New York Knicks Schedule: 5 Key games for 2021-22

New York Knicks 5 Key Games: Christmas Day vs. the Atlanta Hawks

This had to be #1, right?

If there’s anything that makes a New Yorker more upset than the mention of the Brooklyn Nets it’s the mention of Trae Young.

Like Reggie Miller in the 1990s, Trae Young has fully embraced the villain role at Madison Square Garden. After bouncing the New York Knicks in the first-round playoffs, the Atlanta Hawks left a sour taste in Knicks fans’ mouths.

The season may have been a resounding success and shattered preseason expectations, but there was a lot of belief not just in New York but around the league that the Knicks could beat the Hawks in their playoff series. They were completely outclassed.

Now, Atlanta’s rivalry with the Knicks gets them on the New York hype train for next season and gives them their 1st Christmas game in over 30 years. If you thought limited capacity Madison Square Garden was a crazy atmosphere in the playoffs, full-capacity MSG on Christmas day is going to be something special. It’s going to be a fun matinee at the Garden.

This will actually be the 2nd time the teams play each other during the season but the first one at MSG.

Just like last season, the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks will likely be jockeying for playoff position in the standings. Head-to-head records are the tiebreaker, so this game could prove to be important later on in the season.

29 Nationally Televised games and a Christmas Day matinee. The Knicks are back.