Knicks at Hawks
The only good thing about playing on back-to-back nights in the NBA is the opportunity to quickly wipe away a bad loss. Both teams will look to do just that when the New York Knicks visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Hawks battled all the way into double overtime at Charlotte on Friday only to lose on a last-second 3-pointer, while the Knicks were run off the floor by rival Brooklyn in suffering their third straight setback.
New York is struggling to embrace new coach Derek Fisher’s triangle offense, and superstar Carmelo Anthony seems to be having the most trouble getting adjusted to the finer points. Anthony is 18-of-64 from the field over the last three games and was held under 20 points in each. Atlanta, which visits the Knicks on Monday for the back end of the home-and-home set, has lost its last two games by a combined five points but will play five of their next seven games at home, where they secured their only win by knocking off Indiana last week.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), SportSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (2-4): New York is tied for 28th in the NBA in scoring average at 91.3 points and is not looking so sharp on defense, either, after letting the Nets shoot 58.3 percent from 3-point range in Friday’s 110-99 loss. “We’ve got to apply more effort on the defensive end, for sure,” forward Amar’e Stoudemire told reporters. “Obviously the offense we’re still learning, still have to stay with the offense and continue to try to perfect it and believe in it, but while we’re in the process of doing that we have to make sure we have the effort defensively.” Stoudemire is one of the few bright spots with an average of 12 points and 8.2 rebounds off the bench.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (1-3): Atlanta could not get a good look in the final seconds of a 94-92 loss at San Antonio on Wednesday and overcame a six-point deficit in the first overtime at Charlotte on Friday only to fall on Lance Stephenson’s game-winner in the second extra period. The Hawks continue to get strong production from Al Horford, who missed the final four months last season with a pectoral tear, and his 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting Friday marked a season high. Atlanta is monitoring Horford’s minutes in the early going, and he was up to 37 against Charlotte.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks PG Pablo Prigioni (ankle) sat out Friday and is day-to-day.
2. G Jeff Teague has scored 20 or more points in three of the Hawks' four games and handed out 15 assists Friday.
3. New York has taken six of the last eight in the series, including three of four in Atlanta.