The New York Knicks will be in action tonight after an impressive Christmas Day win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tonight, they’ll be taking on the Atlanta Hawks, whom the Knicks will be facing for the first time this season. Although whenever these two teams meet, fans expect fireworks, that might not be the case tonight, with the Hawks entering this game on a five-game skid.

However, despite that, one game is all it takes for a team to start a comeback, and that game could come tonight for Atlanta. So, New York will need to be on its toes. This means they’ll need to start their best players, such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. Speaking of which, are both of them even available for tonight’s clash?

Are Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart playing tonight? Latest injury update on the Knicks

Well, there’s some good news for the Knicks faithful as both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson are expected to suit up tonight. Both players have been crucial for New York this season and are a huge reason why the Knicks are currently second in the East with a terrific 21-9 record. In fact, both of them were fantastic just a few days ago against the Cavs.

While Brunson led the scoring, finishing the night with 34 points, 4 assists, and one rebound, KAT also contributed with his 11 points and 14 rebounds. So, having both of them available tonight will, without a doubt, be a great advantage for the Knicks. However, there’s also some bad news for New York, as it’ll be without its star guard, Josh Hart.

Top Stories

Kyrie Irving Breaks Silence After Injury Return Update Emerges

Is Stephen Curry Playing Tonight? Warriors vs Jazz Latest Injury Report (Dec 3)

Is Kawhi Leonard Playing Tonight? Celtics vs Clippers Latest Injury Report (Jan 3)

NBA Trade Rumors: Stephen Curry, LeBron James Reunion Hinges on $175M Star’s Warriors Fate

Is Austin Reaves Dating YouTuber SteveWillDoIt’s Ex-Girlfriend? Fact Checking Viral Claim

This comes after the 30-year-old suffered a right ankle sprain during the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over Cleveland. Hart has been instrumental for New York, similar to KAT and Brunson. This season, the veteran wing has been averaging 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.

Josh Hart’s absence will be significant, but the team hopes for a swift comeback. In the meantime, head coach Mike Brown will have to figure out a way to replace his production on the court. However, Hart isn’t the only player on New York’s injury report.

New York Knicks injury report

Apart from Hart, both Miles McBride and Landry Shamet will miss tonight’s action. While McBride is out with an ankle injury, Shamet won’t be playing in tonight’s game because of a shoulder injury. So, it will be interesting to see how the Knicks deal with these absences. Meanwhile, the Hawks have their fair share of trouble to deal with.

Are Kristaps Porzingis and Trae Young playing tonight? Latest injury update on the Hawks

Just like the Knicks, the Hawks will also be playing tonight’s matchup without a few of their key players, including big man Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian center will be on the sidelines for this one, because of undergoing testing for an illness that he’s been dealing with for some time. This is a bummer for Atlanta as the former NBA champion is a key player in their rotation.

Even though Porzingis has just played 13 games, in those matchups, he’s averaged 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, which is quite impressive. However, he won’t be able to support his team tonight. That means Trae Young will have to carry the Hawks’ offense once again tonight, as he’s all set to play against the Knicks. A team he loves to suit up against. Nonetheless, Atlanta still has more to deal with.

Atlanta Hawks injury report

The Hawks will be without two more centers apart from Kristaps Porzingis. That’s because both N’Faly Dante and Eli John Ndiaye have been ruled out for this game. While Dante has suffered a torn ACL, which means he won’t play for the remainder of the season, Ndiaye has also suffered a season-ending injury.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson’s stats vs the Hawks: How they’ve performed in the past matchups

With the Hawks depleted at the center position, Karl-Anthony Towns should have a great game tonight. More so, because he’s got a pretty impressive stat line against the Hawks tonight. Throughout his career, KAT has averaged 24.4 points, 12,3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists against Atlanta. So, he should be right at home tonight. Meanwhile, his teammate isn’t too far behind.

Jalen Brunson also has a solid stat line against the Hawks. New York’s star point guard has averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 18 appearances against them. Even though this isn’t as high as his season average, it’s still pretty solid and should be enough to guide his team to a win tonight.

The Hawks vs the Knicks match preview and what to expect

Historically, the Hawks seem to be at an advantage over the Knicks, as they lead the head-to-head battle 203-193. However, recently, New York has been making a comeback and has won each of their last three matchups. It seems like that streak might improve to four tonight. That’s because even though the Knicks will be without Josh Hart, both KAT and Brunson should be able to carry their team to a win.

The Hawks vs the Knicks predicted starting lineups

Here’s how the New York Knicks could start with KAT and Jalen Brunson:

And, here’s how the Atlanta Hawks’ starting five will look without Kristaps Porzingis:

So, everything’s ready for an entertaining game in Atlanta. But who will come out on top at the end of the night? We’ll have to wait and watch, as everyone eagerly awaits tip-off.