Atlanta

Hawks

Johnson was Atlanta’s best scorer on Thursday. In 32 minutes, he was the only player on the Hawks to reach the 20-point mark, which he did by using a combination of two-point scoring, three-point efficiency, and free-throw production. He also led the team in rebounds and assists before the final horn sounded. Johnson took a major leap in production this season and averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists over 72 regular-season games, while becoming an NBA All-Star for the first time. Another leap in Year 6 would bring even more fantasy value.

Game 6 was tough for basically every Hawks player who saw meaningful minutes. McCollum, who played 24 minutes, shot inefficiently and also failed to make an impact as a passer. After a fast start to the series, he totaled only 34 points and four assists over the final three games, which were all loses. He’ll enter the offseason as a free agent. Should the veteran return to the Hawks next season, he’ll likely have some fantasy value.

Alexander-Walker struggled on Thursday, as did several Hawks players. He finished with more turnovers than made field goals, and didn’t make a big impact as a facilitator or defender in his 29 minutes. The unspectacular season-ending performance was unfortunate for Alexander-Walker, who made huge strides in his first season in Atlanta. He earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and was a reliable contributor in fantasy leagues. His role shouldn’t change much going next season, which means he’ll likely have strong fantasy value.

Okongwu continues to produce stat lines that play well for fantasy managers. Unfortunately, he has struggled to compete down low against Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, which is why the Knicks outrebounded the Hawks 48-27. Okongwu is effective in many ways, but his struggles in the paint against bigger players have been evident in this series. He’ll need to be better in Game 6 for the Hawks to have a chance.

Daniels has made a big impact on this series for the Hawks, but he hasn’t done much scoring. However, that changed in this game, though it didn’t do much to help the Hawks’ chances. He didn’t get any steals in this game, but he was still making his presence felt on the defensive end, even if it didn’t do much to slow down Jalen Brunson. He’ll need to make more of an impact for the Hawks to stay alive in Game 6 on Thursday.

Johnson struggled mightily in Game 4 on Saturday, and while he was more effective in this one, it wasn’t enough to get the Hawks on the right side of the scoreboard. He was better, but he hasn’t played to the level that Atlanta needs their All-Star to play at. He’ll need to make more of an impact on both ends of the floor in Game 6 on Thursday for the Hawks to avoid elimination.

Coming off of his most productive game of the series, Johnson struggled in Game 4. In addition to a 1-of-5 night from beyond the arc, the Hawks’ All-Star forward did not record any defensive stats. Give New York’s Josh Hart and OG Anunoby credit for their defensive work, but the Hawks need more from Johnson if they’re to win this series. Game 5 is on Tuesday in New York with the series tied at two games apiece.

As a team, the Hawks shot 10-of-41 from beyond the arc on Saturday, and Alexander-Walker was responsible for five of the makes. While he had a good night shooting the basketball, the NBA’s Most Improved Player did not provide much value overall. And the Knicks have done a good job of defending Alexander-Walker thus far, as he’s scored 17 points or less in all four games. With the series tied at two games apiece, the teams return to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday.

While McCollum once again led the Hawks in scoring, the Knicks did a much better job of defending him in Game 4. The veteran guard missed all four of his three-point attempts, and the Hawks were 10-of-41 as a team. And with the Knicks playing far better than they did in Game 3, this was the recipe for a 16-point New York victory. McCollum and the Hawks will look to regain home-court advantage with a win on Tuesday in New York.

Alexander-Walker exploded with a career year in his first season with the Hawks. The 27-year-old shooting guard averaged 20.8 points, 1.3 steals and 3.2 three-pointers while shooting 45 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the three-point line. Alexander-Walker set the Hawks record for three-pointers made in a season. Atlanta holds a 2-1 series lead over the Knicks heading into Saturday’s Game 4.