It’s been a December to remember thus far for the Knicks, who’ve won their first two games this month and five of their last eight (7-1 ATS).
New York defeated the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday night, 106-98, but that was one of their ugliest wins of the season. The Knicks owned a 21-point lead at the break before allowing an 18-0 Kings run in the third quarter which made things close down the stretch.
Carmelo Anthony, fortunately, was there to save the Knickerbockers. He finished with 20 points and ignited a 7-2 run in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to put the game away. Derrick Rose also scored 20 points of his own together with six boards and six dimes.
However, Kristaps Porzingis continued his shooting woes, going just 6-of-18 from the floor. He still fought is way towards a double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds), including four blocks. It’ll be fun to see how he copes against Miami’s Hassan Whiteside constantly lurking around the middle.
Miami was a win short of sweeping a three-game road trip, but it should be satisfied with the 2-1 outcome (2-1 ATS) and with the recent impact of Hassan Whiteside.
Whiteside dropped 28 points, snagged 16 rebounds and had five blocks despite Saturday night’s loss at Portland. That was his 16th double-double of the season, the second-most in the league. The Heat really need him to continue dominating the middle, especially with a number of their key rotation players still dealing with injuries.
Coach Erik Spoelstra’s also been leaning heavily on Goran Dragic to carry the load. The former Suns point guard has happily accepted the challenge, averaging 22.0 points and 9.5 assists in the previous four games, including a 27-point, 17-assist performance against Boston last week.
Whiteside and Dragic should be able to keep posting All-Star numbers against a New York defense that ranks 23rd in points allowed (106.5).
