The New York Knicks started the post-All-Star break portion of their season without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. But the show must go on. And while their upcoming schedule might be tough, Thursday night’s win against the Philadelphia 76ers should make everyone affiliated with the franchise breathe a sigh of relief…sort of.
Despite almost blowing a 26-point lead, New York beat Philadelphia 110-96 in their first game after the All-Star break, snapping a four-game losing streak. But the Knicks' remaining schedule is no cakewalk, ranking 14th-toughest in the league, and embarking on it without several important pieces will make their push toward the playoffs all the more difficult.
76ers' injuries might provide an opportunity for New York
New York isn’t the only team that’s banged up. Including Thursday’s loss to the Knicks, the 76ers are 3-7 in their last 10 games. Philadelphia's recent losses are a direct product of a Joel Embiid knee injury that resulted in surgery on February 6. Embiid will be re-evaluated in four weeks. As it happens, Embiid will probably remain sidelined when the 76ers face the Knicks in their final two matchups on March 10th and March 12th, which will almost certainly factor into the playoff race for both teams.
After Thursday’s win, the Knicks are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, holding a 1.5 game lead on the 76ers. They are one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for third place, and only 2.5 games ahead of the sixth-place Indiana Pacers. The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat are also within striking distance.
Given the race for playoff seeding, injury timelines are especially important to the Knicks right now. Limited damage will be done if Anunoby and Randle return in early March, but that leaves little time for the Knicks’ stars to heal.
New York set to set to face Boston for final time
It looks like New York will have to make do as currently constructed for a while longer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get much easier from here. New York hosts the Boston Celtics on Saturday, which is a big test for the undermanned Knicks.
Boston has an NBA-best 44-12 record, and they’ve won seven consecutive games. The Knicks are presently 0-3 against Boston this season, with a four-point loss on opening night, a 16-point loss in mid-November and a 10-point loss in early December. All three of the previous matchups came before the Anunoby trade. But with Anunoby and Randle sidelined, New York is unable to field its best lineup. Still, avoiding a season sweep against a bitter division rival is always best.
After Saturday, the Knicks finish February against the league-worst Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors. All things considered, all three of those games are very important.
If Anunoby and Randle rare sidelined into March (or later), things will get even messier for New York. They open the month against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and Orlando Magic—before they square off with the 76ers in back-to-back games.
Positive takeaways from Thursday night’s game are murky, especially since New York nearly squandered a 26-point lead. Nothing went right in the third quarter. Still, Bojan Bogdanovic’s shooting in the first half was a bright spot. If Randle remains out, Bogdanovic's scoring will be key. Donte DiVincenzo’s timely buckets in the fourth quarter were also encouraging, as he just returned from a minor hamstring injury. And the continued rebounding of Precious Achiuwa once again bailed the Knicks out. Further, the simple fact that New York won with Jalen Brunson shooting 5-for-18 from the field is a great sign.
Ultimately, every season has its make-or-break moments, and this upcoming stretch is it for the Knicks. If New York hopes to build on what they accomplished last season, they'll have to prove that their depth and grit can be sustained during an extended period without a few of their stars.
Every game is important from here on out given how closely contested the Eastern Conference playoff race is. At least the Knicks started off the unofficial second half of the season with a win.
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