The New York Knicks haven’t had the start they hoped for this season, but they are getting closer to turning things around after winning two straight games against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks will try to finish their homestand with a win against the Washington Wizards on Monday night in their first meeting of the season.
Both teams are coming off games on Sunday. The Knicks beat the Nets 114-104, while the Wizards lost 124-104 to the Detroit Pistons.
Monday’s game marks the end of a busy weekend for New York. It’s also the final home game for the Knicks until December. After this game, they will begin a five-game road trip starting Wednesday, where they’ll face tough opponents like the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks, all of which had strong records last season.
Sunday’s win was more straightforward for the Knicks compared to their dramatic victory on Friday. New York took control early in the second quarter and sealed the win with a strong 35-24 run in the third quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 14 of his 26 points in that run.
The Knicks held Brooklyn to 38.9% shooting in the second half and won the rebounding battle 47-35.
“Playing the same team twice in a row is never easy,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “We came out, played hard on both ends, and our rebounding and defense were good. We just have to keep getting better.”
The Wizards, on the other hand, have been struggling, losing their eighth straight game on Sunday. They only led 3-2 against the Pistons and have an average loss margin of 17.5 points during their losing streak. With just two wins, they are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors for the fewest wins in the NBA.
“Even though we’re losing, even though we’re not playing great basketball right now, all it takes is one win to turn things around,” Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “And that’s what I’m going to tell the guys — we just need one win. Let’s go out there and play hard every night.”
