Knicks notes as NY prepares for game vs Thunder tonight

InsideHoops.com
December 16, 2017

Share This

Some Knicks team notes on tonight's matchup vs OKC

The New York Knicks welcome Oklahoma City to New York City tonight for a matchup with the Thunder at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 p.m. This will be Carmelo Anthony’s first game back at the Garden since his trade to Oklahoma City on Sept. 25, 2017.

This will be the final of two meetings between Knicks and Thunder this season. The Thunder defeated the Knicks 105-84 in the season opener on Oct. 19, 2017.

New York lost last year’s season series 2-0. New York is looking to snap a four-game losing streak versus the Thunder.

The New York Knicks haven’t defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in a season series since the 2005-06 (2-0).

Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony played with the New York Knicks for parts of seven seasons (2010-17). He finished as the Knicks’ seventh-highest scorer with 10,196 points and owns the team’s third-highest scoring average at 24.7 points per game. Anthony scored a franchise and current Madison Square Garden record 62 points against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 24, 2014. He led the Knicks in scoring and was an All-Star during each of his six full seasons in New York. Anthony was the scoring champion for the 2012-2013 season after averaging 28.7 points per game. Anthony was traded to Oklahoma City for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-round pick.

New York extended its winning streak to a season best three-games as it rolled to a 111-104 victory over its divisional rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, 111-104 at the Barclays Center on a Thursday night. Courtney Lee led the way with a season best 27 points on 9-17 shooting, four rebounds and three assists over 36 minutes. Michael Beasley stepped his game up after Kristaps Porzingis left the game with a sore left knee, posting 15 points off the bench. Enes Kanter added 13 points and nine rebounds over 27 minutes. Brooklyn was paced by Spencer Dinwiddie’s 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists over 35 minutes. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson posted 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists over 37 minutes.

The New York Knicks are in the top-10 of the NBA this season in assists per game. The Knicks sit ninth in the NBA at 23.1 APG. This is the highest average of assists per game since the 1994-95 season when the Knicks finish at 25.1.

Knicks injuries, as of this morning:

Kristaps Porzingis listed as Questionable with a sore left knee

Tim Hardaway Jr. listed as Out with a stress injury to his lower left leg
This season:

New York is 14-6 when scoring over 100-points and 9-0 scoring over 110-points this season

New York is 4-10 when trailing after three-quarters and 11-3 when leading after three quarters

New York is 6-0 when holding its opponents under 100-points

New York is 6-2 when shooting over .500 from the field