Holding the NBA’s fourth-best report and scoring offense would appear a chief place with the playoffs roughly 5 weeks away.
New York Knicks followers may simply as quickly commerce a sure stone fruit for bitter grapes currently, although.
The No. 3 seed within the Japanese Convention seems seemingly, certain, and the group has gone 13-5 since Jan. 20. However it’s the way in which the Knicks lose—plus the timing and foe—that leaves many backers weary. Extra on that later. As a result of one other attainable powerful tablet to swallow seems to be to have handed with little incident (for now), and Knicks followers should have one thing to cheer.
After lacking Tuesday’s 114-105 loss to Golden State on account of unspecified private causes, All-Star large man Karl-Anthony Cities will return to the lineup tonight when the Knicks go to the Los Angeles Lakers to open a five-game West Coast highway journey, in line with a New York Submit report.
That’s good, proper? Nice, even. Cities’ first season with New York after an offseason commerce with Minnesota has netted nothing however success. He’s averaging 24.5 factors and is second within the league with 13.4 rebounds per recreation. He additionally contributes when he’s not taking pictures 53% from the ground—together with 42.5% from lengthy vary—averaging 3.1 assists.
Nonetheless, a cryptic social media message from Jordyn Woods, Cities’ influencer girlfriend, lets unease linger till Cities subsequent addresses the media. Woods posted late Tuesday to X, the platform previously often called Twitter, writing merely, “[expletive] Most cancers.”
No matter saved Cities from Tuesday’s recreation, the Knicks clearly may have used him. After OG Anunoby cut up a pair of free throws with 6:33 remaining to attract New York inside some extent, Golden State scored 20 of the sport’s closing 29 factors to drag away.
Fourth-quarter lapses are nothing new to the Knicks, however at the very least they’re higher than these video games the place the assault isn’t in place to sputter late as a result of the opposition is on fireplace.
That’s what occurred Feb. 21. Using a three-game win streak bridging the All-Star break, the Knicks misplaced 142-105 on the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, trailing by 27 on the half whereas yielding at the very least 32 factors in every quarter.
Two days later, New York fell by 13 at defending champion Boston, the No. 2 seed within the East. All advised, the Knicks are 0-5 towards the Cavaliers and Celtics this season, with all however one defeat coming by double digits.
The final two weeks of the common season provide three extra litmus checks towards the East’s finest. New York visits Cleveland on April 2 earlier than internet hosting the Celtics and Cavaliers in its closing two house video games, on April 8 and 11.
By then, Mitchell Robinson figures to be additional within the fold as he returns from ankle surgical procedure that delayed his season debut to Feb. 28. Robinson has ramped up his minutes since then, taking part in 15 towards the Warriors.
“He’s a game-changer for them,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr stated. “Being a lob risk, shot blocker.”
Does Robinson mission to type a Huge Three with Cities and All-Star level guard Jalen Brunson? Not precisely. However he does affect the Knicks’ capacity to make a distinction within the paint on each side of the ground.
New York will want a couple of added wrinkle to shut the hole with Cleveland and Boston—to not point out maintain off a first-round opponent (the surging Detroit Pistons, maybe?).
However don’t eradicate the Knicks from the playoffs till the opposition does. They’ll be postseason-bound with All-Stars within the frontcourt and backcourt and a coach bent on protection.
You by no means know. Till you scroll by way of X, in fact.
