It’s trade week at last. By the end of Thursday, there could be a new Knick or two on the roster, and we might be bidding adieu to those who were dealt. Or maybe Leon Rose does nothing, that enigmatic minx. These are the Days of Our NBA. If you’ve been eating a gyro for lunch everyday, hoping it will influence the Greek gods to tilt a certain trade in your favor, this week will prove whether you have cosmic powers. Keep it up, you wizard! Extra tzatziki!
After a rough start to the calendar year, the Knicks are rolling now at 30*-18, locked into the second spot in the East, and trailing Detroit by 5.5 games. They saunter into the week with a five-game win streak that saw vast improvements on the defensive end. Now comes a gnarly four-game week that will test where the team stands and their commitment to the gritty fundamentals.
Sunday, February 1 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7:00 PM, NBC/Peacock)
LeBron and Luka come to the Garden with the Lakers riding hot at 29-18. This one’s got juice—national TV, playoff vibes, evenly matched teams. The Lakers are a respectable road team, but the Knicks play like a different animal at MSG. If New York can push the pace and keep LA’s stars from gaining control in crunch time, victory should be theirs for the taking. Watch out for LeBron, though; if this is his final game played at MSG (presuming retirement is imminent), he will aim for big numbers as a parting gift.
Watch this one on NBA and Peacock.
Tuesday, February 3 @ Washington Wizards (7:00 PM, MSG)
The Knicks head to DC to face a Wizards team that’s been brutal all year. This is the kind of game good teams should handle without breaking a sweat. These are also the dog days of the schedule, when the occasional sleepwalk is to be expected. When they last played, in early November, New York defeated Washington, 119-102. Once again, Brunson and Towns should eat against the ‘Zards. They would be wise to lock this one down early and get some rest, giving the bench some burn before the next night’s more challenging matchup.
Watch it on MSG.
Wednesday, February 4 vs. Denver Nuggets (7:00 PM, MSG)
Back home for what should be a helluva second game of as back-to-back. Jokić coming to town means Towns has his hands full, and Denver’s offense is always a problem, ranking first in the league. But the Knicks are tough to beat at the Garden, and if they can hit their threes and make Jokić work on defense, they’ve got a shot. The clubs haven’t met since January of last year, when the Knicks won 122–112 at MSG. Jalen Brunson powered New York with 30 points and 15 assists as the Knicks led wire to wire, totally overshadowing Nikola Jokic’s 33-point effort.
Possible Finals preview? Could be….
Watch it on MSG.
Friday, February 6 @ Detroit Pistons (7:30 PM, Prime Video)
You thought Wednesday’s tilt was tough. The week ends in Detroit against the team everybody’s chasing. The Pistons are young, fast, and sitting pretty at the top of the East. For the Knicks, this is a statement game. They lost to Detroit, 121-90, on January 5, despite 25 points from Jalen Brunson and because they couldn’t score more than 36 points after halftime.
Win this one and New York will further prove they can hang with the best. Lose and they may start lamenting their trade deadline activity / inactivity.
Tune in on Amazon Prime Video.
Enjoy your week, fans. Be kind to your fellow humans. And Go Knicks.
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.