Knicks vs. Hawks Game 5 NBA playoff betting and player props to watch

We had three games in the NBA last night and one was a close game.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made light work of the Suns (although Phoenix barely covered the spread in the game). The Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons had a great game and now Orlando leads the No. 1 seed 3-1 in the series.

The Denver Nuggets dominated and covered against the Minnesota Timberwolves as expected and most importantly I was able to cash in on both player props in it. Tonight we have a decisive Game 5 between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks. Let’s find an angle for this one to make some money via sports betting.

For most casual fans, the Hawks making this a competitive series is likely a surprise. Most of them probably think Trae Young is on the team. This is no longer Young’s team; this is now Jalen Johnson’s team. Honestly, it could be CJ McCollum’s team, but he’s a free agent at the end of the season. McCollum has led the team in scoring in three of the four games against the Knicks. Interestingly, Johnson, who led the team in points, rebounds and assists in the regular season, has only led them in the playoffs once in each category.

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How have the Hawks found their success? They have managed to keep the Knicks from executing late in games. The margin of victory in both of their victories was only one point. The Knicks even had the ball with a chance to win in both of those games. In the first opportunity, they missed the shot. Second, the Hawks played good defense and kept them from scoring.

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The Knicks love to make things difficult for themselves. Last season they battled the Pistons and this year the Hawks seem to be pushing them. New York has a very strong starting lineup and they have a deeper bench than last year. They don’t seem to know what they are doing late game though. In fairness, they have probably been the better team in all four games.

New York Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet celebrates with center Karl-Anthony Towns late in the fourth quarter of their win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 4 of the first-round NBA playoffs on April 27, 2025, in Detroit. (Duane Burleson/AP)

New York won the first game by 11 points and really didn’t have much of a game in it. Then in game two, they let a lead slip away as McCollum hit shot after shot down the stretch. Losing the one at home is something they probably should have taken. In Game 3, the Knicks outscored the Hawks for two quarters and tied it in the third. Last game the running offense was much more balanced and saw the Knicks win by 16. A lot of the offense went through Karl-Anthony Towns, which apparently wasn’t intentional, but maybe it is now.

I don’t have a ton of faith in the Knicks walking away from Jalen Brunson and letting Towns orchestrate the offense. He posted a triple-double in Game 4, dumping passes to OG Anunoby repeatedly. Anunoby actually led the team in scoring in both games in Atlanta. As I mentioned, Mike Brown, the Knicks head coach, said that letting Towns pass from the high post wasn’t really a game plan.

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum shoots against the Orlando Magic during the first half of an NBA game on March 16, 2026 in Atlanta, Ga. (Mike Stewart/AP)

In this game, the Hawks will likely change their defensive scheme. However, Towns has had four or more assists in three of the four games in this series.

I expect the Knicks to try to give him more opportunities, and even with the Hawks’ adjustments, if he can’t pass the ball as effectively, he should be able to score more. Give me his assist total over 3.5 assists.

I’m also leaning towards the game. I think the defensive adjustments will not be as effective and will open up more opportunities for other players. Above 214.5 is a strong look here.

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