The New York Knicks will have to forget everything that happened a day before and focus on this upcoming matchup against the well-rested Los Angeles Clippers. James Harden and company are looking to win consecutively for the first time since mid-February, but will that happen with a victory over the Knicks? Or, will the Inglewood visitors steal a win?
Catch this game live on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 11:30 AM, Manila time
Away: New York Knicks (40-22, 19-11 )
Projected Starting Five:
- Miles McBride
- Mikal Bridges
- Josh Hart
- OG Anunoby
- Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks got a double blackeye on Friday, as they not only suffered a meltdown in a 113-109 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers but also absorbed a painful blow in the form of a Jalen Brunson injury. While there isn’t an official word yet about Brunson’s status for the Clippers game, he will likely sit that one out. If that’s the case, expect Miles Bridges to start in Brunson’s place. A Brunson absence would be a big loss for New York, but the Knicks still have lots of great weapons at their disposal.
Karl-Anthony Towns has returned from a one-game absence and should get more shots with Brunson not around on the floor. He only shot 3-for-13 for 12 points versus the Lakers, so there’s extra motivation for him to bounce back. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are all capable of having big nights for the Knicks, who could be due for a great shooting night from deep after making just 29.4 percent of their 3-point attempts in the last five NY outings.
The Knicks are 3-2 against the spread in their last five games against the Clippers as the road team.
Home: Los Angeles Clippers (33-29, 20-10 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- James Harden
- Kris Dunn
- Amir Coffey
- Kawhi Leonard
- Ivica Zubac
The Clippers got their groove back after losing three games in a row. James Harden’s wild 50-point night helped Los Angeles end that slump in a 123-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Inglewood last Thursday. With Brunson unlikely to play for the Knicks this Saturday and with New York playing on the second night of a back-to-back that started with an overtime loss, the Clippers should be feeling good about their chances versus the potentially fatigued LA squad.
Plus, Kawhi Leonard is about to return to the lineup after resting his knee in the Detroit game. Leonard is averaging 18.1 points while Harden is putting up 22.1. However, Norman Powell is still out for the Clippers, who are averaging 113.0 points in home games so far in the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
The Clippers are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games as the home team.
Picks
Spread: New York Knicks (+7.5)
Over/Under: Under (219.5)
