The Knicks continue their road series against the Blazers in Portland. With this being the Knick’s fourth game straight on the road, we’ve seen them begin to slow down. Losing three games in a row to the Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors, they are coming into Portland with a win over the Kings on Monday. Portland, on the other hand, has struggled. They’ve managed to play competitive basketball but haven’t been able to get over the hump. Losing their last four games, tonight will be a challenge as Portland continues to fight for a play-in spot.
Matisse Thybulle Questionable
Jerami Grant Doudtful
Robert Williams III Questionable
Deandre Ayton Out
Jalen Brunson Out
The Knicks have been a different team after losing Brunson. After getting injured in OT against the Lakers, they’ll likely be without him until the end of the regular season. Luckily for the Knicks, they’ve locked up the third spot in the Eastern Conference at this point with a 5 game lead over fourth. That doesn’t mean this team will take it easy, though. No, Thibs doesn’t know the meaning of rest, so they’ll continue to push through injuries and win as many games as possible.
Portland has entered a much stranger section of the season than New York. Before going on a four-game losing streak, they aspire to make the play-in game at 10th. With an incredibly injured Mavericks team and a Phoenix roster that has quit ahead of them, it looked possible. However, with only sixteen games remaining and a 5 game difference, that goal seems dead. That puts Portland in a weird spot: continue trying to win, hurting their draft odds, or pull the plug to tank. From the looks of things, it doesn’t look like they’ve entered tank mode yet. Maybe they think the 10th seed is still viable, but this team is still playing for wins.
This should be an interesting game for these guys. Portland matches up well against the Knicks without Brunson. They have the size down low to stay in front of KAT, while Avdija and Camara have the athleticism to stay with the wings. Simons should be a headache for the Knicks to stop as well, considering how he’s looked recently. The biggest advantage the Knicks have tonight is KAT. Even though Portland has Clingan, KAT will still be a problem if he’s hitting from range over the big man. At the very least, KAT will be able to pull Clingan out of the paint, opening things up for the team, but he has to be hitting his threes to make that happen, which he’s been hit or miss on lately.
The Knicks should be able to win this game. They have the talent, size, and grit to outwork Portland. If they can pressure the ball handler early over half-court and make it challenging for Portland to set up their half-court offense, they’ll likely take this game.
However, this Portland crew has been squirrely, so don’t be surprised if they keep it close with the Knicks.
Money line: NYK (-180) / POR (+150)
Total Points: 229
Spread: -4 NYK (-115) / +4 POR (-105)
Portland isn’t as bad as their record suggests, but they’re a team the Knicks should beat. With more experience and better talent across the starting lineup, the Knicks need to keep the pressure high on Portland. This young Portland team will fold if they play intense, solid basketball like we’ve seen them do all season. The Knicks have the clear advantage tonight and are the better take.
Portland isn’t shy about scoring, and neither are the Knicks. Both teams have been averaging scores in the upper 110s lately. With the line set at 229, the over is a strong take.
The Blazers have been doing better, but against teams over 500, they’ve struggled. They’ve kept it close in a few, but tonight might be challenging. Losing their last four games by an average of about 11 points, this four-point line looks solid for the Knicks.
Josh Hart is exactly the type of player who does well against Portland. He’s a high-intensity hustle guy who knows Portland well. He’ll be able to slip past players, grab offensive rebounds, and catch defenders sleeping. He should be able to attack Simons on defense, and find enough garbage points to hit the 16 point mark.
We’ve seen Towns’ scoring drop off over the last few weeks. Averaging just 20 points over their four games in March, this road trip seems to be wearing on him. Considering this will be their fourth game on the road, I don’t expect KAT to be a peak form. Especially with Clingan in front of him, if KAT isn’t hitting his perimeter shots, he’ll struggle to get to 26 points tonight.
Simons has been a beast offensively. He’s been the most consistent scorer on the team by far and has hit a different level over the last couple of games. Simons will have plenty of attempts to hit his this over.
Even though Clingan has been Portland’s starting center for the last few weeks, his stat lines remain inconsistent. He is an excellent rebound and lob threat, but foul trouble has been an issue. Going against KAT in the post tonight will probably lead to at least a few early foul calls. If he ends up with 3 in the first half, he probably won't have enough time on the court to hit this line.