NBA

The New York Knicks Fight to Go Past .500

The New York Knicks will try to go above the 50 percent mark for the first time this season, as they host the Charlotte Hornets in the first of two games.

By admin

The New York Knicks go for their third straight win.
The New York Knicks go for their third straight win.

Reaching the .500 record for just the second time this 2016-17 season, the New York Knicks (7-7) seek to extend their two-game win streak to go over the fifty percent win mark. They will host the Charlotte Hornets (8-6) in the first game of a back-to-back miniseries to end a three-game home stand. Meanwhile, the Hornets enter the matchup against New York having lost three consecutive games, which caused them to plummet from second place down to sixth.

The New York Knicks are coming off two days recuperation since claiming a home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Charlotte Hornets on the other hand, will have one day less to recover after dropping a home game to the San Antonio Spurs, 119-114. The upcoming match in Madison Square Garden will be first meeting between the two teams this year.

For the season, the New York Knicks are 21st in scoring at 102.7 ppg. They were able to pass this mark both times in their last two games, resulting in back-to-back wins. They scored 104 points against the Atlanta Hawks and 107 over the Portland Trail Blazers. In both these games, two different players led the team with 31 points on both occasions; Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. In terms of defense, the New Yorks Knicks were also able to surpass their average of 105.9 points allowed. They held Atlanta to 94 and Portland to 103.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNC2_Lz0Q1Q

One of the main reasons for this recent rise is the quiet emergence of New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis. Averaging 21.0 ppg, the 7’3’’ Latvian standout ranks third in the NBA among players with at least 35 possessions on the low post at 1.06 points-per-play. He has optimized his size advantage to shoot over defenders down low. When opposing teams try to push him out of the paint, Porzingis turns to a deadly 15-foot fadeaway jumpshot.

“I’m realizing how long I am and how difficult it is to bother my shot,” said Porzingis. “I worked on my post game, but it’s more [on] experience… just knowing how to use my length.”

The New Yorks Knicks may miss the services of leading rebounder Joakim Noah (8.9 rpg) versus the Hornets. Noah is listed as “probable” after missing two straight games due to illness.