Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks – prediction team news form guide….
Securing a seventh straight victory will be the objective for the high-flying Golden State Warriors when they welcome the New York Knicks to the Chase Center on Sunday.
Having claimed a 114-101 win in the most recent meeting between the sides, this weekend’s hosts will now set out to complete a season sweep over their visitors in a meeting of two championship hopefuls.
After trading Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors were in the market for another superstar to pair with Steph Curry and after failed moves for Lauri Markkanen, Paul George and Zach LaVine, they eventually completed a deal for Jimmy Butler.
Butler’s arrival has coincided with arguably the Warriors’ best run of form this term as Steve Kerr’s men romped to a 130-104 triumph over the Sacramento Kings to make it six wins in a row and 11 victories from 12 matches either side of the international break.
With the whole world tuning in to see Curry potentially become the first player in NBA history to hit 4,000 three-pointers, the Baby-Faced Assassin delivered, albeit while putting on a relatively underwhelming display overall, which yielded just 11 points.
That was only the third game Curry had failed to score 20 or more points since the start of February, but his side managed to take care of business, thanks in no small part to Draymond Green’s season-high 23 points.
Currently sixth in the Western Conference, the Warriors are seeking to pull away from the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Clippers as they look to secure an automatic playoff spot and avoid a play-in matchup.
Now 3-0 so far in their seven-game homestretch, Sunday’s hosts will be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling in front of their fans ahead of clashes against the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau on October 24, 2024
© Imago
In stark contrast to their comprehensive victory over the Kings, the Knicks just about managed to get the better of the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to a 114-113 victory in Thursday’s encounter at Moda Center.
Up by five points with less than 45 seconds left, Tom Thibodeau’s men gave up a late 5-0 run to send the game into overtime, where they looked set to come away empty-handed before Mikal Bridges’s buzzer-beating three-pointer silenced the crowd in Oregon.
Bridges’s game-winning three capped off a stunning 35-point performance for the 28-year-old, who also notched four rebounds and as many assists in 41 minutes on 13-21 shooting from the field.
With a 42-23 record across their 65 outings this term, the Knicks remain well clear in third place in the Eastern Conference as the standings begin to take a final shape ahead of the upcoming playoff action.
One of the worst teams in the NBA with respect to their bench contribution in attack, Sunday’s visitors will need their starters to be near-perfect against an opposing side that have recorded the second-most points off the bench.
