The Atlanta Hawks could use a victory and, on Tuesday evening, they’ll have the opportunity to grab one with a road game against the New York Knicks. This marks the first face-off between the two teams in the regular season but, while the Hawks enter this game after four straight losses, the Knicks are actually playing (slightly) better, splitting a four-game road trip with two wins and two defeats.

Because of that and the venue of the game at Madison Square Garden, the Hawks are actually 1.5-point underdogs against the 6-21 Knicks. Some of that might have to do with the injury report, though, with Jabari Parker (right ankle sprain) listed as probable and Kevin Huerter (left shoulder contusion) listed as questionable. Without Huerter (and John Collins) this season, the Hawks have been rudderless and his status is worth monitoring closely throughout the day.

Atlanta has the best player on the floor in Trae Young and, if Huerter plays, it would probably be accurate to suggest that the Hawks have the more talented team overall. The Knicks deploy a mismatched roster but, with Mitchell Robinson holding an edge over Atlanta’s trio of centers, that is a match-up to watch.

With a challenge against the Jazz at home on Thursday, there might be even more urgency for the Hawks in this match-up and, on paper, it is one of the more favorable contests of the season for Atlanta. Still, they must execute in order to pick up a road win and it will be interesting to see how they respond after a competitive effort on Sunday.

Stay tuned throughout the day and be encouraged to utilize the comments below as a “game thread” for the action.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7:30 pm ET

Location: Madison Square Garden

TV: Fox Sports Southeast, NBA League Pass

Radio: 92.9 The Game (Atlanta); Hawks Radio Network

Streaming: Fox Sports Go, NBA League Pass