Knicks @ Nets: How & Who To Watch as NYC Rivalry Resumes
For what it's worth, the New York Knicks seem to be doing well in one certain metric: namely that of scary headline avoidance.
While the Knicks have endured some silly situations in the early going, it's perhaps nothing compared to what their crosstown rivals have had to deal with, as the Brooklyn Nets have been mired in controversy thanks to a suspension of star guard Kyrie Irving and the subsequent aftermath. Still paced by the skills of Kevin Durant, the Nets embark upon their fourth Irving-less game after he was assessed a five-game absence against the Knicks on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
Both teams enter on a wave of relatively positive on-court momentum, each winning two of their last three. Antics from beyond the arc paved the way for the Knicks' 120-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, the first leg of a brief two-game road trip that ends on Atlantic Avenue tonight. Julius Randle tied his career-best with eight three-pointers, five of them coming in the first quarter as the Knicks set a new franchise record for triples in a single period.
The Nets likewise played on Monday but narrowly fell by a 96-94 final to the Dallas Mavericks despite Kevin Durant earning 26 points and Nic Claxton securing a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double. Brooklyn previously earned its first winning streak of the season with road wins in Washington and Charlotte.
This will be the first of four meetings between the Knicks and Nets this season, the next coming on Jan. 28.
What: New York Knicks (5-5) at Brooklyn Nets (4-7)
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
When/Watch: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/MSG Go/ESPN/ESPN App
Keep An Eye On: Julius Randle
Even with Jalen Brunson proving to be worth every penny thus far, it's clear that the current Knicks' success ebbs and flows with the play of Randle. A lot has gone right in the first year of a $117 million contract extension that was earned during his famous Most Improved Player campaign: Randle is averaging over 20 points and hauling in 8.9 rebounds.
But the turnovers and fouls have been concerning, averaging over three in each category entering Wednesday action. The Knicks were pleased with the way Randle was moving the ball in the first days of the Brunson era, but these issues that afford opponents extra chances have been concerning. Randle has since found a slight sense of stability in sharing the floor with Obi Topping over the past few games.
Lately, Randle appears keen to work on his three-point contributions, putting up over seven tries a game in four November contests thus far. Like the Knicks. the Nets have also had issues in guarding the three-ball, allowing over 13.5 a game. If he can make that a consistent part of his repertoire, the Knicks could truly get the ball rolling when it comes to fighting for a top-six spot in the East.
Net to Watch: Nic Claxton
The big man Claxton (6-11, 245 lbs.) has taken on literally larger duties in the Nets' starting lineup and has taken advantage so far. Having appeared in the opening five in each of the first 11 games (after starting only 20 in his first three seasons), Claxton is second in the league in blocks (25) and has four double-doubles to date. The fourth-year man, however, is hungry for more.
“I really want to be the anchor of the defense,” Claxton said in October. “(I want to) be one of the best defenders in the league night-in and night-out.”
"His teammates trust him, so he can go out there and do his thing," Durant added of Claxton's potential. "Sometimes you don’t want to showcase all your skills early on because you don’t know how they fit towards the team. He’s comfortable now, and we need him to be more and more aggressive.”
In essence, Claxton appears to be the Nets' version of Mitchell Robinson ... who is out for the foreseeable future after suffering a knee injury during Friday's win in Philadelphia. The Knicks made the unusual move of starting Jericho Sims rather than Isaiah Hartenstein on Monday in Minneapolis, so it'll be up to the interior men to stall Claxton's early success.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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