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The animosity between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks continues to spill. Things got chippy once again in Game 4 on Sunday, with Julius Randle elbowing John Collins in the face in the tension-filled third quarter.
Randle's frustrations, birthed by his anemic shooting performances, got the best of him after a failed drive to the rim and Collins bore the brunt. He needed to go back to the locker room to receive four stitches in his upper lip, while his bottom lip got swollen.
After the game, Collins sounded off on the continued physicality of the series, as the Hawks and Knicks have perhaps inadvertently started a new rivalry in the Eastern Conference (via ESPN).
“I loved it. I felt like from the very start, we came out with the mindset that we were not going to let their physical game get to us. We matched their physicality and played our game.”
Collins sure got energized by all the banging and shoving, finishing with 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds. His aggressive play earned him eight trips to the free throw line, sinking all of them.
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It's clear all the smack talk has gotten more physical between the two squads, as evidenced by the incident between Collins and Randle. Their boisterous fans have also added fuel to the fire, giving more life to the erstwhile doormat showing of the Hawks and the Knicks.
Randle, however, is confident that the battle is not yet over despite their 1-3 deficit.
“We’ve got a Game 5 back at home to extend this series. I love our chances. It’s not over. It’s not nearly over.”
A different kind of lip service for John Collins and the Hawks perhaps?
