) New York’s pressure point is its late-game offense after scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2. Knicks coach Mike Brown said after that loss that his team “got the ball in the right people’s hands down the stretch” but did not convert. (nba.com) The recent history between these teams has been narrow even outside the playoffs. The Knicks won the last regular-season meeting, 108-105, on April 6, while Atlanta beat New York 111-99 on Jan. 2 and lost 128-125 on Dec. 27. (nba.com) Thursday night gives Atlanta its first home playoff game of the series and gives New York its first road test in it. After two games decided by a combined 12 points, Game 3 is where the series stops looking theoretical and starts belonging to one side. (nba.com, sportsbookwire.usatoday.com)
