The New York Knicks lost another heart-breaker last time out as the Phoenix Suns came away from Madison Square Garden with a 107-105 win. The Knicks have now lost seven of their last nine games, and have lost their last three games by a grand total of six points.
Carmelo Anthony paced the team with 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, but his potential game-winning 3-pointer just rimmed out. Derrick Rose had 26 points, while Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points in his first start back from an Achilles injury.
Melo has been outstanding at home, and has topped 30 points in his last three games at the Garden. However, he’s failed to top 20 points in three of his last four road games. That includes a 17-point performance in his last trip to Indianapolis, which resulted in a heavy Knicks defeat. Their 123-109 loss could’ve been a lot worse; they were down by as many as 29 points at the start of the fourth quarter.
It’s hardly just Melo who’s having problems on the road; it’s the whole team. The Knicks are just 2-9 (5-6 ATS) in their last 11 road games.
For the first time in 2017, the Indiana Pacers are on a losing streak. The Pacers dropped both legs of their recent back-to-back on the road against the Lakers (108-96) and the Jazz (109-100). The Pacers offense played well against the Jazz. They shot 50 percent from the field and 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. But they allowed too many offensive rebounds, and were outshot by 15 at the free throw line.
Those road woes shouldn’t really be too surprising. Indiana’s just 6-16 on the road this season. The Pacers should be a very good bet to bounce back at home, though. They’ve won their last five home games in a row, going 4-1 against the spread. They are also 10-1 (8-3 ATS) in their last 11 home games.
The Pacers have been even more of a sure bet at home when they’ve faced New York. Indy is an incredible 12-0 (10-2 ATS) in its last 12 home games against the Knicks. They won their first home game against them this season, 123-109, as Paul George and Jeff Teague led six Pacers in double-figures with 19 points apiece.
Writer’s Prediction
The Pacers (-5.5) extend their remarkable winning streak over the struggling Knicks with a 105-99 home win.
