The Atlanta Hawks deserve a big thank you from NBA fans after eliminating Knicks

The Atlanta Hawks and their sharpshooting selves led by Trae Young have eliminated the New York Knicks in five games, and for that, they deserve props. However, instead of just props, they should be given a proper thank you by fans across the NBA who have an affinity for watching small markets succeed and just fans in general who love the NBA. But why would they really deserve thanks, to begin with?

For starters, they reminded us all that where you play doesn’t matter and that the better team will always thrive in the end, regardless of outside perception. Also, they reminded the Knicks that only one victory in the playoffs since their last appearance in 2013 doesn’t necessarily mean that you have arrived.

After a New York victory in Game 2, many will recall fans flooded outside Madison Square Garden and let out raucous chants of “We Want Brooklyn” in regards to hoping to face a perennial NBA championship contender in the Brooklyn Nets.

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Furthermore, when Hawks head coach Nate McMillian was fined after asserting that the league favored the Knicks, it didn’t backfire but rather inspired his team to take a step in the right direction and play with aggression that matched the physicality of their opponents.

In the end, however, it was Young, while adding his name alongside Hall of Famer Reggie Miller as the next Knicks villain, who delivered the final shot in a 103-89 victory, after draining a basket in the waning seconds of Game 5 and taking a bow in Madison Square Garden to applause initially directed towards New York after their remarkable run.

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That shot alone deserved applause from both Hawks fans and NBA fans around the globe. Furthermore, it can be seen as a sign of revenge for what took place in a now-infamous spitting incident.

The Atlanta Hawks won this series while proving that publicity doesn’t matter, and instead, production does.

Since 2013, the Orange and Blue have not been in the postseason until now, and before the series began, fans such as Spike Lee and Stephen A Smith were out on front street propping up their favorite team, and rightfully so. New York and their superstar Julius Randle were playing excellent basketball, and they had to given who was their state counterparts.

Additionally, after tying the series at one apiece, they were out front and center with the fans celebrating and having the best of times, that is, of course, until they lost three straight games and the series.

But can we really get real here? The Atlanta Hawks played better and deserved to win this series. Not just for the fact that they have a stronger all-around team, but the mere fact that they play with a chip on the shoulder, knowing that they really have nothing to lose as a smaller market team.

Additionally, they only enhance their reputation with every win. As an added incentive, they humbled, at least for now, arguably the biggest market in the United States by providing a gentleman’s sweep with a 4-1 series victory.

Though the Philadelphia 76ers will provide a greater test for Atlanta in Round 2, they do have confidence going forward. Once again, they really have nothing to lose and are simply playing without any added pressure.

For now, though, they advance knowing they scored a major win for small markets in the NBA, and that deserves a standing ovation. As for New York, they wanted Brooklyn and instead, got sent home early.

Ouch.