The Knicks and Hawks are now in a best-of-three series entering Game 5 with things all tied up at two games apiece.
The margins in this series have been fascinating or frustrating, depending on the perspective.
Each of the two Knicks wins came by double digits. Each of the Hawks’ wins was by a single point.
Both teams certainly feel like they played even better than those margins suggest, but the series is even nonetheless.
We’ll quickly find out if either of these two teams has any more adjustments or counters that could swing the series in their favor Tuesday.
Oddsmakers are giving the Knicks the edge at home, though, with the ‘Bockers favored by 6.5 points.
Knicks vs. Hawks Game 5 prediction, best bet
Plenty of ink was spilled on why the Hawks could give the Knicks issues in this series, and an equal amount was written about why the Knicks had way too many advantages for the Hawks.
In a way, both theories have been right so far.
The Hawks have succeeded in forcing the Knicks into turnovers, and in the two games where the Hawks turned those mistakes into fastbreak points, they came away victorious.
The Knicks have a clear size advantage in this series. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson have been too much for the Hawks to handle, and so has OG Anunoby.
But Game 4 is the first time we saw Towns truly flash his full potential as a hub for the Knicks’ offense. Towns notched his first career playoff triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in 29 minutes.
Betting on the NBA?
Towns was efficient as a scorer, accurate as a creator and dominated the boards, yet he still didn’t lead the team in Usage Rate in Game 4. It was the type of performance many expected from Towns, specifically because the Hawks have so few answers for what he can bring.
The Knicks have now played five games against the Hawks in April, including their razor-thin victory in Atlanta during the regular season. Towns has notched at least 37 combined points, rebounds and assists in all but one of those games: The Knicks’ Game 2 loss in which KAT scored 14 points in the third quarter but was largely uninvolved in the offense otherwise.
The performance in Game 4 was a wake-up call to his coaches and teammates that getting Towns involved as much as possible is key to success.
I expect the Knicks to keep pressing their biggest advantage in a must-win game in front of a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd.
The Pick: Towns Over 36.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-105, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
