The New York Knicks won the meeting back in early November, 120-107. They are in a good position to do it again, unless they have one of those lackadaisical nights once again.
Catch the game tomorrow at 7:30 AM, Manila time.
HOME: New York Knicks (42-30, 20-16 HOME)
Projected starting five:
- Jalen Brunson
- Quentin Grimes
- RJ Barrett
- Julius Randle
- Mitchell Robinson
After suffering a three-game skid that succeeded their season-high nine-straight wins, the Knickerbockers are building something again. They have patched three consecutive victories while scoring 117 points per game on a +8.7 net rating.
The Knicks trio starred in that aforementioned win over the T-Wolves. Julius Randle had a game-high 31 points that included eight three-pointers, backed up by Jalen Brunson adding 23 to go along eight dimes, and rounded out by RJ Barrett’s 22. We can expect a similar performance from any of the three, perhaps even a repeat, with current top Sixth Man of the Year candidate Immanuel Quickley joining the mix – the 23-year-old has 18.9 PPG and 4.1 APG in his last seven outings.
Lastly, they have bruisers and rim protectors in Mitchell Robinson, Isiah Hartenstein, and Jericho Sims to counter Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert tower down low.
The Knicks are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 home games.
AWAY: Minnesota Timberwolves (35-37, 15-20 AWAY)
Projected starting five:
- Mike Conley
- Anthony Edwards (out) / Jaden McDaniels
- Kyle Anderson
- Karl-Anthony Towns (out) / Taurean Prince
- Rudy Gobert
The Timberwolves got some bad news days ago when they found that Anthony Edwards could possibly be out for a couple of games because of a hurt ankle– he has already missed one and is expected to also sit out tomorrow. It’s just an added frustration to the team’s season, which has involved chemistry issues and the long-term injury to Karl-Anthony Towns.
Minny is also on a three-game losing streak and have dropped eight of its last 12 contests (114.3 PPG, -2.5 net rating) – a terrible timing to do so given how the team is on the edge of the play-in spots.
Nevertheless, with Edwards out, the grind will begin with defensive big man Rudy Gobert (13.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG), who they hope could be more effective on the offensive end. Veteran facilitator Mike Conley (12.4 PPG, 4.9 APG), all-around forward Kyle Anderson (13.4, 8.2 RPG, 9.6 APG in his last 5), and third-year forward Jaden McDaniels (19 PPG in his last 4) will be there leading the offensive production.
The T-Wolves aren’t looking attractive here, but here’s a big curveball: they are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
PREDICTION:
Handicap: The Knicks (-8) are tough to trust in very winnable games. They may fail to cover the spread.Over/Under: The total hits the over (229).
