With the NBA playoffs set, aside from determining which play-in teams will secure the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference, several intriguing matchups are already in place.
In the Eastern Conference, the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, one of the hottest teams in the league since trading Trae Young on Jan. 7, will face the No. 3 New York Knicks. New York is aiming to return to the Eastern Conference Finals and contend for an NBA championship, something many believe is within reach at their best.
However, a potential first-round exit to Atlanta has Stephen A. Smith, an outspoken Knicks fan, predicting major fallout. He believes head coach Mike Brown could be fired in his first season with the organization, becoming the “scapegoat.”
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“Mike Brown is gone as the head coach. Karl-Anthony Towns likely, and Mikal Bridges and who knows who else is gone as New York Knickerbockers,” Smith said. “If you lose in the first round, if you lose in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks, I think heads are going to roll.
“I think ultimately Mike Brown would be scapegoated. I don’t want Mike Brown fired. I’m not saying he deserves to be fired. I think he’s a good coach. That’s not what I’m saying. But I’m telling you right now, the city of New York would be in an absolute uproar. To go from a trip to the conference finals and expectations of the Finals to losing in the first round, not against Boston, not against Detroit, not against Cleveland, but to the Atlanta Hawks, would be unacceptable. There is no way that is going to fly, and as a result, heads would roll.”
The Knicks made the controversial decision to fire Tom Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
They largely brought back the same core group, with only a few additions, and finished the year 53–29. New York also closed the regular season strong, winning five of its final six games, and went 2–1 against the Hawks in head-to-head matchups.
Game 1 is set to be played at Madison Square Garden on Saturday at 6 p.m. EST. The winner of the series will face either the No. 2 Boston Celtics or the winner of Wednesday’s play-in matchup between the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
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