The Emirates NBA Cup has done much of what it was intended to.
The games have built-in intrigue due to the key role that point differential plays in figuring out the tournament’s landscape beyond the first round. Players have also shown interest thanks in large part to the bonus money that can help themselves or a teammate.
And then you can end up with some fairly notable matchups just like the Hawks have in their first matchup of the knockout round.
The Hawks will visit the New York Knicks on December 11.
The Hawks, or more specifically three-time All-Star Trae Young, and the Knicks have developed quite the rivalry.
It began when the Hawks star took over during the 2021 first-round playoff series between the two teams. Young averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists during the series and had one of the more iconic non-basketball play moments of his still-young career.
While walking past Young, Knicks big man Nerlens Noel bumped the Hawks star.
Former Hawks veteran Solomon Thomas took care of Noel as he passed him heading to the bench. Young had already shaken it off and has lived rent-free in Knicks fans’ heads ever since.
Nerlens Noel gives Trae Young a nice bump at the Half.
— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNation) June 3, 2021
Probably why Solomon Hill reacted the way he did. pic.twitter.com/TOsMEpGM35
The Hawks have won the last two meetings between the two teams, including their lone matchup so far this season. That was a five-point game that the Hawks won without Bogdan Bogdanovic or De’Andre Hunter, both of whom have since returned to the rotation.
The stage is set for another exciting matchup.
Giannis Antetokounmpo on a mission for surging Bucks
In another 2021 playoffs rematch, the Hawks are catching the Bucks at the worst time of the 2024-25 season. After getting out to a 2-8 start, the Bucks have gone 9-1 and are going for their eighth straight win on December 4.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is also on a tear.
He is averaging 33.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG with 8.2 assists and 1.9 blocks per game during their current streak.
Giannis' midrange game has become unfair.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 4, 2024
He's got 27 points on a perfect 10/10 shooting! pic.twitter.com/TYv2SK629d
The Hawks have had some success with Onyekoa Okongwu on Antetokounmpo. But they have lost two straight games to the Bucks and were on the wrong side of the ledger in three of the last four meetings between the two teams.
They also lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Bucks after taking a 2-0 series lead after Young’s injury.
It has been a rocky journey for the Hawks ever since.
In that respect, this is an opportunity for the Hawks to exorcise some of those demons as they look for their fifth straight victory. But they also have even more to keep an eye on following Tuesday’s slate of games.
Hawks draft pick tracker
If fans have missed it, Soaring Down South will be tracking the status of the Hawks’ potential 2025 draft capital. They will not have their pick. They sent that to the San Antonio Spurs in 2022 for Dejounte Murray.
They have two other picks; one from the Los Angeles Lakers via the New Orleans Pelicans from the second Murray trade and the other from the Sacramento Kings (Kevin Huerter).
The Lakers were idle on Tuesday but the Kings beat the Houston Rockets 120-111.
That did not drop their pick from its’ projected No. 11 slot, though. Notably, the Hawks and Lakers both saw movement despite being inactive on Tuesday. The Hawks went from 12th in the overall standings to 13th but their draft pick (owed to SAS) remains at No. 17 for now.
However, the Lakers pick saw significant movement, going from 19th to 14th as the team fell from 10th to 11th in the league standings.