Knicks vs. Rockets: How, Who to Watch As Homestand Continues
Whoaaaaaaaa we're halfway there ... after tonight.
The New York Knicks are far from living on a prayer, making their own luck as they carry a 6-2 record in the new calendar year. Despite some noticeable progress, the team has dropped two of its past three after a five-game winning streak and will look to recover when the Houston Rockets visit Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
New York has had a puzzling past couple, letting the severely shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies linger for far too long in an eventual 12-point win before dropping an offensively-challenged tilt to the Orlando Magic by a 98-94 final on Monday evening. The Knicks have been forced to make do without the services of star point guard Jalen Brunson, who is nursing a calf bruise. Brunson is currently listed as questionable on the injury report for the Rockets' visit.
Houston has fallen back to Earth after a solid start, having dropped eight of its past dozen. Wednesday's visit to Manhattan will serve as the finale of a six-game Eastern Conference road trip, one that has yielded just one win to date. The Rockets are coming off a 124-115 loss in Philadelphia on Monday, led by 20 points from Jalen Green.
This will be the first of two annual meetings between the Knicks and Rockets this season with a rematch scheduled for next month in Houston. The Knicks have swept each of the last three and own a seven-game winning streak against the Rockets entering Wednesday's tilt.
What: Houston Rockets (19-20) @ New York Knicks (23-17)
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
When/Watch: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG
Who's Favored: NYK -5
USA TODAY SPORTS
Keep An Eye On: Miles McBride
The trade for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn essentially acquired McBride as well: the third-year reserve was granted a three-year contract extension on the day of the trade and has been placed into Tom Thibodeau's rotation with Immanuel Quickley gone. McBride was primarily known for his defense but has responded well to extended duties, earning career-bests in scoring in consecutive games while filling in for Brunson in the starting five.
Rocket to Watch: Jalen Green
Green undoubtedly stands as one of the intriguing young attractions the Rockets have to offer, but NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas took things a bizarre step further when he tried to claim that no one of the Knicks compared to the supposed "superstar." If Houston is going to pull itself back into the Western Conference playoff picture (currently placing 11th, the first time out of the Play-In), it'll undoubtedly come to rely on Green's services.
They Said It
"To have an All-Star not on your team is gonna be hard regardless. I think we’ve still got guys who are stepping up and doing a great job, but at the end of the day, you’re losing an All-Star. So you can try to sugarcoat it and try to find ways how [to get by], but you’re losing an All-Star. That was the biggest thing.”-Isaiah Hartenstein on playing without Jalen Brunson (h/t Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News)
Prediction
If there's one thing the Knicks have done well over the past two years, they've managed to nip losing streaks and potential panic situations in the bud before things get truly out of hand. Even if Brunson is forced to miss another game, the Knicks should be able to handle business against the reeling Rockets.
