Knicks vs. Hawks: 4 matchups to watch, plus prediction of NBA first-round playoff series
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels in the second half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 2, 2026. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
There might have been a time when we could just list “point guard” or “shooting guard” and put the head-to-head matchup in place. But most teams, and particularly the Knicks and Hawks, present a much greater challenge, using all sorts of cross matches and specialists to try to counter the opposition. So we’ll focus here instead on what the real matchups are in this first-round NBA playoff series.
Jalen Brunson vs. Dyson Daniels' defense
This might seem like the headline matchup, the Knicks' captain and unstoppable scoring force against a player who openly takes on the challenge, believing he can be the Brunson stopper. Any coach will tell you, and maybe any honest player would, too, that one player cannot stop an elite offensive talent alone. Daniels is a skilled defender and has the size, too, at 6-7, to make things tough on Brunson. But when you acknowledge it that just puts bulletin board material up for Brunson.
“If Jalen Brunson comes down and bangs a few shots — that's probably going to happen — so you have to figure out where your tolerance is for some of those things,” Hawks coach Quinn Snyder told reporters Tuesday.
Last season Brunson was just 13-for-33 in the first two meetings against the Hawks. Then he scored 34 and 36 in the next two games, connecting on 25 of 39 shots. This season he’s averaged 29.3 points and even on his worst shooting night (11-for-26 on April 6) he scored 17 points in the final 6:13 of the game and finished with 30 and 13 assists.
He was 3-for-7 with Daniels as the primary defender that night. The problem for Daniels comes on the other end where he shot 18.8% from three, a non-threat on the perimeter allowing the Knicks to help elsewhere. EDGE: Knicks
Jalen Johnson vs. Knicks' wing defenders
The 6-8 wing earned his first All-Star appearance this season, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists, showing versatility to match his athleticism. It’s his fifth year in the NBA and he could earn an All-NBA spot. But he’s also making his first playoff start and facing an assortment of defenders built for this. OG Anunoby is the best matchup, but Josh Hart logged the most time defending him in the last meeting. In that game he was 2-for-7 shooting against Hart, 1-for-4 against Anunoby and 0-for-2 when Mikal Bridges was the primary defender. On defense, the Knicks managed a combined 6-for-10 when he was the primary defender. EDGE: Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns vs. the world
Let’s get this out of the way: Atlanta’s biggest weakness is they do not have a big man who can defend Towns. Onyeka Okongwu is athletic and presents his own issues on offense with a much improved and frequent three-point stroke to go along with his athleticism. But Towns' array of offensive skills are too much for Atlanta’s bigs. Towns is able to knock down long three-point field goals while also powering his way to the rim. The Knicks' use of him in the post at times later in the season could serve them well if the Hawks try to switch a wing onto him defensively.
Towns played well alongside Brunson in the postseason last year and since the All-Star break this season he has shown improvement in his offensive game and maybe just as important, on the defensive end. But he still has his detractors. Just flip on any show on any sports network and you’ll hear them. There is no better time to prove himself than now. EDGE: Knicks
Mikal Bridges vs. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Last season Bridges was under a microscope and shrugged off the attention and criticism and rose to help the Knicks reach levels in the postseason they hadn’t achieved in a quarter of a century. He then returned to the criticism this season as he just hasn’t lived up to the price the team paid in draft capital to get him. So does he rise again in the playoffs? The task is a tough one. Alexander-Walker has a real shot at the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in his first season with the Hawks and was unstoppable by Bridges and any other defender in the last meeting of the season. No one has made a bigger difference in the Hawks’ improvement this season. EDGE: Hawks
PREDICTION: Most of the Knicks' playoff success has centered around Brunson’s offensive brilliance and this one might, too. But the more experienced and accomplished Knicks squad could have an easier time in this series if some of the X-factors — Hart’s continued success shooting open threes, Mitchell Robinson’s board dominance and the Knicks' deeper bench — come through the Knicks could make quick work of this opening-round series. KNICKS IN 6
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
