This won't be as easy as we think for New York.
The New York Knicks finished the regular season at 53-29 and locked up the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Atlanta Hawks landed at 46-36 as the sixth seed. On paper, this looks like a comfortable matchup for New York.
In reality, it might be one of the toughest first round series in the entire bracket.
These two teams played three times this season, and the Knicks took it 2-1, but those numbers are deceiving.
All three games were decided by a combined 18 points, both New York wins came by just three, and the Hawks actually outscored the Knicks by six points across all three meetings.
No home team won a single game either.
Atlanta won at Madison Square Garden 111-99, and New York returned the favor by winning both in Atlanta.
New York Has the Edge, But Atlanta is Surging
Jalen Brunson ran the show all year, averaging 26.0 points and 6.8 assists per game while proving again he is one of the best closers in the league.
His fourth quarter takeover in the most recent win over the Hawks was a reminder of what he brings.
Karl-Anthony Towns gave the Knicks a dominant inside presence all season with 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and the defensive versatility of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart gives New York a roster built for the postseason.
Hart's late-season three-point surge has added another weapon to an already deep group.
But Atlanta is not a team to overlook.
The Hawks went 20-5 after the All-Star break and posted the biggest net rating improvement of any team in 27 years over that stretch.
Jalen Johnson turned into a legitimate star, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists while earning his first All-Star nod.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a career year with 20.8 points per game and 3.2 threes a night.
Injuries and What to Watch
The biggest question for New York is Anunoby, who tweaked his left ankle against the Raptors and is listed as day-to-day heading into the postseason.
Coach Mike Brown called it minor, but the Knicks need him if their defense is going to hold up. Tyler Kolek has also missed time with an oblique strain.
On Atlanta's side, Jock Landale is out with a high ankle sprain, and both Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels dealt with toe sprains late in the year, but both are expected to play.
Daniels also put together a historic stat line that no Hawk has ever matched in a single season.
In any case, every game between these two this year felt like a playoff game already.
Atlanta wants to push tempo and create space with its shooting, while New York wants to slow things down and grind you out with defense and rebounding.
Those two styles crashing into each other tend to create physical, ugly possessions, and that is exactly what fans should expect when Game 1 tips off April 18 at the Garden.