The New York Knicks look to cap off their most successful month in nearly 30 years when they host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night in a battle where the teams complete straight sets.The Knicks won their seventh straight game, defeating the host Charlotte Hornets 113-92 on Monday night.
The Jazz will complete a six-game road trip after losing 147-114 to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.The result in Charlotte improved the Knicks to 13-2 this month. It was the franchise’s most wins in a month since January 1995, when the Pat Riley-coached team led by Patrick Ewing went 13-2. New York hasn’t won 14 games in a month since going 14-0 in March 1994.
The upset left the Knicks effectively tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for third place in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are a half-game ahead of the fifth-place Cleveland Cavaliers.The Knicks could continue their upward trajectory indefinitely without All-Star forward Julius Randle, who injured his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 125-109 victory over the visiting Miami Heat.
New York coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday he remains optimistic but added that Randle is still being tested.In the absence of Randle and OG Anunoby, who is suffering from inflammation in his right elbow, the Knicks relied heavily on Jalen Brunson (32 points) and Donte DiVincenzo (28) against the Hornets. Myles McBride had 11 points, Isaiah Hartenstein had 10 points and Josh Hart had eight points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.”You don’t replace Julius with a player, not even OG,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks knocked off the Hornets 67-49 in the second half.
“So the idea is that everything works together for us. Anyone can defend themselves perfectly. “Anyone can move the ball well.”Unfortunately for the Jazz, Monday’s loss was also a team effort. Utah trailed 43-28 in the first quarter, then trailed by 17 points in the fourth quarter and then trailed 43-27 in the final 12 minutes. The 33-point shutout was Utah’s second-longest of the season, ending Utah’s 120-point streak at 11 games, one game shy of the NBA record. The Jazz turned the ball over 17 times, the most since January. 6.The Jazz also helped the Nets, who have lost 12 of 16 games, to their lopsided win of the season and shot 46.7 percent from 3-point range (21-of-45), their best since December. 11.
The loss threatened to end a successful month for the Jazz. Utah won 10 of its first 14 games in January and climbed above .500 for the first time this season.”We won tonight,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy, who is now 24-24 on the season. “We have to go back to the approach that gave us very good results last month.”We play with 10 people. “So our energy doesn’t drop even during the game.”
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