If it wasn’t for the recent resurgence of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks would have already been a top 4 team in the East the way they’ve been playing. Since the OG Anunoby trade the Knicks are 9-2 SU and are coming off a big win over the Toronto Raptors 126-100. Jalen Brunson continued to make his all-star game case with 38 points, while Julius Randle notched a triple double with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Momentum is clearly on their side as they face their cross town rivals the Nets, so even if they have just 3 wins in the last 12 meetings, the Knicks enter tonight’s game as 3.5 point favorites. Ever since the Michell Robinson injury they’ve been thin at the center position, that could be an issue tonight as Isaiah Hartenstein is also questionable with an ankle problem. Expect the Knicks to adjust here as they try to win only their 2nd game in Brooklyn over their last 8 visits.
In the last Nets game we witnessed one of the biggest meltdowns of the NBA season so far as Brooklyn let an 18-point lead slip away in a 125-114 loss to the LA Clippers. Everything looked good until the 4th quarter when the Nets defense collapsed and allowed 41 points, scoring only 15. This team is looking for solutions to turn things around, they’ve been one of the most unreliable teams against the spread over the last couple of months covering just 3 times in their last 19 games. Don’t be surprised if we see the Nets make some moves before the upcoming trade deadline, they’re rumored to be interested in quite a few names out there. The play of Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas are the only consistent they can count on these days, those two led the way in the first meeting of the season vs the Knicks, however the Nets lost 121-102 at home. With just 1 win in their last 6 games overall I am not feeling too good about their chances here.
