New York Knicks Look to Bounce Back In 3-Game Road Trip

The New York Knicks got off to a tough start on Wednesday night and a three-game road trip opens up in Atlanta on Friday.

The New York Knicks did not have the start to the season that they wanted to have, falling to the Boston Celtics in a game that went down to the wire. This year's Madison Square Garden opener was spoiled by a historic Boston debut for Kristaps Porzingis against the team that drafted him with the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Trailing by nine entering the fourth quarter, the Knicks (0-1) bounced back and made it a close game, but they ultimately could not get it done. They will be on the road for their next three games and will look to bounce back and show doubters why they are one of the favorites to be a top seed in the Eastern Conference.

There will be a rematch of the first round of last year's playoffs as one of the New York Knicks' road games will be against the Cleveland Cavaliers (USA TODAY SPORTS)

While the Knicks shot a respectable 43 percent from three in their first game of the season, they shot a less-than-desirable 37 percent as a whole. Those issues were headlined by brutal nights for New York headliners Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, who shot a combined 11-of-43 in defeat.

The first leg of the trip comes against the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG), who will not only be looking to impress their home opener crowd but also atone for a 116-110 loss to Charlotte in their own Wednesday opener. Friday's game is the first of a back-to-back, as the Knicks will then face a New Orleans Pelicans team fresh off a seven-point win in Memphis, yet another Wednesday tip-off game.

But perhaps the most important stage of the Knicks' three-legged road trip is a trip to Ohio for a rematch of last season's first-round playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unlike the Knicks, the Cavs wound up winning in New York on Wednesday thanks to a buzzer-beater from Donovan Mitchell that secured a 114-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

There may be no place like home, but the Knicks proved themselves to be more than capable away from Manhattan: their 24-17 road record was third-best in the NBA last season behind Milwaukee and a three-way tie between Boston, Philadelphia, and Sacramento.