The New York Knicks had a strong win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, even though they didn’t have their best roster. The game was the first between the two teams since the big trade that showed the Knicks were aiming for a championship.
The Knicks will look to have similar success on Saturday as they play the New Orleans Pelicans, starting a stretch of games that could be favorable for them.
Both teams had games on Thursday, with the Knicks winning 133-107 against the Timberwolves and the Pelicans losing 133-113 to the Houston Rockets.
The Knicks’ two big offseason additions, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, scored a combined 61 points on Thursday. Towns had an impressive 32 points and 20 rebounds in his first game back in Minnesota since being traded to the Knicks in a deal that sent Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Timberwolves.
Towns’ performance was praised by Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who said, “The way ‘KAT’ performed was ridiculous… he came out there ready to play, and we’re happy we got the win.”
The Knicks have a chance to build on this success, with five of their next seven games against teams with some of the worst records in the league.
After facing the 5-23 Pelicans, the Knicks will play the Toronto Raptors (7-21) on Monday and then face the Washington Wizards (4-21) on the road later next week. They’ll start January with a home game against the Utah Jazz (6-20).
The Knicks will also have Josh Hart back in the lineup on Saturday after he missed Thursday’s game for personal reasons. Hart has been a strong contributor, averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this season.
On the other hand, the Pelicans are struggling, having lost 20 of their last 22 games. They’ve had to use 17 different lineups this season, and their optimal starting five, which includes Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, C.J. McCollum, Daniel Theis, and Zion Williamson, has only played together three times.
While McCollum and Jones are back from injuries, Ingram is out indefinitely with an ankle injury, Theis has been dealing with a neck injury, and Williamson has been out since November due to a hamstring injury.
In their loss to the Rockets, the Pelicans allowed a season-high number of points. Coach Willie Green mentioned, “We’ve got to cut out the mistakes in those moments,” as the Pelicans fell behind early and could never recover, committing turnovers that led to easy scores for the Rockets.
