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Knicks Prepare for Slumping Trae Young and Hawks

The New York Knicks (13-15) are looking to continue their winning momentum against a team that’s in the middle of a slump.

The Knicks enter Monday with back-to-back wins over Washington and Houston. They’ll be hosting an Atlanta Hawks team looking to shake off their recent struggles.

February just hasn’t been the Hawks’ month. They lost six of their last seven games, including three straight, dropping them to an 11-15 record.

The two teams previously met on January 4th, with the Knicks enjoying a comeback victory to win 113-108 on the road.

The Knicks’ league-best three-point defense, which allows opponents to shoot just 31.4% from long range, will have to channel a strong performance on Monday.

Slowing down Young will be vital, as he’s their main catalyst, but keep an eye out for other shooters like Cam Reddish, Danilo Gallinari, and Kevin Huerter. Even big man John Collins is capable of pulling up from deep.

According to NBA.com, the Hawks shot 40.9% from long range throughout their 11 wins this season. However, that clip drops to an even worse 31.7% clip during their losses.

Preventing Young or those secondary scorers from finding a rhythm offensively will be important.

Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose, and Obi Toppin have been the main contributors off the bench, leading a secondary unit that put up 49 points in the win over Washington, followed by a 58-point showing in the victory over Houston.

It’s been a welcomed change of pace, especially since the Knicks’ bench was performing in the middle of the pack. The Knicks currently average 34.8 points per game (18th in the NBA).

Before, the bench was almost singlehandedly held together by Quickley, but more contributors provide some added relief when the starters need a break or the team needs a spark.

Jamaaliver wrote:Tweet that sums up the Hawks 1st Half adequately:

Spoiler:

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jayu70 wrote:Reddish and Huerter 1 of 8 - can we get some offense from our starting wings?
Skylar Mays taking advantage of his minutes.

Spud2nique wrote:Tough game. I don’t know. I sound like a broken record but we are young and these are the growing pains? No, I’m starting to not believe we are on the right track sometimes.

A friend who is an avid NBA buddy of mine from back in the day, not a Hawks fan, actually he’s a Vancouver Grizz fan texted me to ask why Trae is trying to get his coach fired. I dunno what’s going on, maybe that’s not accurate but this isn’t the Trae from the previous couple of years. I mean he was even better as a rookie in terms of situational clutchness.

What’s up?