The New York Knicks, desperate for a reversal after recent losses, host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in a matchup of New York rivals. Both teams enter the game following defeats on Monday, with the Knicks trailing significantly in the Eastern Conference standings. The Nets, in rebuild mode, face a Knicks side grappling with defensive woes.
The Knicks' recent form has been dismal, marked by a 114-97 rout at home to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, where they never led and trailed by as many as 30 points in the first half. Fans booed the team off the court at Madison Square Garden during their ninth loss in 11 games, six of which were by double digits. Owner James Dolan, who in a January 5 radio interview stated the Knicks "want to get to the Finals and we should win the Finals," left his courtside seat at halftime and did not return.
New York fired coach Tom Thibodeau just two days after their elimination from last season's Eastern Conference finals, their deepest playoff run since 2001. The franchise has not won an NBA title since 1973. Currently, the Knicks sit seven games behind the first-place Detroit Pistons and hold a slim 1.5-game lead over the tied Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.
Defensive issues plague the Knicks, who allow 114.9 points per game—their highest since the 1979-80 season—and permit opponents to shoot 37.5% from three-point range, the fourth-worst mark in the league. Forward Josh Hart emphasized the urgency: "We have to go out there with a sense of urgency. At this point, 40 games in, we have to play desperate, because that's what we are right now." He added, "We all need to do some soul-searching... Right now we're playing embarrassing basketball. We're not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we've been abysmal. We've been terrible defensively all year."
The Nets, 12 games behind the Knicks with the league's fifth-worst record, lost 126-117 to the Phoenix Suns on Monday after leading for just 1:24 early in the first quarter. Brooklyn has dropped 10 of its last 12 games since a three-game winning streak from December 21-27 and is poised to miss the playoffs for a third straight season. In rebuild mode, the team drafted a record five players in the first round last summer, with only guard Terance Mann older than 27. Despite allowing the third-worst opponent three-point and field-goal percentages league-wide, the Nets surrendered 57.1% field-goal shooting and 51.3% from three to Phoenix. Guard Ziaire Williams noted, "It's all a growing process, growing pains. The best part is we have a full locker room of guys who want to win and want to compete at the highest level."
