Knicks Pregame Preview: vs. Atlanta Hawks
Knicks Pregame Preview vs. Atlanta Hawks; November 10th, 2014
The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks will finish their home-and-home tonight at Madison Square Garden. The Hawks took the first meeting Saturday night, defeating the Knicks 103-96 in a disappointing loss for the Knicks. It will take a full game, not just a half, to beat the Hawks this time around. Here are some things to watch for when the Knicks and Hawks tip off.
Nov 8, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) is grabbed by New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Knicks 103-96. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Matchup to Watch: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Millsap
Derek Fisher made yet another change to his starting lineup for Saturday, moving Anthony to the power forward. That makes the starting power forward matchup the one to watch Monday. Can Anthony put together a full game and carry the Knicks to a victory, ending their four game losing streak? Or will Millsap once again be a monster on the boards, and one of the driving forces in slowing Anthony down and throwing the Knicks’ offense out of sync.
-Three Point Shooting
On Saturday, the three-point shooting was extremely efficient by both teams. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the Hawks got the timely ones. The Knicks defense was lost too often, as their rotations were poor at times. They also leave the wrong players open, as the Hawks constantly found Kyle Korver, one of the best shooters in the NBA, en route to six three-point makes. Can the Knicks lock down the perimeter? Currently, they are the best shooting team from the three point line offensively and the worst at defending it. That has never happened in the history of the NBA.
-Free Throw Disparity
On Saturday, the free throw disparity was laughable, and the biggest reason for the Hawks pulling out the victory. In Atlanta, the Knicks free throw attempts were more than tripled in the game; they attempted 11 while the Hawks took 36. The Knicks have to find a way to get to the foul line with more consistency, as they lost the game Saturday as the Hawks got easy points at the foul line and the Knicks failed to get their offense going again in the second half.
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-Turnovers
On Saturday it was a tale of two halves for the Knicks, as they dominated the first half but faltered in the second. One of the reasons for the poor second half was turnovers. The Knicks spacing and ball movement that was so fluid and precise in the first half went out the window in the second half. They ended up turning the ball over 15 times, which the Hawks turned into 17 points. On the flip side, the Hawks turned it over only nine times, which the Knicks turned into 12 points. If you flip those numbers, it is a victory for the Knicks, not the Hawks, Saturday night.