1/19 Utah vs. New York
8:30 pm MT – ESPN
Opponent record: 19-23
Season series: Knicks lead 1-0
In typical New York Knicks fashion, they teased the league and NBA fans into thinking that they could be a playoff team this year, but have seemingly once again reverted back to their woeful ways. After a somewhat promising start, the Knicks have lost eight of their last ten to nosedive to four games under .500 and fall to the 10th seed in the East.
In their defense, they’re only three games out of the eighth spot and the season is far from over, but they need a turnaround and soon. They have also faced a relatively tough schedule of late, but even in games against subpar opponents they have failed to come through.
. @T_HardJR is back! You know what that means... pic.twitter.com/yMEepA2JgS
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 12, 2018
They did manage to get the better of the Jazz in their first meeting, though, so Utah will need to be better prepared and not overlook a Knicks team that has proven capable of defeating them. Kristaps Porzingis is of course the guy to watch out for, but Tim Hardaway, Jr. (who just returned from injury), Courtney Lee and Jazz fan favorite Enes Kanter (HA!) have all been solid for the Knicks as well.
New York’s lack of depth has been a large reason for their struggles, so hopefully Utah will be able to overwhelm them with solid bench play, especially on their home court. These days it makes me feel uneasy to pin Utah as winners against anybody, but on Friday’s late night ESPN bout, I do believe that Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz will find a way to come out on top against a struggling Knicks team.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 104, New York 99