New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5 - May 28th, 2021 | Game 3, 2021 NBA Playoffs
The New York Knicks hope to steal a game on Friday on the Atlanta Hawks’ home floor when they meet at State Farm Arena for Game 3. The Knicks tied their first-round series at 1-1 with a gutsy 101-92 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
Derrick Rose scored 26 points to lead the New York Knicks to victory after dropping the first game 107-105 on their home court. Julius Randle, who was recently awarded the 2020-21 Most Improved Player, struggled with his shot for the second consecutive game.
Randle missed 11 of his 16 attempts from the field, but he was instrumental in the third quarter run that brought the Knicks back from a 13-point deficit. He made 4-of-5 shots for 11 points in the pivotal quarter and had a total of 15 points with 12 rebounds and four assists for the game.
The Atlanta Hawks seemingly had Game 2 in the bag in the first half with Trae Young carrying the load with 20 points. But he cooled off in the second half, adding just 10 points from then on. The Hawks had no answer for the New York Knicks down the stretch after Rose scored on a basket that gave his team a 93-91 lead with 4:45 remaining in the game.
As the series shifts to Atlanta, the Hawks hope to bounce back from a poor shooting performance in Game 2 while the Knicks look to regain home court advantage after dropping the first game.
New York Knicks Injury Report
The New York Knicks are unlikely to activate center Mitchell Robinson in the Atlanta Hawks series.
The third-year man out of Western Kentucky is most likely going to miss at least the first round of the playoffs. He had surgery to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal two months ago and still doesn’t appear to be ready to see game action.
According to coach Tom Thibodeau via the New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy and CBS Sports, 'the team is taking it slow and Robinson is still not cleared for any contact.'
Atlanta Hawks Injury Report
The Atlanta Hawks have two players on their injury report for the game against the New York Knicks on Friday.
Cam Reddish will continue to be sidelined as he nurses a sore Achilles. Though he has been doing individual workouts and practicing with the team, Reddish is unlikely to rejoin the Hawks on the court any time soon.
Brandon Goodwin, who is dealing with a minor respiratory problem, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season as he undergoes treatment for the condition.
New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineups
New York Knicks
Nerlens Noel will once again start at center for the New York Knicks. Head coach Tom Thibodeau will use Taj Gibson as his backup but there’s a chance that he'll play more minutes than Noel, as he did in Game 2.
Atlanta Hawks
Goodwin didn’t play a lot of minutes but he played behind Trae Young during the regular season. In his place, Lou Williams continues to play the point when Young needs a breather.
Danilo Gallinari and Tony Snell generally take up the bulk of the minutes left by Reddish, but Onyeka Okongwu has overtaken Solomon Hill in the Atlanta Hawks rotation.
New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Predicted Starting 5s
New York Knicks:
Point Guard - Elfrid Payton l Shooting Guard - RJ Barrett l Small Forward - Reggie Bullock l Power Forward - Julius Randle l Center - Nerlens Noel
Atlanta Hawks:
Point Guard - Trae Young l Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic l Small Forward - De’Andre Hunter l Power Forward - John Collins l Center - Clint Capela
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