NBA: New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets Preview, Odds, Prediction

New York City is on fire, with the Brooklyn Nets hosting the New York Knicks this Saturday night. The game takes place at the Barclays Center, the home of the Nets, who need a win to keep the consistency with the top teams in the conference until Kevin Durant returns. Meanwhile, the Knicks are flying high after an OT win in Boston, which significantly improved their morale. 

Preview

New York Knicks (27-23, TBA) won back-to-back games, following a stretch of shaky and poor performances. The first triumph was at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-103, and the second at the TD Garden, where they defeated the Cs’ following an OT, 120-117. We need to add that two narrow wins, solved in the final seconds, present a massive boost of morale.

NYK was down 15 points at one moment, but then again, led 13 and couldn’t keep that gap. When looking at the stats against the Cs, they didn’t have any advantage nor some category in which they played better.

Julius Randle scored 37 buckets and nine boards, Jalen Brunson had 29 and seven assists, and RJ Barret scored 19. Immanuel Quickley ended the night with 17 buckets off the bench and was the much-needed spar from the bench,, which eventually impacted the situation on the floor. 

Brooklyn Nets (29-19, TBA) oscillate a lot in recent times, having subsequent pairs of wins and losses, and so on. They had a very tough schedule that saw them traveling through the West, meeting some of the top teams in the conference and the league. 

After beating the Jazz and the Warriors, the Nets lost to the 76ers on the road and, then surprisingly, against the Pistons at home, 130-122. We realize that the Nets had plenty of problems before this clash, but allowing 130 buckets against one of the worst teams in the NBA is pretty disappointing. 

Kyrie had his 40 points, but that wasn’t enough due to a terrible defense displayed by all the other teammates. Ben Simmons had zero buckets, and it seems that the Aussie won’t get back to the level he used to play anymore, while Nic Claxton continued to deliver good performances, having 27 points and 13 boards, missing only two of his 13 shots. Edmond Sumner had 24 buckets in 19 minutes, and he really put in an impressive sequence.

Head to Head

The Nets demolished the Knicks in the first game of the year. That one also took place in Barclays, and the final result was 112-85. There wasn’t a single moment in the event when things got intense, and the Nets solved the rivals pretty easily. Randle had 24 points for the NYK, Barrett 16. On the other side, Durant scored 29, and Seth Curry 23. Sumner had 18. 

Prediction

Things are even here, because the Nets are weaker than before, plus they oscillate a lot. That’s why we believe that the Knicks have a chance to win on Saturday and hit back following the opening defeat. They are much more versatile on the offensive end and have better defense. Plus, some of the Nets’ players are injured or have certain health issues. 

Pick: New York Knicks 

Here is the preview for the Nuggets vs. 76ers game.