Dyson

Daniels

Robinson and Daniels got tangled up as OG Anunoby attempted a free throw during the second quarter of Thursday’s game. Shoving ensued from multiple players on each team as the situation briefly escalated. Both players were eventually ejected for their roles, leaving each team without key defenders.

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.

Kuminga’s play in Game 2 was one of the underlying reasons why the Hawks came back to even the series. The Hawks’ forward shot 6-of-8 from inside the arc, and his defensive ability allowed Atlanta to keep Dyson Daniels (6/4/2/2/1) on the bench in crunch time. As a result, there was no one on the court the Knicks could hide Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns on defensively, which factored into CJ McCollum taking over late. Kuminga played 35 minutes on Monday, and that may also be the case for Game 3 on Thursday.

Johnson was one of two Hawks to score at least 20 points in Game 1, but his overall impact was muted. Not counting Atlanta’s April 10 win over the Cavaliers in which he played 25 minutes, the All-Star forward went nearly a month since the last time he recorded three assists in a game. Dyson Daniels (4/9/11/3) was Atlanta’s most effective playmaker on Saturday, and they can’t afford for that to be the case if they’re going to win the series. Johnson will look to be more impactful in Game 2 on Monday.

The Hawks are sitting their entire starting five for Sunday’s game, as they’ll be seeded fifth or sixth in the Eastern Conference playoffs that begin next weekend. On the perimeter, players like Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert and Keaton Wallce should play plenty on Sunday.

Alexander-Walker and Daniels potentially sitting out Sunday’s game would free up rotation minutes for multiple players, including Gabe Vincent and Keaton Wallace. Neither is a particularly safe streaming option for managers in active fantasy leagues.

For the second time in his career, Daniels was able to record a triple-double, with the other coming back in January. He also recorded at least one steal for a 16th straight game, and in 13 of those, he swiped at least two steals. His shot has been worse this year, and he hasn’t been quite as dominant with the steals, but Daniels is averaging career highs in both rebounds and assists, which has helped him to still be a fantasy stud. He’ll continue to stuff the stat sheet as the Hawks enter the playoffs.

For most perimeter players, shooting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc is not a big deal. That isn’t the case for Daniels, who entered Monday shooting a career-low 15.5 percent from three. However, he may be trending in the right direction. Over his last five games, Daniels has made six of his 13 attempts, an excellent percentage for a player who has struggled as much as he has. Add in the rebounds, assists and steals, and this was an encouraging start to Week 23 for Daniels.

The Hawks will have their preferred starting five for Monday’s game, as Okongwu and Dyson Daniels (toe) are back after sitting out Saturday’s win over the Kings. Mouhamed Gueye and Jock Landale will head to the bench, limiting the fantasy value of both players.

Daniels is officially out after being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Zaccharie Risacher is the potential replacement in the starting lineup, giving the second-year a higher fantasy ceiling.