Knicks looking to continue winning ways as they take on Clippers

Isaiah Hartenstein, New York Knicks
Jan 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) and New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) play for the rebound in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks continue their homestand Saturday, with the Los Angeles Clippers up next as New York looks to turn their previous win into a new winning streak.

This is the first time the Knicks and Clippers are meeting this season. New York has won their last three meetings against L.A. dating back to the 2020-21 season.

The Knicks are coming off a thrilling 106-104 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday, a game in which New York was missing both Jalen Brunson (non-COVID illness) and Mitchell Robinson (thumb surgery) while RJ Barrett responded to his late-game benching back on Tuesday against the Lakers with a 30-point masterpiece on Thursday.

The Clippers, on the other hand, are coming off of a gut-punching loss Thursday to the Milwaukee Bucks, in which they blew a 21-point third-quarter lead and lost 106-105.

The Knicks have another tough assignment ahead of them:

The trend for the Knicks on this homestand has been that they have faced teams with an all-star duo. That trend is expected to continue Saturday, as the Clippers have superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George slated as available to play.

Leonard has played in just 29 games this season due to various injuries, while George – who was named an all-star this season – is averaging 23/6/5 in 38 games this season, which is seven more games than he played all of last season.

Given the pair’s exceptional level of talent on both sides of the floor, the Knicks will be hoping to get Brunson back in action for this one to provide some depth and insurance for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. Brunson is currently questionable with his aforementioned non-COVID illness.

Whether or not Brunson does return to action for the Knicks, Saturday’s game is sure to be far from an easy one and has all the makings of yet another bone-chilling down-to-the-wire thriller that will likely give fans heart palpitations.

However, the Knicks have proven to withstand and overcome a difficult challenge, as over the past week, they have taken some really impressive victories over the Cavs, Celtics, and Heat, all three of which are currently playoff teams in the East.

Big games from each of their big three in Brunson, Randle, and Barrett will be instrumental if the Knicks expect to exit Saturday with another win.

Looking at injuries, Brunson is questionable, while Robinson is out for the Knicks. For the Clippers, John Wall (abdominal injury), the only L.A. player listed on the injury report, is out.

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