The New York Knicks are out of playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets are already assured of a seat in the play-in tournament. If there are two reasons you should watch tomorrow’s 7:30 AM game on NBA TV Philippines, it’s because of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Will KD score another 50-piece?
The last time the Knicks and the Nets met in March, KD lit up the scoreboard with 53 points to lead his team to a 110-107 victory. Durant tapped into god mode and went 19-for-37 from the field, nailed four treys, made 11 of 12 free throws, and got six rebounds, nine assists, and two steals as well.
Durant drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer with under a minute remaining and made clutch free throws to secure the win.
Durant is averaging 30.1 points per game on top of 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. If you’ve ever wondered why KD doesn’t simply drop 50 or 60 points each time he’s out on the court, he explains his mind frame against opposing defenses in the latest episode of JJ Redick’s podcast. The full episode hasn’t been released yet, but this is an interesting clip that tries to encapsulate what goes through KD’s mind as he tries to score every time down the floor.
KD on why he’s never scored 60 and playing the right way. pic.twitter.com/DffDrFvosQ
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) April 5, 2022
Will Irving be the top scorer?
Speaking of the last Nets-Knicks matchup, Irving was in that one too. However, he was in street clothes and watching from the stands. New York’s vaccine mandate hasn’t been lifted yet during that time, and the Nets guard was forced to watch his teammates from the sidelines.
But that was a month ago.
With the change of mandate, Irving should be available for all of Brooklyn’s home games. The fearless point guard dropped 42 points in the Nets’ previous game against the Houston Rockets. He scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to help his squad pull away.
Or will the Knicks pull off the upset?
With a 35-44 record, the Knicks will miss the playoffs. They were an up-and-coming team in the previous year but couldn’t replicate the same success this season. Despite the setback this year, they can take away a couple of positives, including the improved play of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Barrett fired 27 points in the Knicks’ 118-88 win over the Magic. Quickley was equally superb with his triple-double line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists coming off the bench.
The Nets may have KD and Irving but the Knicks can have big games from their guards as well.
