New York at Boston
Time: 7 PM (CT), ESPN
Spread: BOS -8.5
Total: 209.5
Odds c/o 5dimes
The New York Knicks ride a two-game winning streak into Boston as it takes on the Celtics in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader.
The Knicks are 8.5-point underdogs on the road, where it has posted a 7-19 mark this season. The Celtics are 18-8 at home and the game will air at 7 PM CT on ESPN with an over/under set at 209.5 points according to NBA oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.
NYK
New York most recently has defeated the lowly Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets to pull to 23-28 on the season. The Knicks won both games handily, disposing of Phoenix by 22 points and winning by 16 over the Nets. In the win over Brooklyn, the Knicks got 28 points from Kristaps Porzingis on 9 of 19 shooting and a strong 20 point, 20 rebound game from center Enes Kanter.
Kanter has scored 20 in each of the last three outings and is having a strong January with 15.9 point and 10.4 rebound averages in the 10 games he’s played in this month. Kanter still draws ire for being a poor defender, but he has improved his shot blocking capabilities some recently, blocking three shots over the past two games and averaging nearly a full block per game in the month.
The Knicks, overall, still lack defense as a team with a 109.0 defensive rating, ranking No. 20 in the NBA. The offense has been middle-of-the-pack with a No. 13 rating at 108.2 points per 100-possessions.
The result, of course, is a team struggling to reach .500 and still on the outside looking in of the postseason picture. The Knicks trail No. 8 Philadelphia by three games in the standings and New York has won just four of its past 10 overall. Something seems to indicate this team can play at a higher level, but it really is going to require more cohesion and team-help on the defensive end, because 105.1 points per game is already getting what really seems to be the maximum offensive production from the roster.
Porzingis remains the key to the offensive attack, but his usage rate is already 31.7 percent, and it would be difficult to increase this much. The Latvian is attempting 20.8 shots per game, which is ideal, and a vast improvement over the 16.4 per game he saw a season ago with ballhogs Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose detracting from his overall offensive game and mindset. Kanter looms as a one-way talent, but with how well he boards and scores, the defense must simply remain a focus for future improvement. He is too good to sit. Maybe that is too obvious to even state, with how dominant he has been in recent games.
BOS
Crucial in replacing the injured Gordon Hayward has been rookie Jayson Tatum and second-year swingman Jaylen Brown, who ranks No. 3 and No. 2, respectively, on the team in scoring.
Tatum has been nothing short of sensational and is averaging 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 31 minutes a night. Brown has improved nearly every facet of his game and is good for 14.2 points and 1.3 steals per night.
But perhaps the biggest difference maker has been franchise player Kyrie Irving. Irving was acquired at the “low” cost of Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder from the Cleveland Cavs this past offseason, and he is playing the best and most efficient basketball of his NBA career.
The Flat Earther has averaged nearly 24 points per game and five assists per night while posting a team-high PER of 24.1. Along with?Irving’s career year has come one from veteran Al Horford, who has developed into one of the league’s most effective high-post passers. Horford leads the team in assists at 5.3 per game—and he is shooting a blistering 42 percent from three-point range while connecting on 51.9 percent of his field goals overall.
Outside of these highly effective four players, has been the strong play of a cast of role players: Marcus Smart is still one of the league’s best defenders, and Marcus Morris seems to have found a home in Boston, replacing the colossal bust that was?Jared Sullinger several seasons ago.
Second-Year guard Terry Rozier has developed nicely in his second season, and despite his shooting struggles (40 percent field goals) has looked as though he will eventually be a very integral part of the team.
In 23 minutes a night, Rozier makes his impact known, though his 9.3 points per game may seem humble. The fact remains, Brad
Stevens simply knows best how to milk the talent of his roster, and the disaster that Hayward incurred is largely forgotten by a Celtics’ fanbase thinking “title” no matter the cost.
