Knicks flipped switch to neutralize Hawk’s strategy that was a growing problem

Maria Simulescu

It was as if a switch had flipped coming out of halftime in Game 1, as the Knicks neutralized a Hawks strategy that was hurting them more than anything else. Most on-ball screens involve a smaller ball handler and bigger center or forward to try to create an opening or force a switch and create a mismatch. But the Hawks utilized a less common version during the Knicks’ 113-102 win to open their Eastern Conference first-round series Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Atlanta frequently ran