Hawks vs. Knicks: Video Highlights, Twitter Reaction and Grades

A couple days after suffering an ugly loss to the New Jersey Nets, Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks got back on track on Wednesday night, defeating the Atlanta Hawks by the final of 99-82.

This game was over by the time it reached the half. The Knicks dominated the first quarter, dominated the second quarter and went into the break with a 60-35 lead. From that point on, all they had to do was go through the motions.

It was a good win for the Knicks, one that gets their record back to the even .500 mark at 17-17. They now have a little momentum heading into Thursday night's showdown against the Miami Heat.

Tweets of the Night

Let's take a look at some tweets, shall we?

Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution told it like it was when the Hawks were down big in the first half:

Steve Popper of NorthJersey.com chimed in with a cheeky Carmelo Anthony joke:

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com came up with a good idea to spice up the GOP debate:

On a serious note, Amar'e Stoudemire did not have a great game, prompting Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops to tweet this:

ESPN's Michael Smith pointed out another ominous trend, one that is relevant to the team the Knicks play on Thursday:

So you see, it wasn't all good on Wednesday night. Either that or there are simply too many haters in this world. Your call.

Must-See Highlights

You know how everyone was making a big stink about how Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony wouldn't be able to coexist?

How's this for coexisting:

But before there was Lin-to-Anthony, there was Baron Davis-to-J.R.Smith:

Ah yes, now this is good, old-fashioned highlight reel basketball. Take note, kids.

Grades for Knicks' Key Players

Jeremy Lin: B-

This was another solid game for Linsanity. He scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, dished out nine assists and committed four turnovers. Not bad for 32 minutes of work.

I'm giving Lin a B- mainly because, let's face it, he has set a high standard for himself. This was an okay game, but not a great game. Plus, he didn't exactly dominate Jeff Teague on defense, which is to be expected at this point. 

Carmelo Anthony: B-

Much better, Melo. Much better.

Melo looked pretty flat against the Nets on Monday, but he came out and knocked down 7-of-16 shot attempts for 15 points against the Hawks. He added four rebounds and three assists. We've seen him have better games, but I'm giving him a positive grade because he simply looked much better than he did on Monday.

Amar'e Stoudemire: C

This was not one of Stoudemire's better games. He struggled from the floor, shooting just 3-of-8 and scoring only seven points. For the most part, he just looked a little on the lifeless side when he was on the floor.

On the plus side, he pulled down 10 rebounds, and he did a decent job of helping out against Josh Smith. He could have been better, and he could have been worse.

Steve Novak: B+

Steve Novak couldn't buy a three against the Nets, making just two of his eight shots from distance. He's better than that.

And he was indeed better than that on Wednesday, tying a season high with five threes. He tied Lin for the team high with 17 points. Not a bad night for the sharpshooter. 

Grades for Hawks' Key Players

Jeff Teague: B

Jeff Teague had a modest game, scoring 18 points and racking up three steals. He was 7-of-12 from the field. Would have been nice if he'd had at least one assist, though.

It's not a great line, but I'm giving Teague a B simply because he was the best player the Hawks had on Wednesday night. 

Yeah, it wasn't pretty.

Josh Smith: C-

At times it actually felt like Josh Smith was having a good game, but the end results leave a lot to be desired. He scored just 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He had seven rebounds in 34 minutes.

In the end, his +/- was -25. Yeah.

It was a lackluster effort, but the same can be said of the rest of the Hawks. Theirs was not a performance for the books.

Deciding Factor: Ball Movement

The Knicks once again fed off Lin, who distributed the ball cleanly and efficiently in his 32 minutes. But don't overlook the work Baron Davis was able to do, with six dimes in just 14 minutes of action. A handful of other Knicks got in on the fun too, including Melo.

So despite the fact Melo is back, it still looks like this Knicks team won't have any trouble spreading the ball around and getting everyone involved. They'll win a lot of games as long as they're able to do that.

Game MVP: Jeremy Lin

I guess I might as well go with Lin. He was not spectacular in the way he's been in the past (or the way Deron Williams was on Monday night), but he got the job done early on and essentially set the Knicks up for smooth sailing in the latter half of the game. 

It was a team effort, truth be told, but Lin was at the center of it all once again. 

What's Next?

The Hawks will head home to host the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. That's the only game that matters.

Oh, except for the showdown between the Knicks and Heat in South Beach on Thursday night. Prepare to watch the world explode before your very eyes.