NEW YORK, NY — The New York Knicks are back in the playoff groove as their 2025-2026 regular season came to a close with a loss to the Charlotte Hornets this past Sunday. A rollercoaster season marked with statement wins, dry spells, and even a NBA in-season tournament championship all culminated in the Knicks earning their fourth straight playoff appearance in the Jalen Brunson stardom era.
With the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs kicking off this Saturday, April 18th, the Knicks will be squaring off against the Atlanta Hawks with tip from Madison Square Garden scheduled for 6:00PM ET/3:00PM PT on Amazon Prime Video.
The Hawks and Knicks open up their 2026 NBA Playoffs first round matchup with Game 1 scheduled for this Saturday night at Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: NBA
Brunson went on a tear for the Knicks again this season as the 29-year-old averaged an even 26 points per game and 6.8 assists on 46.7 percent efficiency.
He led the team in both categories and was tenth in the NBA in points per game while also earning his third straight NBA All-Star bid.
“They’ve been playing great,” Brunson said of the Hawks earlier this week. “We’ve gotta be ready for the challenge. I’m definitely excited. I think it’s gonna be great for us and it’s gonna be a hard-fought battle. It’s not going to be easy whatsoever.”
Brunson’s 6.8 assists per game were also the most by any Knicks player as he commanded the New York offense.
At the helm of the Knicks this season in his very first year is Mike Brown, who assumed the role following a shocking decision to fire Tom Thibodeau in June of 2025 after leading the Knicks to a two-seed and Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
Brown, who was let go from the Sacramento Kings just a season ago, led the Knicks to a 53-29 record, the best mark by any first-year Knicks coach in history, reworking an offense that ranked third in offensive ranking in the NBA.
On the court with Mike Brown in his first year as the Knicks head coach, New York put up a 53-29 overall record this season, which was good for the third seed in the Eastern Conference – Image Credit: NBA
Despite minimal, if any, significant impactful roster moves made since his time in charge, Brown’s transition to a more fluid offense without the rigid plays of Thibodeau has created a new-look team ready for the playoffs ahead.
“Everybody in that locker room has a competitive spirit that I like, and I can say is unmatched,” said Brown. “I love the group. We’re competing, not just for 53 wins; we’re competing, like everyone else is, to win it.”
Dominican-American Karl-Anthony Towns, now in his second season with the Knicks, averaged a double-double for the second straight year with 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, completing an unstoppable duo with Brunson for the orange and blue.
The former Rookie of the Year, and first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, contributed heavily to a team that was seventh in the league in rebounds and sixth in offensive glass as well.
“It’s great that we put ourselves in this position, to be in the playoffs in this position, but at the end of the day, the regular season doesn’t mean anything if we don’t capitalize on this opportunity,” he said.
“This is the time. We’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to execute and we’ve gotta capitalize on this opportunity. At the end of the day, we’ll be judged on what we do on this run.”
It’s a playoff mindset from here on out for Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks as New York begins the NBA Playoffs vs. the Atlanta Hawks in the first round – Image Credit: NBA
With KAT, appearing in his sixth-career NBA All-Star Game this year, alongside defensive super weapons OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks also held opponents to just 110.1 points and 40.5 rebounds per game—the fifth and third best marks in the NBA, respectively—highlighting the supreme versatility of the Knicks with their elite scoring and lockdown defense all bundled into one under Brown.
One of the few moves made at the trade deadline for the Knicks was the acquisition of Puerto Rican guard José Alvarado from the Pelicans in exchange for Dalen Terry, two future second-round picks, and cash considerations.
Standing at six feet exactly, Alvarado, out of Brooklyn, New York, is known for his energy and shifty play, and has even earned the nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado” for his steals.
Also at the trade deadline were conversations by a number of teams for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been seemingly looking for a new home for the better part of a year now. The Knicks had already lost much of their draft assets and trade pieces in the summer of 2024 blockbuster deal with Brooklyn that brought Mikal Bridges crosstown in exchange for five upcoming first-round picks.
With little to no offers and reluctance from the Bucks’ end, trade talks never picked up steam but that could potentially this summer.
Looking ahead to the Knicks’ first round opponent in the Hawks, now led by head coach Quinn Snyder and star Jalen Johnson after New York’s archrival Trae Young was dealt to Washington at the deadline—Atlanta finished 46-36 on the season and sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Johnson leads the team in points (22.5), rebounds (10.3), and assists (7.9), with 2019 first-round pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker providing extra support on offense. CJ McCollum, brought in through the Young trade, has been excellent since the move, averaging 18.7 points per game.
Although the Knicks took a step down in terms of seeding for this year’s playoffs, even after the firing of Thibodeau, New York is well-equipped for the upcoming series after going 2-1 against Atlanta this regular season.
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