Knicks at Grizzlies
THE STORY: A New York Knicks team expected to rely on a high-octane offense suddenly finds itself winning with defense. Knicks fans can only hope that trend continues Thursday as their club visits Memphis for a date with the slumping Grizzlies. New York has fashioned a four-game winning streak largely due to a shutdown defense that has allowed fewer than 100 points in each game during the run. Wednesday's win may have been the most impressive, as the Knicks limited the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers to a season low in points on the way to a six-point triumph. They may be catching Memphis at the right time, with the Grizzlies mired in a three-game losing skid. Memphis has managed to hang around in each game during the streak, most recently falling just short in a 100-95 defeat at the hands of the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. The absence of high-scoring forward Zach Randolph has been difficult for Memphis to overcome, with the offense ranked near the bottom of the league at just 91 points per game.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE KNICKS (6-4): A greater pride in the defense is one of the major differences between this year's Knicks and last year's edition that lost one shootout after another on the way to a first-round playoff exit. The win over Philadelphia - and the method in which it was achieved - made All-Star Carmelo Anthony happy. "Philly is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now," he said after the game. "For us to hold them to 79 points, that’s a big deal."
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (3-6): Memphis' struggles can be traced to two key areas on the court - the foul line and the 3-point arc. The Grizzlies rank 27th in the NBA in free-throw percentage at just 70.2 percent, while sitting 25th in makes (14.9) and 21st in attempts (21.2). The numbers from beyond the arc are even more startling - Memphis is dead last in makes (2.3), attempts (10.2) and overall percentage (22.8).
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Memphis has just 21 3-pointers so far this season - 14 fewer than league leader Richard Jefferson of San Antonio.
2. New York won both meetings between the clubs in 2010-11, averaging 115 points along the way. The winning team has averaged nearly 120 points in the last eight encounters.
3. Anthony averages 25.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 27 career games against Memphis.