The Five Most Anticipated Matchups of the 26-27 New York Knicks First 25 Games
The 26-27 NBA season is rapidly approaching with the new season tipping off on October 20th. After 53 years, the New York Knicks will look to do something they haven’t done in a long time: defend their NBA Championship. This season’s Knicks have so much hype surrounding them after what they were able to accomplish last season and will now have to defend their title, something an NBA Championship team hasn’t done since the Golden State Warriors in 2018. While the 82-game season is a long stretch, the first 25 games of the season are extremely important to establish yourself, figure out lineups and rotations, and determine how the rest of your season could look. New York has a lot of big games during that stretch, and these five will showcase the Knicks’ fortitude throughout the year.
76ers vs. Knicks - October 20th
One of the games kicking off the NBA season will be an Atlantic Division rivalry between the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Many sportsbooks have these two teams winning the Eastern Conference or even winning the NBA Finals. The addition of LeBron James to the Sixers is huge, but ball dominance could hurt Philadelphia until James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe feel comfortable in the same lineup. Defeating this stacked starting lineup during the very first game of the season would be a big deal for New York. It would set the tone early and give the Knicks the advantage to stay on top throughout the season’s series. This game will host the Knicks’ NBA Championship banner ceremony; they certainly hope one of their biggest rivals doesn’t spoil the celebration during the start of this new season.
Knicks vs. Celtics - October 23rd
Following their first game of the season at MSG against the Sixers, the Knicks will travel to Boston, where they’ll take on the Celtics. This Celtics team is revamped around Jayson Tatum after the team decided to part ways with Brown during the offseason. Boston signed former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, and he’ll look to show New York they made a mistake in not re-signing him. A win on the road against another one of their biggest rivals could do wonders for the Knicks at the start of the 26-27 season.
Pistons vs. Knicks - October 27th
Last season, the Detroit Pistons shocked the NBA by winning 60 games. They also shocked New York by sweeping the season series by obliterating the Knicks by 15 points or more throughout their three matchups. With Cade Cunningham leading the franchise, this Pistons team has a ton of hope for the future. With the leaps and bounds Cunningham has taken, he could legitimately help Detroit to another 50-60 wins during the 26-27 season. The Knicks should be concerned about this, which makes this another matchup that is must-see and thwarts the challenge to New York whether they can respond back.
Knicks vs. Cavaliers - November 7th
Going four games past their first matchup with Detroit, the Knicks will head on the road to Cleveland for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch with the Cavaliers. This is a team that has looked to compete for an NBA Championship year in and year out over the past five seasons. They recently traded for Peyton Watson, hoping the 23-year-old wing will be huge on both sides of the ball. Watson will fit nicely alongside the starting lineup with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Those four men alone can make the Cavs’ lineup dangerous on any given night. There may be some inconsistent shooting at times; however, this team is built to be a threat to the Knicks, so if New York can take the first game between these two teams, that could help the Knicks out as the season progresses.
Knicks vs. Timberwolves - November 19th
A possible NBA Finals matchup, the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves will face off in an inter-conference game that may be a ton of fun to watch. The newly formed duo of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball could be the talk of the league. Then, considering they still have defensive anchor Rudy Gobert and one of the best versatile defenders in Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota will be a scary threat in the Western Conference. Having Ball vs. Jalen Brunson and Gobert vs. Karl-Anthony Towns may be one of the more thrilling matchups early throughout the first 25 games of the year.
