The New York Knicks will be hosting the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of their first-round NBA Playoffs series on Saturday, April 19, at 6:00 PM ET, that is 3:30 AM IST on Sunday morning for Indian basketball fans. The Knicks enter as the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed, while the Hawks surged through the second half of the season to claim the No. 6 spot. New York won 2 of their 3 regular-season meetings, including a hard-fought 108-105 win in the final week of the season. This is a series with genuine stakes for one of the NBA's most famous franchises. The Knicks have not been to the NBA Finals since 1999 and this season, with Jalen Brunson leading the side and the Eastern Conference more open than it has been in years, New York have as strong a case as they have had in over two decades.
What's At Stake For Both Teams
The last time these two franchises crossed swords in the playoffs was 2021, when Trae Young dismantled a Knicks side that had not yet signed Brunson. A lot has changed since then. New York made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season before losing to the Indiana Pacers. They were also up 3-1 on the Boston Celtics before Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury changed the course of that series. Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton is now out for this postseason with his own Achilles injury, removing one of the East's strongest contenders. The Knicks enter this series fully healthy, with no injury concerns heading in, which is exactly where they want to be.
Atlanta, on the other hand, have been one of the more surprising stories of the second half of the NBA season. Their late surge earned them a playoff berth, but coming into Madison Square Garden for Games 1 and 2 against a healthy, motivated Knicks side is a massive ask.
Expected Lineups And Full Series Schedule
The Knicks are expected to start Brunson at point guard, Josh Hart at shooting guard, Mikal Bridges at small forward, OG Anunoby at power forward and Karl-Anthony Towns at centre. The Hawks are likely to go with CJ McCollum at point guard, Nickeil Walker-Alexander at shooting guard, Dyson Daniels at small forward, Jalen Johnson at power forward and Onyeka Okoungwu at centre.
Additionally, the full series schedule across the first four confirmed games is as follows. Game 1 is Saturday April 19 at New York, 6:00 PM ET, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Game 2 is Monday April 21 at New York, 8:00 PM ET, on NBC. Game 3 shifts to Atlanta on Thursday April 24, 7:00 PM ET, again exclusively on Prime Video. Game 4 is Saturday April 26 at Atlanta, 6:00 PM ET, on ABC. Games 5, 6 and 7 on April 28, April 30, and May 2 respectively, will only be played if required.
How To Watch NBA Playoffs Live
Apart from that, for viewers in the US, DIRECTV offers the most complete viewing package with access to NBC, ABC and ESPN across the series, along with a free trial. An Amazon Prime Video subscription is also required for Games 1 and 3, which are exclusive to the platform and also offer a free trial. For Indian basketball fans, the NBA Playoffs are available via the NBA League Pass subscription. Game 1 tips off at 3:30 AM IST on Sunday, April 20. Game 2 follows at 5:30 AM IST on Tuesday, April 22. The series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 at 4:30 AM IST on Friday, April 25 and Game 4 begins at 3:30 AM IST on Sunday, April 27. The NBA's Indian fanbase has grown significantly over the last decade and with Brunson in the form of his career and the Knicks chasing their first Finals appearance in 26 years, this is one first-round series worth following closely.