Atlanta @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2019 ) Atlanta 100, New York 96

The New York Knicks were on the verge of a winning road trip before falling off the pace late at Denver on Sunday, but the team still comes home feeling better about itself. The Knicks will try to earn their third win in the last four games when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

New York fell into a 20-point hole in the first half but battled back to take a late lead before tiring down the stretch in a 111-105 setback to the Nuggets. "We had some fun in the second half," Knicks interim coach Mike Miller told reporters. "We played to the identity we talked about. "We battled. That was a hard-fought game and we put ourselves in a good position." New York is tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference with the Hawks, who watched their latest slide reach four in a row with a 101-96 home setback against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Atlanta shot 36 percent from the floor against the Lakers but played a contending team tight for the second straight game after dropping a 110-100 decision to the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET. FS Southeast (Atlanta), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (6-21): Atlanta continues to be led by point guard Trae Young, who scored 30 points in 32 minutes on Sunday but went 9-of-22 from the floor - including 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. Young is shooting 34.1 percent during the four-game slide - 10-of-38 from beyond the arc - with a total of 19 turnovers as he attempts to drag his team back into the win column. Young could have even less help on Tuesday as shooting guard Kevin Huerter's injury-plagued campaign took another turn when he left Sunday's contest with a shoulder contusion that leaves him day-to-day.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (6-21): New York earned two-point victories at Golden State and Sacramento and felt good about its effort on Sunday against one of the better teams in the Western Conference. "The biggest thing (this showed) is we can compete with anybody," Knicks forward Marcus Morris told reporters. "I think we showed that. I feel like guys in locker room thought we took a step." Morris scored a team-high 22 points on Sunday and reached 20 or more points in 10 of his last 15 contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks rookie F RJ Barrett went 3-of-12 from the floor on Sunday and is shooting 29.8 percent in eight games this month.

2. Hawks rookie F Cam Reddish - Barrett's former Duke teammate - is 4-of-16 from the floor over the last two contests, including 2-of-9 from beyond the arc.

3. The Knicks took three of the four meetings last season, with Atlanta's lone win coming in New York on Dec. 21, 2018.

PREDICTION: Hawks 121, Knicks 119