Do the Knicks show a reaction?
The New York Knicks get a visit from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game on Feb. 15, 2022 is the second edition this season after OKC prevailed in the first clash on New Year’s Day.
New York Knicks – Statistics & current form
The Knicks currently have to do without players from the starting five like the Canadian Barrett or Noel due to injuries. In addition, with Derrick Rose, a powerful bench player is also in the lazarett.
The squad from Manhattan cannot compensate well for the absences: Only two of the past ten games ended with a win and the win rate is only just under 44 percent.
In addition, the offensive performance of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s team continues to be weak: Only seven teams rank behind the franchise from the Big Apple in the corresponding rating.
The most recent game at Portland was also a low point for the team. Although the opponent is currently running on fumes and was already down by 23 points in the match, the game was still lost.
The Knicks were in a completely desolate condition in the fourth quarter with only eleven points, as they hardly offered any resistance and showed any fighting spirit, which is why the team’s chemistry is obviously not in a good condition.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Statistics & current form
The four-time conference winners are only in second-to-last place in the West and have caused themselves this predicament mainly through a harmless offence. No team in the NBA scores fewer points on 100 possessions than head coach Mark Daigneault’s team.
The 1979 champions are also currently without their best scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The point guard is scoring 22.7 points per game and is the best scorer on the visitors’ side.
Without him, hopes are pinned on Luguentz Dort, but the small forward can’t do it alone, which is why the franchise from the northwest of the USA has already lost five games in a row.
In addition, Dort lacks a bit of consistency. Behind them, it is already getting thin in terms of scoring qualities. Only Josh Giddey is still scoring in double figures. In total, however, it is a small number, which illustrates the lack of quality in Oklahoma’s forward play.
New York Knicks – Oklahoma City Thunder Tip
The founding member of the NBA from New York has to tremble about the participation in the playoffs this season. But at least the franchise of owner James L. Dolan still has a realistic chance compared to the guests, for whom this hope is considerably smaller as second last in the West.
For the showdown between the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder, Evan Fournier’s prediction of more than 3.5 threes on the part of the hosts seems promising. A limit the Frenchman has consistently surpassed in six of his past eight outings.
The 29-year-old also has penance to make, as his last performance was very weak for once, ending with just four points on the final siren at the Moda Center in Portland. Basically, however, he is currently scoring well from downtown and after the playful day-off against the Trail Blazers, he certainly wants to show a reaction now.
Thanks to his otherwise numerous successful attempts from outside, his scoring value also increased noticeably in February: Fournier has an average of 18 points after six games in the current month. This is just under four points above his seasonal value of 14.4.
