Matthew Falkenbury, theKnicksBlog.com

After taking a trip to Philadelphia this weekend to witness in person a clinic on how not to play NBA Basketball by the New York Knicks, we will see if they can bounce back tonight against the Atlanta Hawks. A bounce back win over the Hawks would end this tough stretch against Eastern Conference teams on a high note and help us forget the no-show in Philly.

The Nets have lost two in a row, the Celtics won, but lost Rondo for the season and the Heat keep allowing the Knicks to hang around. A loss tonight would give all those teams another day to not lose any ground while giving Atlanta a big road win. Also, we can’t forget that it would allow Chicago and Indiana to continue to hang around. Lets just hope that last night was nothing more than just a bump in the road and not a sign of more struggles to come.

Five Questions About Tonight’s Game

1. How will Raymond Felton look in his first back to back after returning from his injury?
2. Can J.R. Smith break out of his shooting slump?
3. Will the Knicks get off to another slow start in the first quarter?
4. Who wins the potential match-up of Iman Shumpert vs. Josh Smith?
5. Can Melo tie the Knicks record for consecutive game scoring 20+ points?