In the 2021 NBA playoffs, the New York Knicks are set to take on the Atlanta Hawks, which many believe will be one of the more interesting matchups in this postseason.
The Knicks have not appeared in the playoffs since 2013 and the Hawks since 2016, which is why both teams are entering the playoffs with a chip on their shoulder.
Considering both of these franchises have been considered futile for so long, they are both looking to flip that narrative in the postseason spotlight.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has his team playing the best basketball that Knicks fans have seen in almost a decade while also completely changing the culture of New York basketball.
New York Knicks: Hawks will be a tough opponent
On the other side, newly promoted head coach Nate McMillan has had his Hawks team playing elite level basketball and is looking to lead this team at a high level into the postseason.
The one similarity these teams both share is it took getting a proven coach to get both of their young teams to start playing playoff-caliber basketball.
With that being said, while both teams are similar in terms of talent, the Knicks are the better coached team and dominated their regular season series.
The New York Knicks won all three regular season meetings with the Hawks, two of which were by a double digit margin.
The Hawks may be a very young and prolific offensive team, but the Knicks being one of the top defensive units in the entire NBA has proven to be problematic for the Hawks.
These teams both also have a very deep bench with a lot of talent that could end up being the difference-maker in this highly anticipated series.
Next, I will be talking about three specific matchups to watch in this first round matchup that could alter this series in a big way.