Knicks at Jazz: How & Who to Watch in Donovan Mitchell-Free Showdown
The New York Knicks and Utah Jazz battled all summer at the proverbial negotiating table, their conversations ending in a relative stalemate, as neither side has Donovan Mitchell as the 2022-23 season is fully underway.
Each side finally gets a chance to do battle on Tuesday night, when the Knicks tip off a five-game road trip in Salt Lake City. With Mitchell lingering on neither roster, his services now secured in Cleveland, they're headed in opposite directions.
The Knicks are struggling to develop a winning streak, having not won consecutive games since a three-game streak at the start of the year (Oct. 21-26). Sunday saw the Knicks set a franchise record with 48 points in the first quarter but a defensive performance that left plenty to be desired gave way to a 145-135 loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the midst of defeat, Immanuel Quickley had 24 points off the bench while Cam Reddish had a season-high 26. The contest, however, was defined by the late benching of both RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson, neither of whom partook in fourth quarter action.
Utah got off to a surprisingly hot start without Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and head coach Quin Snyder but has cooled off after a four-game winning streak, dropping consecutive contests to Eastern Conference competition from Washington and Philadelphia over the weekend after a four-game winning streak. Utah was the victim of Joel Embiid's 59-point performance in the latter loss on Sunday, countering only with Malik Beasley's 18 points off the bench.
New York and Utah will meet twice this season, the Jazz set to visit Madison Square Garden on Feb. 11.
What: New York Knicks (6-7) at Utah Jazz (10-5)
Where: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
When/Watch: Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET, MSG/MSG Go
Keep An Eye On: Jalen Brunson
For all intents and purposes, Brunson was fulfilling his end of the bargain in the early stages of the Knicks' season after his $104 million was confirmed to be the headlining move of the metropolitan summer after the Mitchell pursuit ultimately proved futile.
Sunday was perhaps the most egregious sign of Brunson-based adversity: he was far from the only issue of, say, last week's disastrous visit to Brooklyn, but defensive woes, namely his inability to stop a Josh Giddey triple-double, sidelined him during the entire fourth quarter. It was a mandated sabbatical that Brunson more or less agreed with.
Brunson has insisted that he not be looked upon as any sort of New York savior, but, after the failure to obtain Mitchell, the Knicks' fortunes are more or less attached to him. This five-game road trip, which features matchups against three of the top five teams in the West (Utah, Denver, Phoenix), the defending champions (Golden State), and the aforementioned Thunder will be a solid test for Brunson, one that will give him a chance to prove he's capable of being a primary option on. big-budget team.
Utahn to Watch: Jordan Clarkson
The Jazz became the first team to reach double-figures in victories despite a relative lack of star power. It's a stretch that has fueled the breakout of the veteran Clarkson, who has flourished to expanded duties upon Mitchell's departure. While primarily used as depth for the majority of his career, Clarkson has worked wonders upon entering the starting lineup in Mitchell's place.
Clarkson has assured that there's no interest on the Jazz's part in reverting to expectations of tanking, expressing particular pride in the fact that Utah has handled business in close games: the Jazz have won twice in overtime this season and six of their 10 victories have come by single-digits.
"It’s just tough wins (that have kept us going). Everybody from 1 to 15, whoever," Clarkson said. "The guys coming up from the (G League), two-way guys, everybody’s just involved, talking, learning. So, it makes everything connect real fast.”
In the midst of this hodgepodge of relative misfits is Clarkson, one of the rare Utah representatives with meaningful big-game experience. The Knicks have had trouble shutting down primary talents this season. If they're going to escape from Salt Lake City with a win, shutting down Clarkson must be their top priority.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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