Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The game airs on ESPN, with the Knicks holding a commanding 3-2 lead after a dominant 126-97 victory in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
Team Records and Context
New York Knicks: Finished the 2025-26 regular season 53-29 (.646 winning percentage), earning the No. 3 seed in the East (30-10 home, 22-19 away). They ranked as a strong defensive and efficient offensive team with a +6.4 net rating.
Atlanta Hawks: Ended at 46-36 (.561), securing the No. 6 seed (24-17 home, 22-19 away). They showed offensive firepower (118.5 PPG) but struggled defensively compared to New York.
The Knicks are the clear favorites to close out the series on the road and advance, though Atlanta will have home-court energy in a must-win elimination game. A Game 7 (if necessary) would be Saturday, May 2, back in New York.
Recent Form
Knicks: They have won the last two games convincingly, including a 29-point blowout in Game 5 where they shot efficiently and dominated the glass/pace. Earlier in the series, they split the first four games, with losses coming in tight contests (one-point margins in Games 2 and 3). New York has looked more cohesive and physical lately, especially at home, but road performance has been a slight question mark (they are just 10-19 ATS as road favorites this season).
Hawks: They pushed the series to 2-2 with narrow home wins in Games 3 and an earlier road win in Game 2, but were overwhelmed in Games 4 and 5 (double-digit losses). Atlanta has shown resilience in close games but has been outscored significantly in blowout scenarios. Their post-All-Star surge helped them reach the playoffs, but the Knicks have exposed defensive and rebounding issues.
Series History and Head-to-Head
The teams split the regular-season series (Knicks went 2-1 per some reports, with overall recent H2H favoring New York around 9-6 or 10-6 in recent seasons). In the playoffs so far:
Game 1: Knicks 113-102
Game 2: Hawks 107-106
Game 3: Hawks 109-108
Game 4: Knicks 114-98
Game 5: Knicks 126-97
New York has the edge in efficiency (higher eFG%, better offensive rating in the series) and has won the two games by large margins. Historically, matchups have been competitive, but the current Knicks roster (built around Brunson, Towns, and Anunoby) has the personnel advantage.
Key Player Matchups
Jalen Brunson (Knicks PG) vs. Atlanta’s backcourt (e.g., Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum): Brunson has been the series MVP so far, dropping 39 points in Game 5 on efficient shooting. He controls tempo and creates for others. Atlanta needs to disrupt him without fouling.
Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks C/PF) vs. Onyeka Okongwu / Hawks frontcourt: Towns has been dominant, including a postseason triple-double earlier. He provides spacing, scoring, and rebounding that Atlanta has struggled to match, especially with center depth issues.
OG Anunoby (Knicks forward) vs. Jalen Johnson (Hawks forward): Anunoby offers elite two-way play and has had strong scoring outbursts. Johnson is Atlanta’s most consistent two-way contributor and must step up offensively.
Supporting casts: Knicks get solid contributions from Josh Hart (energy, rebounds) and the bench. Hawks rely on McCollum’s scoring and perimeter creation, but have been outrebounded and out-hustled in recent games.
New York’s physicality and half-court execution have given them the upper hand in the last two contests.
Injury Report
Knicks: Largely healthy heading into Game 5 and expected to remain so for Game 6. Josh Hart has been occasionally questionable with back issues in the series, but the team has had its full rotation available recently. No major long-term concerns reported.
Hawks: Center Jock Landale remains out with a right high-ankle sprain (missed extended time and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of this series). Other depth pieces like N’Faly Dante (knee) have also been unavailable. This has thinned Atlanta’s frontcourt rotation, forcing more minutes for Okongwu and others, which New York has exploited on the glass. No major new injuries reported for Game 6, but Atlanta is playing shorthanded up front.
Betting Trends
Knicks are strong straight-up but have been inconsistent ATS as road favorites (10-19 this season).
Series games have varied: blowouts in Knicks wins, one-point thrillers in Hawks wins.
Rebounding and defensive efficiency have favored New York lately.
Playoff unders often hit due to slower pace and better defense; however, Atlanta’s home offense could push the total.
Game Odds
New York Knicks – 2.5
Atlanta Hawks 213.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, April 29, 2026
