Game Day: Knicks vs. Grizzlies, 4/9/21
The Knicks are back home, once again trying to stop a losing skid against a red-hot team. Can they contain the sizzling hot Grizzlies and get back in the win column?
The Knicks are back home, and they’re two games under .500 for the first time since Feb. 23. Are they ready to respond against the Grizzlies and get back into the W column?
It’s certainly not like the Knicks haven’t been playing good at times lately. I tweeted this stat and mentioned it on Locked On Knicks, but the Knicks have lost six of their eight most recent losses by a combined 14 points. That’s 2.33 points per game. A few rolls here, a few hustles plays there, one more (or less) double team with seconds left in the game, and the Knicks could reasonably be sitting at 31-21 right now with a stranglehold on the fourth seed in the East.
As it stands, they’re clinging onto the eighth spot for dear life, and, unfortunately, the Grizzlies present the latest in a long line of tough tests for the Knicks (all the more reason a loss like the T-Wolves one a week and change ago hurts so bad in the long run).
Memphis has won four straight games, and not over chump teams, either: their last three came against the Sixers, Heat, and Hawks, all on the road, and all by double digits. Even if you want to take a broader scope, the Grizz have won five of their last six, and eight of their last 11. They’re hot hot.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are of course cold cold. Speculation is running wild that between a high minute load and a pesky contused thigh, Julius Randle is starting to burn out, particularly late in games. But any time he’s not playing, the Knicks are in trouble. They simultaneously can’t afford to lose a game because of playoff implications, and can’t afford to give their star player any rest, because the team absolutely implodes without him on the floor most of the time.
Just means the Knicks are gonna have to rely on RJ Barrett to keep being amazing, I suppose! And that’s starting to become a more regular occurrence. If you remove the first game of the season and the subsequent 0-21 from three cold stretch from RJ Barrett’s stats, he’s averaging 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on .463/.417/.729 shooting splits in 47 games. May I introduce you to the “RJ Barrett will have a better career than Ja Morant” narrative? It’s about time to start spreading the gospel.
The real story here might be containing Jonas Valanciunas, though. He’s a big dude, and the Knicks just finished getting eviscerated on the offensive glass by the Celtics, who don’t have anyone as ferocious as Valanciunas on the glass. I hope Nerlens Noel did his squats these last two days.
The game is at 7:30 PM on MSG. Feel free to comment in here or follow us on Twitter for some fun!
