Game Info:
New York Knicks (8-9) vs. Houston Rockets (6-10)
Madison Square Garden (7:30 pm)
TV: MSG, Radio: ESPN NY 98.7
Knicks Report:
The Knicks faced the Heat for the second time in five days on Friday, as Miami and its third-ranked defense sent New York to its third straight loss with another suffocating performance. Tonight at The Garden, Derek Fisher's squad has an opportunity to get back on track with a rematch against Houston--the team it beat on the road last Saturday behind 24 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks from Kristaps Porzingis.
The last meeting between these two clubs signaled the high point of the Knicks' season so far, their fourth straight win coming on the second night of a back-to-back against a defending Western Conference finalist to improve to 8-6 on the year. Since then, they've managed just 82.3 points per game.
In Friday night's loss, 12 players played and each one scored, but none were able to stand out; Carmelo Anthony and Porzingis tied for the team lead with 11 points apiece. Porzingis and Robin Lopez were unable to contain Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside, and both New York bigs picked up five fouls.
News and Notes:
- From the New York Times: "The (Knicks') bench was averaging 39.3 points through the first 14 games. But in two losses (last week), the reserves scored a combined 22 points, shooting 7 for 47 and missing all 16 of their 3-point attempts. They scored 46 points on Friday, but they shot just 18 for 43 from the field."
- Langston Galloway (26 minutes) and Jerian Grant (23) tallied the most playing time off the bench on Friday, scoring eight points apiece. Grant's minutes have fluctuated of late, but his six assists showed his playmaking capabilities once again.
- The Rockets have split their two games since the last meeting, losing to Memphis and narrowly beating the winless Sixers by two points in Houston. They rank just 26th in defense (after finishing 8th in 2014-15) and 22nd in offensive efficiency. In five games since replacing Kevin McHale with J.B. Bickerstaff on the bench, they're 2-3.
- James Harden went for 50 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds against Philly on Friday and Dwight Howard finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Houston's star power is obvious, and the big man rotation is imposing; even with Donatas Motiejunas out (back), Clint Capela and Terrence Jones (34 points and 23 rebounds combined in the last meeting) provide high-quality depth next to Howard.