Hawks vs Knicks, Game 5 | NBA Betting Lines

The New York Knicks had a banner season under Coach Tom Thibodeau, but it could come to an end as soon as Wednesday night if they lose Game 5 of their Eastern Conference playoff series at home to the Atlanta Hawks. However, oddsmakers favor the Knicks slightly on the NBA odds.

How to Bet Hawks at Knicks NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio:com

Why Bet on Atlanta? | NBA Betting Lines

Atlanta needs just need to win one more game to advance to face the winner of the 76ers vs. Wizards series. Coach Nate McMillan has only won one career playoff series as a coach in nine chances. His lone series victory came during the 2005 playoffs when he was with the Supersonics.

The Hawks had little trouble taking a 3-1 series lead with a 133-96 home win over the Knicks on Sunday. Trae Young hit 9-of-21 shots and four 3-pointers for 27 points along with nine assists. Young struggled with shooting the ball from three-point range as he made only 28.6 percent of shots from deep off 14 attempts. The guard only played 33 minutes as he picked up three early fouls in the first half, and then in the second half, the game became a blowout in the fourth quarter.

Clint Capela finished Game 4 with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Capela was one of three Hawks starters to play fewer than 30 minutes (28), but he didn’t need extensive time to notch his second straight double-double. He’s grabbed at least 12 rebounds in four straight games.

John Collins came through with 22 points, Danilo Gallinari came through with 21 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 12 points, eight boards, six assists and two steals in the win.

Capela acknowledged how New York has attempted to bully the Hawks so far in this series, but it hasn’t worked, and he doesn’t think that will change in Game 5: “They’re trying to play tough and push our guys around and talk ****, but we can do that too. We can push guys around too and talk **** as well and get a win too, so what are you going to do about it? We’re coming to your home to win this game again and send you on vacation.”

The Hawks are looking to advance to the second round for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Why Bet on New York? | NBA Betting Lines

The Knicks haven’t won a playoff series since 2013 and it’s not looking good here. In Sunday’s loss, Julius Randle tallied 23 points, 10 boards, seven assists, two steals and five turnovers. It was the time in this series that Randle has scored more than 15 points. Randle shot just 7-of-19 from the floor, as he continues to struggle on the offensive end.

Randle has come crashing back down to earth in the playoffs, averaging 16.8 points while shooting just 27.4% from the floor and 33.3% from downtown. He could be worn out as Randle averages the most minutes per game in the NBA this season at 37.6. Tom Thibodeau has a history of this, as Luol Deng averaged the most minutes in back-to-back seasons stretching from 2011-2013.

“I have to be a lot better. I need to continue to be a lot better. This is all a learning experience. I need to get better individually, we need to get better as a team,” Randle said.

R.J. Barrett racked up 21 points, six rebounds and four assists in Sunday’s loss. RJ shot 8-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe in his best game of the series, by far, but New York was blown out nonetheless.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau hinted that Obi Toppin could see increased minutes in Game 5. Toppin has been one of the few bright spots for the Knicks in their first-round series. In Game 4 on Sunday, he scored 13 points (on 5-of-8 shooting) and grabbed three rebounds in 19 minutes. He’s just the fourth Knick rookie to score more than a dozen points in a playoff game over the last 35 years. The other four are Chris Copeland, Pablo Priginoni, Greg Anthony and Mark Jackson.

The only team that’s had a worse offense than the Knicks in these playoffs is the one that’s already been eliminated: Miami.

Longtime Knicks announcer and franchise icon Marv Albert will be on hand to call the game for TNT, his first in-person non-exhibition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He did call the All-Star Game in person, but has otherwise been remote. The legendary broadcaster recently announced his retirement at the end of the year.

The Knicks have played much better at home this series, taking game two after losing on the final possession in the series opener, but if they are to overcome the 3-1 deficit and advance, they will have to win a game on the road.