Game Preview: Knicks at Suns, November 20, 2024

11/20/2024 12:34 PM

Knicks kick off their west coast road trip and look to extend their win streak to four against a struggling and hobbled Suns team.

Following a nice three-game winning streak against the Nets, and the Wizards, the Knicks now find themselves at 8-6 with some momentum behind them. They've continued to be deadly offensively while their subpar defense remains a work in progress, but ultimately, good enough. But we mustn't forget that we are just one week removed from the disastrous one-point loss to the Bulls at home. And while the Knicks are trending in the right direction, tonight's game against the Suns marks the start of a West Coast road trip that will test how far this team has really come.

At first glance, Phoenix looks like the favorite. They are 9-6, which is half a game better than the Knicks' 8-6 record, and will be at home, where they are 5-2 this season. That's led to ESPN giving them a 52.7% chance to win tonight's matchup. But the Suns, unlike the Knicks, have struggled as of late. Since losing Kevin Durant to a calf strain on November 8th, they are just 1-5 with their lone win coming against the Jazz, and many of their problems have stemmed from their lack of offense. Since Durant's injury, the Suns rank 27th in points per game, 27th in true shooting percentage, 26th in effective field goal percentage, 22nd in offensive rating, 22nd in assists per game, and 21st in three-point percentage. In those six games, they failed to score 105 points in three of them. Sadly for Phoenix, they haven't been much better defensively either. During that span, they rank 30th in opponent field goal percentage, 25th in defensive rating, and 23rd in points given up per game.

Projected Starters

Starting at point guard is Tyus Jones, who is currently 13th in the league in assists per game with 6.7 APG. He remains a very solid floor general who is unlikely to take over a game but also has a relatively high floor in terms of performance.

Trying to lead the Suns out of their recent slump will be All-Star shooting guard, Devin Booker. The 28-year-old is having a down year by his standards as he is just averaging 23.5PPG, which would be the lowest of his career since his second year in the league back in the 2016-17 campaign. A big reason for his downtick in scoring has been his efficiency. Through 15 games, Booker is averaging 17.7 shots per game but is shooting just 43% from the field, which is much lower than the 49% he shot over his last two seasons. Booker is also shooting just 34.2% from three, which would be the lowest of his career since 2021, despite taking more threes per game than he ever has.

Ryan Dunn, who drew a lot of interest from Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, will continue to start for the Suns. His averages of 6.9PPG and 2.6RPG won't wow anyone but he's been a nice surprise for them as the shooting has been much better than expected.

Oso Ighodarao, another rookie who was drafted with the 40th pick this past summer's draft, got his first start of his career on Monday night against the Orlando Magic, and figures to stay there tonight. Ighodaro is still very raw, but he has been a nice hustle player for the Suns who gives them some athleticism and size. The rookie big man is coming off his best game as a pro, recording 12 points and seven rebounds on 6-8 shooting from the field.

Starting alongside Ighodaro in the front court will likely be 34-year-old veteran, Mason Plumlee. The journeyman center isn't necessarily someone you want to start if you are a contender. But Jusuf Nurkic, the Suns' usual starter, has been sidelined since the Timberwolves game this past Sunday and is currently listed as questionable for tonight's contest. If Nurkic cannot go, Plumlee will have his hands full trying to slow down Karl-Anthony Towns.

Injury Report

Brooklyn: Bradley Beal (calf) out, Jusuf Nurkic (ankle) questionable, Collin Gillespie (ankle) out, Kevin Durant (calf) out

New York: Deuce McBride (knee) out, Mitchell Robinson (ankle) out, Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) out, Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) out

Prediction

The Suns are in the midst of a tough stretch right now. They are missing their best player in Durant, and two other major pieces in Bradley Beal, and Nurkic. Offensively, Booker has let them down as of late, and the team is struggling to create good looks, and have failed to capitalize on them when they do. Defensively, they've faired a bit better, but haven't been great there either. And the team is in dire need of a win to stay competitive in the slugfest that is the Western Conference.

Conversely, the Knicks, assisted by an easy schedule over the last three games, have gone on a winning streak thanks in large part to their explosive offense. All signs point to this going the Knicks' way. But New York still plays down to competition sometimes, and Phoenix, despite its recent struggles, is still a capable team, especially when playing in front of their home crowd.

While I believe the Knicks end up winning this game, it will be a lot closer than expected if the Suns can catch fire from three. In their six games without Durant, the Suns are shooting just 31.6% from three but shot 46.2% from downtown in their lone win during that stretch. Phoenix looks to, and does, take a lot of threes, which could prove to be crucial against the Knicks. While they've gotten a bit better at defending threes and taking more threes themselves, they have gotten outshot from three on multiple occasions. With the three-ball being the ultimate equalizer in today's NBA, there is a chance that the Suns can upset the Knicks if they can get hot from deep. The Knicks eventually take care of business on that end of the floor though and lead once again by Towns, who the Suns likely won't have any answers for, win this game 118-108. Don't forget to keep an eye on Brunson also, who scored 50 points and went 9-9 from the three the last time he played in Phoenix.

Game Details

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Time: 10:00 PM ET

Venue: Footprint Center Phoenix, AZ

TV: ESPN, MSG

Follow: @ptknicksblog