Home-road balance. It’s what every team strives for in pursuit of a playoff spot and title. The Knicks are still searching for it. While they have been nearly impenetrable at home, carrying a 10-1 record at Madison Square Garden before hosting the Charlotte Hornets last night, they dropped to 3-6 away from their own building after losing to Boston Celtics 123-117 on Tuesday.
Jalen Brunson, who has been one of the NBA’s most deadly scorers again this season, went into last night’s game averaging 27.7 points, 13th in the league. However, he shot just 6-21 for 15 points in the loss against the Celtics. Mikal Bridges led the Knicks in that game with a season-high 35 points.
“I thought he got the normal looks that he normally takes. So he’s got to keep shooting them, he’s got to keep getting to his spots,” said Knicks head coach Mike Brown regarding Brunson after the loss. “I thought he took good 3s, too. They just didn’t go in. And that happens sometimes.”
A few of the Knicks home-road splits are telling. Before facing the Hornets the Knicks were averaging 123.3 points per game at the Garden and 116.6 away. Their three-point field goal percentage was 39.6 at MSG versus 34.6 away. And while there was little variance in their throw attempts, 23.5 at home and 22.6 on the road, the percentage gap, 84.2% at the Garden and 74.4% is glaring.
Ditto on the defensive side. On their own court the Knicks were allowing 110.5 prior to their game last night, but in enemy territory the number jumps to 117.1. Nevertheless, the Knicks have navigated a new head coach, a new system, and a substantial number of missed games by core rotation players due to injuries, maintaining solid footing in the Eastern Conference standings a month and a half into the season.
Forward OG Anunoby (strained left hamstring sustained on Nov. 14) and guard Landry Shamet (right shoulder sprain suffered on Nov. 22) remain out. Shamet will not be reevaluated until late this month but the Knicks are targeting Anunoby’s potential return on Sunday against the Orlando
The team was 13-7 before meeting the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden last night and fourth overall in the East. At this juncture in the NBA season, standings are fluid. A single win or loss can possibly elevate or drop some teams two spots.
For example, when the league’s schedule tipped off last night, the Knicks were just one game behind the second place Toronto Raptors, which were 15-7, half a game behind No. 3 Miami Heat (14-7), half a game ahead of the No.5 seed Orlando Magic (13-8), and one full game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, Nos. 6 and 7 respectively, which were both 13-9.
While the novelty and luster of the Emirates NBA Cup has faded, the tournament has still retained more than moderate fan interest and financial implications. In its third year, the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, the past two winners, did not make it out of group play to this year’s quarterfinals. But the Knicks did, ending the four-game slate 3-1, the best record in the four-team Group C.
They will play the Raptors (4-0 in cup play) next Tuesday in Toronto. The Miami Heat will meet the Magic in Orlando next Tuesday in the other East contest. Out west, the Phoenix Suns will be in Oklahoma City to challenge the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs will be in Los Angeles to clash with the Lakers.
Before the Cup, the Knicks will play the Utah Jazz at MSG tomorrow and the Magic at the Garden on Sunday (12 p.m.).