The Knicks will face off against the Clippers once again this month. Unfortunately, the Clippers won’t have the chance to see Brunson in action at all this year, as he’s still recovering from his injury and missed their last game. Regardless, this should still be an excellent matchup for two teams just trying to make the playoffs in one piece.
Miles McBride Questionable
Mitchell Robinson Questionable
Jalen Brunson Out
James Harden Questionable
Jordan Miller Out
The Clippers are one of the last teams you want to see right now. They’ve been killer in the home stretch of the season, winning eight of their last ten games. This core group has come together late as they desperately try to climb out of the play-in to the sixth seed. Only a half game behind Golden State, this game means a ton to the Clippers.
The Knicks, this game doesn’t have too much weight to it. They’ve already locked up the third seed for the most part, and probably have their eyes on the playoffs already. That doesn’t mean that it’ll be a bad game, but without Brunson, this group hasn’t been nearly as cohesive.
Since his injury in early March, the team has become a 500 team with a few bad losses to tanking teams. The Knicks still have talent, but without their offensive powerhouse, they’ve struggle to find a flow on the court. Tonight will be a challenge, considering how annoying the Clippers can be. They play this brand of old man basketball that can be infuriating to play against. Thriving in the half court, with Leonard and Harden, this group pull of polished professionals making them a bitch to play on either side of the court. For the Knicks to have a chance in this one, they’ll need to push the pace on offense.
The one weakness the Clippers seemed to have all year was their ability to compete in high-scoring games, but recently, they’ve even checked that box. The Knicks are going to have to win this game through their defense. They’ll have to hound Harden every time he crosses the half-court line while suffocating Leonard off the ball. The Knicks have the personnel to get it done, OG should matchup well on Kawhi, while Bridges has the length to stay in front of Harden. However, that will only be half the battle. Scoring for the Knicks might be a challenge. With several fantastic point of attack defenders on the Knicks, this group will struggle to move the ball, missing both point guards. They’ll need to push in transition a ton to have a chance. The half-court offense will not be their friend.
Ultimately, the Knicks are the underdog for a reason. They’re the less motivated, and more injured team tonight, which doesn’t scream confidence. Considering the Clippers are still playing for something tonight, they’ll be the easy take.
Money line: LAC (-192) / NYK (+180)
Total Points: 218
Spread: -4.5 LAC (-110) / +4.5 NYK (-110)
The Clippers behind Kawhi have been a different animal. He’s looking like prime Kawhi again as he continues to impact both ends of the floor heavily. Pairing him with Harden has created a hard-nosed veteran crew. Unless we see a standout scoring performance from Towns, Bridges, or OG, they’ll have a hard time keeping up tonight.
My main worry with this line is the Knicks' scoring. We’ve seen them struggle against strong defensive teams without Brunson. Since he’s been out, they’ve failed to score 100 points four times, one of those times against the Clippers. Even with the Clippers' extra scoring lately, I’m worried the Knicks don’t have enough firepower to get over this line tonight.
The last game between these two ended in a ten-point loss for the Knicks. Of course, the Knicks will be at home tonight, but that margin still looks right. This game could come down to the wire, but I expect the Clippers to execute like they have been, and win this one handily.
Zubac has been a monster on the boards all year. He’s averaging 12 a game on the season with some nights grabbing over 20 boards. Going up against Towns in the post tonight won’t be easy, but considering Zubac had 14 boards the last time these teams played, the over is looking solid.
Towns has picked up some of the scoring burden since Brunson’s injury, and tonight will be no different. Towns has been consistently hitting the high 20s and low 30s over the last 8 games, only missing the 26-point line four times since Brunson’s injury. Expect him to lead the team again on offense.
Powell hasn’t been the same since he came back from his injury. His scoring numbers have plummeted, with his average in March just being 9 points a game. He’s only been shooting 23% from three on top of that. Considering he hasn’t made 3 threes since mid-February, the under is looking great.
Looking at the alternate line for Bridges’ assist tonight is a little risky. He hasn’t been known as a fantastic passer, but tonight he might pick up more of a play-making role. With McBride and Brunson still out, Mikal will have the ball in his hands a lot. Averaging 5 assists in March, and chocking up 5 in the last matchup against the Clippers makes me optimistic about the plus money alternative assist line tonight. Of course, if you’re feeling a lower number, the O/U is set at 3.5, which is an excellent bet for the over!