Saturday's Christmas Day game will be the second of four meetings during the 2021-22 season between the two teams, that faced off in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
Their first meeting on Nov. 27 in Atlanta ended in favour of the Knicks 99-90. Trae Young scored 33 points while Clint Capela recorded a double-double of 16 points and 22 rebounds but New York came out on top behind a combined 43 points from Alec Burks and Evan Fournier, which included 8-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc.
This Knicks-Hawks contest tips off the NBA's five-game Christmas Day slate for the 2021-22 season, which will be the 14th consecutive time the league will showcase five marquee games on the holiday.
MORE: 2021-22 NBA Christmas Day guide | List of players in NBA's health and safety protocols
After eliminating the Knicks in five games in the 2021 postseason, the Hawks return to MSG in what will be the franchise's first Christmas Day appearance since 1989. Meanwhile, the Knicks, a regular fixture on the holiday's marquee games, return to the slate after not playing since 2018.
Heading into this contest, in a total of 381 regular-season games played, the Hawks hold a 197-184 head-to-head advantage against the Knicks with the latter having won nine of the 11 regular-season matchups since the 2018-19 season
How this game turns out will depend a lot on the players cleared of the league's health and safety protocols. Stay tuned to Sporting News for the latest.
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What time does Knicks vs. Hawks start?
Date: Saturday, Dec. 25
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
What channel is Knicks vs. Hawks on?
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: Watch ESPN | Sling TV
Knicks upcoming 2021-22 schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | National TV |
| Dec. 25 | vs. Hawks | 12:00 p.m | ESPN |
| Dec. 28 | at Timberwolves | 8:00 p.m | - |
| Dec. 29 | at Pistons | 7:00 p.m | - |
| Dec. 31 | at Thunder | 8:00 p.m | - |
| Jan. 2 | at Raptors | 3:30 p.m | - |
(All times Eastern)
Hawks upcoming 2021-22 schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time | National TV |
| Dec. 25 | at Knicks | 12:00 p.m | ESPN |
| Dec. 27 | vs. Bulls | 7:30 p.m | NBA TV |
| Dec. 29 | at Bulls | 8:00 p.m | - |
| Dec. 31 | at Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m | - |
| Jan. 3 | at Trail Blazers | 10:00 p.m | - |
(All times Eastern)
NBA schedule for 2021-22
After a truncated season in 2020-21, the NBA has returned to its standard 82-game format for the 2021-22 campaign, which is the league's 75th anniversary season.
Here are some key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season:
- Trade Deadline: Feb. 10
- NBA All-Star 2022: Feb. 18-20
- Regular season concludes: April 10
- Play-In Tournament: April 12-15
- Playoffs begin: April 16
- NBA Finals begin: June 2
- 2022 NBA Draft: June 23
