NBA: Knicks vie for long-awaited home win vs. Thunder

The New York Knicks extended one long streak Tuesday with a win in Toronto and will look to end another when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

New York has not defeated the Thunder at Madison Square Garden since Dec. 16, 2017, when Michael Beasley and Courtney Lee led the team in scoring.

For Oklahoma City, Wednesday’s game continues a stretch against top Eastern Conference teams. Since the All-Star break, the Thunder have faced Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Denver, and now the Knicks.

The Thunder are 6-1 since the break, with their only loss coming against Detroit on Feb. 25. They are coming off a 116-108 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday despite missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell. Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Hartenstein are expected to return for Wednesday’s matchup.

Like the Thunder, the Knicks are playing on the second night of a back-to-back and come in on a three-game winning streak. New York defeated Toronto 111-95 on Tuesday, powered by 26 points from Jalen Brunson and 21 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists from Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks held the Raptors to just 37 second-half points, extending their winning streak against Toronto to 12 games.

“We’ve got to hang our hat on that end of the floor,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said of his team’s defense. “Our guys are doing it with physicality first and then trying to get that ball off the glass second.”

Wednesday’s game marks part of one of the toughest stretches for New York this season. After back-to-back wins against the Spurs and Raptors, the Knicks will travel to face Denver on Friday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Brown said he is using the matchup as a benchmark for his team heading into the final stretch of the regular season. “How are we going to be able to handle the stuff on both ends of the floor? If we get stuck here, we get stuck there. It’s an opportunity to continue to grow,” he said.

Jared McCain has been a key contributor for the Thunder since being acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers. McCain scored 20 points against Chicago, marking the third time in seven games he has reached the 20-point mark—compared with just one 20-point game in 37 games with the 76ers this season.

“He plays a consistent game,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He doesn’t play outside of his game. He’s always ready to play.”

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander is closing in on Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most consecutive games with 20 or more points. The reigning MVP has reached the mark in 123 consecutive games, just three shy of Chamberlain’s record set from 1961-63.

-Field Level Media/Reuters