After falling behind 1-2 in their first-round playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks should be kicking themselves. Sure, they lost Game 2 and Game 3 by a combined two points.
However, the Knicks should be kicking themselves for having to face one of the hottest teams in the NBA in the first round. The Hawks aren't your typical sixth seed.
Since February first, the Hawks have been soaring, going 22-9 in their last 31 regular games. That is all the more impressive by them having traded star Trae Young during that span.
The Knicks are unlucky to have to play the Atlanta Hawks.
In fact, had Atlanta played like this over the entire season, they would have won 58 games. That means that they'd have a better record than the Knicks finished with. Go figure.
Even if the Knicks bounce back in Game 4, they would have to do so on the road in Atlanta. That is no easy task, and it's clear that the Hawks aren't an inferior team.
This series could go the distance, and New York may find itself on the losing end of it. That probably wasn't what Knicks fans were expecting, but the best-case scenario for New York is that they win in 6 games.
The Knicks may have met their match against the Atlanta Hawks
Based on everything we've seen thus far in this series, no one would realistically pick that as a possibility. For that to happen, they need better performances from Jalen Brunson, who missed tough shots down the stretch in Game 3 and scored 26 points but on 23 shots.
The Hawks are fine with Brunson being a high-volume scorer, especially if Mikal Bridges continues to lay goose eggs. Atlanta features a balanced scoring attack, while Brunson is the head of the snake for the Knicks.
If he isn't cooking, then odds are New York's offense isn't playing well. Worse yet, Atlanta actively hunted Brunson defensively, further limiting his impact.
More often than not, a Brunson-centric offense has helped more than it's hurt. However, with the Hawks outplaying the Knicks and New York in danger of going down 1-3 in their first-round series, New York may need to go back to the drawing board.