The first round of the NBA playoffs is heating up. Three Game 3 matchups are on the schedule for Thursday, with two series tied 1-1. Let's take a look at the matchups for our best NBA picks & predictions for Knicks vs. Hawks.
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Thursday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions: Knicks vs. Hawks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks
The Knicks left New York with a sour taste in their mouths after blowing a 12-point lead headed into the fourth quarter of Game 2. The Knicks went cold in the fourth quarter and managed to produce just 15 points, allowing a flurry of good looks for Atlanta that resulted in the Hawks tying the series.
New York did not replicate their hot shooting from Game 1, but their rebounding advantage showed up again in a big way. The Knicks are a top-five team when it comes to rebounding the ball on both the offensive and defensive ends. This is a key area where they have a decided advantage over the Hawks. So long as they can continue to win the battle of the boards, the shooting will come back around as they were a top-10 team all season in three-point, mid-range and overall field-goal rate.
The Hawks played at a torrid pace all year. They ranked in the top four in the league in possessions per game, and although the first two games in New York were played at the Knicks' preferred pace, we should see something different with the home crowd in Atlanta backing the team.
The Knicks were a worse defensive team on the road all season by nearly every key metric. Atlanta can take advantage of that and score on this team behind a raucous home crowd. With the Knicks also poised for a better shooting performance than Game 2, I will be on the over for this key Game 3 matchup.
Pick: Over 216.5 Points (-108)
