Why Quin Snyder is proud of Hawks players despite Game 1 loss to Knicks

Quin Snyder was proud of the Atlanta Hawks’ effort of play despite their loss to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the first-round series on Saturday night.

Snyder and the Hawks make their way back to the playoffs, their first appearance since 2023. They have overachieved as their young talents have shined to lead the team back into the postseason.

However, the inexperience stopped them from stunning New York on the road. Atlanta also went through shooting woes during stretches of the game, but it was an issue that Snyder didn’t show too much concern for after the game.

“Defining what a good shot is is really difficult, especially in a playoff situation. You’ve got guys that need to have the confidence that they can to attack and make plays, and not every shot you’re going to get is going to be wide open. That makes it easy,” Snyder said.

“What you can do is continue to work to get the best shots you can. And we know how to do that. Got to keep doing it and do everything a little better. Good things that we did. I like the way that we came back at the end of the game. We were resilient in that situation. It was just too little, too late.”

Quin Snyder deflects question by @LeighEllis about #Hawks shot selection in the Game 1

He was content with his players resilience at the end of the game coming back despite loss vs #Knicks in Game 1 pic.twitter.com/VFrMtRkgd5

— Darko Dželetović (@DarkoBasketball) April 19, 2026

How Quin Snyder, Hawks performed against Knicks

Quin Snyder knows that the Hawks have the talent to compete with the Knicks. What matters is having the best shot selection possible to make winning games very likely.

Both teams competed throughout the first half as New York only led 57-55 at halftime. Despite this, the hosts came through with a 26-19 display in the third quarter to create significant distance from Atlanta and secure the series-opening win.

Four players scored in double-digits for Atlanta in the loss. CJ McCollum led the team with 26 points, four rebounds, one assist, and a block. Jalen Johnson came next with 23 points and seven rebounds, Onyeka Okongwu had 19 points and seven rebounds, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker provided 17 points and four assists.

The Hawks will look to bounce back in their next matchup against the Knicks. Game 2 is set for April 20 at 8 p.m. ET.

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