The Milwaukee Bucks will travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on Monday, January 19, 2026. The game is scheduled for 1:00 pm ET. Three other games are scheduled for the same day: Thunder vs. Cavaliers (2:30 pm), Mavericks vs. Knicks (5:00 pm), and Celtics vs. Pistons (8:00 pm). These matchups will be nationally broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
The game marks the return of the Hawks to Dr. King's hometown (Atlanta) after they missed hosting on the holiday last season. Since 1986, the NBA calendar has included meaningful games on MLK Day, especially in cities having deep ties to Dr. King’s legacy.
How has Hawks performed in MLK Day games?
The Hawks have played almost every year on MLK Day since 1994, with the few exceptions coming in 1998 and 2017. They have won 23 games while losing 11 on this special day. The Hawks hold the second-highest win percentage on MLK Day overall. Moreover, they have the best win rate in the entire league on this day.
Last season, they fell 119-110 to the New York Knicks. In the season prior, they registered a 109–99 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at home.
How has Bucks performed in MLK Day games?
Unlike Atlanta, Milwaukee has played only a few games on MLK Day. They hold a record of 11 wins and 13 losses in MLK Day matchups, which equates to a win percentage of approximately .458.
The last time they played on MLK Day was in 2019, when Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out five assists to lead the Bucks to a 116-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.