Knicks Continue West Coast Trip Against Blazers

This West Coast trip has not provided the results the Knicks were necessarily looking for. They dropped three consecutive games in California to the Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers respectively. They also lost Jalen Brunson to an ankle injury during the game against the Lakers. Thankfully they picked up a win against Sacramento last game and they look to continue that momentum against an inexperienced Blazers team on a four-game losing streak, with their latest loss coming against the Warriors. After nearly a 30-point victory against one of the top teams out West in the Sacramento Kings, we will see if the offense can continue succeeding without their star guard.

Game Insight

We can expect both teams to come into this game aggressively as they both may not be proud of their play as of late. They have not faced off this entire year, so it will be interesting to see how they matchup and what team can gain the upper hand. Deandre Ayton will continue to be out in this game for the Trail Blazers with a calf injury and Jerami Grant will be a game time decision. The Knicks will of course go into this game without Jalen Brunson and rookie center Ariel Hukporti. We will see how these injuries end up affecting the course of the game and which team can adjust and adapt at a more efficient level.

Key Matchup 

I have an interesting matchup that I'm keeping an eye on here, that is star hustle player Josh Hart versus elusive scoring threat in Deni Avdija. These are both extremely exciting players to watch play and they are coming off great shooting performances in both their previous games. They are also both tremendous rebounding threats in their own right and cause difficulty for their opponent on the glass whenever they are in action. I think whoever can continue to have a hot hand in this game will provide the spark their team so desperately desires and will lift their organization to a gritty and impressive victory.