Game Thread: Hawks vs Knicks – Complete Game Day Info (Starters, Injury Report, Series Notes, etc.)
By David Menze
The Atlanta Hawks look to rebound from last night’s embarrassing home finale and finish out the season on a winning note as they play their last game against the New York Knicks in the World’s Most Famous Arena.
The Knickerbockers got some disappointing news earlier Wednesday as veteran big man Rasheed Wallce announced his NBA retirement. Wallace played in 21 games this season with New York but missed most of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot.
Atlanta is in danger of being swept as they’ve dropped the previous two games against NY this season 106-104 on Jan. 27 in MSG and on April 3 in ATL 95-82.
The Hawks are catching a break tonight as the Knicks will be resting soon-to-be NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby and A’mare Stoudemire.
However, Atlanta will also rest Al Horford, Josh Smith, Kyle Korver and Devin Harris. None of them played at all in the second half of yesterday’s game against Toronto. Horford didn’t even suit up and Josh Smith went to the locker room halfway during the game and returned to the bench with his knees heavily wrapped with ice.
The Hawks entered the game with control of the five seed, sitting a half game ahead of the Bulls, but slipped in the standings with the loss and now hold sixth place.
In order for them to regain the fifth, they need to win tonight and Chicago needs to lose at home against the woeful Washington Wizrds.
However, the Bulls keep the five seed if they win.
Which ever team gets #5 will have to play fourth-place Brooklyn, while #6 plays third-place Indiana.
With all of that said, Atlanta definitely wants the six seed. Not because they prefer Indiana over Brooklyn (they split the season series with both teams), it’s because the winner of the #3 vs #6 series avoids a matchup with the first-place Miami Heat in the second round.
So, in that case… let’s go Knicks?
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Quick Facts
Who?: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks
What?: Season Finale (Game #82, Road Game #41)
Where?: Madison Square Garden (Manhattan, NY)
When?: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 – 8:00 PM (ET)
How?: ATL — SportSouth HDTV / 680 AM & 93.7 FM … NY — MSG HDTV / 98.7 FM
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Projected Starting Lineups:
Atlanta Hawks:
PG: Shelvin Mack | SG: John Jenkins | SF: DeShawn Stevenson | PF: Anthony Tolliver | C: Ivan Johnson
New York Knicks:
PG: Raymond Felton | SG: Iman Shumpert | SF: James White | PF: Chris Copeland | C: Earl Barron
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Injury/Inactive Players Report
Atlanta Hawks: Josh Smith (sore legs), Kyle Korver (rest), Devin Harris (foot), Al Horford (sore left shoulder) is doubtful. Zaza Pachulia (Achilles surgery) and Lou Williams (torn right ACL) are out.
New York Knicks: Jason Kidd (old), J.R. Smith (rest), Carmelo Anthony (sore left shoulder), Tyson Chandler (bulging disc), Kenyon Martin (sprained left ankle), Marcus Camby (left plantar fasciitis) and Amar’e Stoudemire (right knee debridement) are out.
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Current Records/Streak & Hot, Lukewarm, or Cold
Records: Atlanta Hawks (44-37) … New York Knicks (53-28)
Streaks: Atlanta Hawks –> OVERALL: Lost 1 / HOME: Lost 1 / ROAD: Won 1 … New York Knicks –> OVERALL: Lost 1 / HOME: Won 9 / ROAD: Lost 1
Home/Away Records: Hawks are (19-21) away … Knicks are (30-10) at home.
Atlanta Hawks: Cold. Hawks have lost four of last six.
New York Knicks: Hot. Knicks going for 10th straight home win.
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Season/Past Season Series
Atlanta closes the regular season with a visit to New York in the third-of-three contests with the Knicks. The Knicks have won the first two matchups between the teams this season, nipping Atlanta 106-104 in New York on 1/27 and defeating the Hawks 95-82 in Atlanta on 4/3. Jeff Teague is averaging 21.0 points and 7.5 assists on .560 FG% versus New York this season, while Kyle Korver is putting up 19.0 points and 6.5 rebounds on .545 FG% and .500 3FG%. The Knicks currently own a three-game winning streak in the series and have also taken three-in-a-row in New York. Atlanta’s last win was a 100-90 home triumph on 3/30/12, with their last road win coming on 11/27/10 (99-90). The Hawks lead the all-time series 184-167, but have a 59-87 record at New York
LAST MEETING — KNICKS 95, HAWKS 82 — PHILIPS ARENA (ATLANTA, GA) — 4/3/13
Tied at 68 after three quarters, Atlanta couldn’t make the plays in the fourth, getting outscored 27-14 in the period. The Hawks committed seven turnovers in the final frame leading to 12 Knicks points. Atlanta finished the night with 16 total miscues (for 22 New York points), while the visitors had 11 turnovers (leading to 14 Hawks points). Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 40 points for the visitors and J.R. Smith had 19. Kyle Korver paced Atlanta with 25 points (season-high 9-14 FGs, 6-10 3FGs, 1-1 FTs), while Jeff Teague added 15 points (also nine assists) and Josh Smith 10. The Knicks shot .519 from the floor for the game and the Hawks hits .485, but made only 9-19 FTs (.474).
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Common Threads
Hawks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson spent the last four years as a Knicks assistant. Knicks head coach Mike Woodson served as the Hawks’ coach from 2004-10, compiling 206 wins. Rasheed Wallace played one game for Atlanta in 2003-04. Knicks assistant coach Jim Todd is a former Hawks assistant. DeShawn Stevenson, Jason Kidd, Steve Novak and Tyson Chandler all played together with Dallas in 2010-11. Johan Petro, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith were all teammates in Denver (part of 2008-09 and 2009-10). Iman Shumpert played his college ball at Georgia Tech.
Information was used from the Hawks and Knicks official gamenotes