Knicks 11-1 Home Record Set to Be Tested by the Jazz
Wednesday night, the New York Knicks picked up a much-needed momentum-moving win against the Charlotte Hornets after a devastating loss on the road Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics. New York’s 11-1 home record will be tested by the Utah Jazz, who come to town on Friday night. The 7-13 Jazz come into this matchup winning just two of their last seven games, while the 14-7 Knicks have won five of their last seven. Even with this early December matchup not having much meaning to some, for these two teams, some implications could shape how the season works out. Utah looks to soar higher in the Western Conference, hoping to finally turn the franchise around after missing the playoffs the last three seasons. New York needs a win to keep maintaining the hype of being an Eastern Conference powerhouse; a loss to a middle-of-the-pack team like the Jazz could make the Knicks lose that aura surrounding this potentially big season.
In their last game, the Jazz picked up a huge win over the Houston Rockets. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George have been the duo Utah has needed, and they have all the tools to turn this franchise around. While the Jazz have an atrocious 1-7 record on the road, the big lights at MSG could be calling Markkanen or George. These two combined for 57 points in the win over Houston. Before their matchup with the Knicks, they’ll head to Brooklyn for a matchup against the Nets tonight. A solid victory over a five-win team like the Nets and the potential of keeping up this hot stretch, with a confidence-boosting win over the Knicks, could change the tide of the season.
During this home matchup against the Jazz, if the Knicks take a solid lead, they must look to maintain it throughout the whole 48 minutes. In their loss against the Celtics, New York held a 17-point lead before Boston’s offense caught fire and lost the lead. From that point, the Knicks lost all momentum and failed to capture the win. However, the Knicks were able to keep their stride when the same situation occurred in Wednesday’s game against the Hornets. New York took a 20+ lead over Charlotte, yet the Hornets were able to come back and keep the game close. Instead of panicking, the Knicks stayed focused and were able to accumulate another 20-point lead before winning the game by 15. If the Knicks want to win, the offense must click, everyone must be dependable on defense, and once they take the lead, they keep it. While that may sound simple, this Knicks team is still adjusting to coach Mike Brown’s system. Hopefully, this will be another successful home win.
