The New York Knicks needed a win, but just not any win, a victory over a good team that built momentum for the future. Despite not having Trae Young on Christmas day, the Atlanta Hawks tried their best to keep up with a Knicks team that gained back several players from the Covid health and safety list this week.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau shook up the starting five once again, injecting RJ Barrett in and relegating Alec Burks to the bench in a reserve role. The starting team played brilliantly, holding Atlanta to just 87 points after giving up 124 to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.