The New York Knicks looked so dominant after the first round of the playoffs that one unusual postseason stat now makes the Atlanta Hawks look better than three bigger-name opponents.
New York did not take the easy route to its first NBA title since 1973, but the path became clearer as the playoffs went on.
The Knicks survived their toughest challenge early, then swept through the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers before beating the San Antonio Spurs with only one Finals loss.
That made the Hawks’ first-round effort stand out even more once the Finals were over.
Atlanta Hawks had more playoff wins over New York Knicks than 76ers, Cavaliers and Spurs
In a post shared by Yahoo Sports on X, the outlet summed up the oddest comparison from New York’s title run.
“The Hawks really had more playoff wins over the Knicks than the 76ers, Cavaliers and Spurs had combined.”
The stat works because Atlanta lost the first-round series 4-2, but still took Games 2 and 3 from New York. The Hawks won 107-106 at Madison Square Garden, then followed it with a 109-108 home win that briefly put real pressure on the Knicks.
New York responded by winning the next three games, including a 140-89 blowout in Game 6, but Atlanta still finished with two playoff wins over the eventual champions.
New York Knicks gave Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs almost nothing
The rest of the Knicks’ playoff path explains why the Hawks’ number became so striking after the championship.
Philadelphia did not win a game against New York in the next round, with the Knicks sweeping the 76ers to keep their momentum rolling. Cleveland suffered the same fate in the Eastern Conference Finals, as New York completed another sweep to reach the NBA Finals.
San Antonio managed the only win by those three teams, beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 of the Finals. New York still took the series 4-1, closing it with a 94-90 road win in Game 5 behind Jalen Brunson’s 45-point performance.
Across the final three rounds, the 76ers, Cavaliers, and Spurs combined for just one win against the Knicks. Atlanta had two by itself.
It does not change the title, but it does give the Hawks a strange piece of postseason bragging rights. The lowest seed New York faced was also the team that made the champions lose most often.
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