All is right in the world. The Knicks went from playing in the worst basketball game of the last decade to being a championship contender. That game against Philadelphia last Sunday was an embarrassment to watch. Philly and New York were atrocious the whole game, and the Knicks ended up losing 73-79. Both teams shot worse than 40%, but that was a fluky game.
That game meant nothing in the scheme of things. Tuesday night was the return of the +/- GOAT, OG Anunoby. You could see the impact of his game right away. It was apparent why New York was 12-2 with OG in the lineup. And with his return, he gets two straight wins. Two strong performances, but now worry sets in. OG hurt his elbow on a block against Portland, and the realization set in. This injury OG had/has is going to linger all season long. He’s already questionable for tonight’s game against Sacramento. I’m scared it’s going to be one of those things where he’s going to need minutes restrictions and days off going forward, which sucks. The Knicks need him at his best if they want to make a run in the playoffs.
While it was worrisome seeing OG reaggravate his elbow/arm, it was nice to see Brunson return to his full form against Portland. Ever since his knee injury against Cleveland, it feels like Brunson hasn’t been himself. But I’m 100% more confident in him now, seeing the game he had against the Blazers. Don’t get me wrong, the Blazers are a terrible team, but a 40-bomb is a great thing to see from Brunson that game. Brunson’s confidence is back, and that’s a scary thing to know if you’re an opponent.
The last thing I wanted to touch on was the Pistons trade New York made. Just an abysmal trade right now. Burks and Bogdanovic have been awful. Inconsistent performance after inconsistent performance. One of them better figure it out soon because when Randle returns to the lineup, one will be pushed out of the rotation. The good thing about the trade, tho, is Grimes has been awful too. It’s a real lose-lose trade for both sides.
Weekly Grades:
Knicks: B
Jalen Brunson: A
Isaiah Hartenstein: B
Donte DiVincenzo: B
Josh Hart: A+
Precious Achiuwa: A
OG Anunoby: A
Deuce McBride: B
Jericho Sims: B
Bojan Bogdanovic: F
Alec Burks: F
Now, let’s see what the Knicks have up next for the coming week
The Knicks start their week tonight in Sacramento to take on the Kings. As I mentioned earlier, OG is questionable for the game. That’s a significant factor if the Knicks will win tonight. New York has a solid chance to win tonight with OG, but it will be challenging to win against a hot team. Sacramento won their last two and last four of five games. The Kings are rested, and will be a tough challenge for New York. After that, the Knicks stay in Northern California to take on the Warriors Monday night on ESPN. Another difficult game, but New York should have a better chance to win this game than against Sacramento. The Knicks finish their West Coast road trip Thursday night in Denver. They end their road trip with the most difficult game, playing the favorite to win MVP. The Knicks will probably lose this one, but the Knicks have been good against the Nuggets in the last few games. In their previous three games, New York has beaten one of the best teams in the NBA, including a blowout earlier this season. Hopefully, the trend continues.
Until next time, let’s go Knicks!
SmallDog Sports 
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