One win separates the Knicks from a business trip to Las Vegas.
The in-season tournament now known as the NBA Cup resumes Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks are set to host the Atlanta Hawks in a single-elimination “knockout round” game.
A victory would send the Knicks to the tournament’s semifinal round in Sin City, where the NBA Cup final is also set to take place.
The stakes are little higher for NBA Cup games, which — other than final — also count toward a team’s regular-season record. The team that wins the tournament gets a trophy, while its players each win $514,970.
“It would mean a lot for us to get there and do all that,” Jalen Brunson said last week. “You have guys on the team who may be on one-year contracts or two-ways or whatever, and you get to go out there and try to win for them.”
The NBA introduced the in-season tournament last year in an effort to elevate interest and competition during the regular season’s first half. The tournament splits the NBA’s 30 teams into six groups, and each team plays the others in its group once apiece during the opening round.
The Knicks went 4-0 in group play – beating the Philadelphia 76ers, Nets, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic – to win Eastern Conference Group A and advance to the knockout stage.
The Hawks went 3-1 in group play to win Eastern Conference Group C.
Wednesday’s win-and-advance affair functions as a rematch of the Knicks and Hawks’ first-round bout in the 2021 NBA playoffs, during which Trae Young emerged as a Madison Square Garden villain by leading Atlanta to a series victory.
No one in the Knicks’ current core — including Brunson, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns – were on that 2021 team.
Atlanta (13-12) enters Wednesday as one of the NBA’s hottest teams, having won six in a row before Sunday’s 141-111 loss in Denver.
The Hawks remain among the NBA’s highest-scoring teams at 117.1 points per game, despite a relatively down season for Young, who is averaging 20.9 points per game and shooting just 38.5% from the field.
Helping to overcome Young’s uneven start — and the offseason departure of Dejounte Murray — have been career-best seasons by Jalen Johnson, who is averaging 19.8 points per game, and fellow forward De’Andre Hunter, who is averaging 19.3.
Atlanta is, however, among the NBA’s worst defensive teams, which should mean plenty of scoring opportunities for the Knicks (15-9), who are a tick ahead of the Hawks offensively at 117.8 points per game.
“NBA Cup, win or go home. It’s like a playoff game,” Towns said last week after the Knicks beat the Magic, 121-106, to advance to the knockout round.
“We’re competitors. This is a high-level-competition moment. The game means a little more.”
In last year’s inaugural tournament, the Knicks also advanced to the knockout round, only to be eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2023 final.
A win Wednesday would make the Knicks one of the final four teams in the tournament. The NBA Cup semifinal games are scheduled to take place Saturday at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The final will also be held there next Tuesday.
“I think it’s going to continue to grow, too,” Brunson said last week of the NBA Cup. “It’s still early, but I think as it picks up traction it’s going to be great for a long time. Obviously, if you’re able to be a part of it and move on, it’s a plus.”