Knicks at 76ers
THE STORY: If the New York Knicks have any designs on winning the Atlantic Division, they can mark Wednesday's game in the "must-win" category. The Knicks take aim at their fifth consecutive victory when they visit the division-leading Philadelphia 76ers. New York improved to 4-0 under interim coach Mike Woodson with another impressive performance, routing the Toronto Raptors 106-87 on Tuesday night to close within four games of the Sixers.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSP
ABOUT THE KNICKS (22-24): Winning aside, Woodson has succeeded where D'Antoni failed – getting the team to play defense and finding the formula for Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin to mold into a cohesive unit. Anthony scored 17 points against the Raptors, marking his high during the four-game winning streak in which he is averaging 15.3 points. “When you enjoy doing your job, then it makes it much easier to play and that’s what’s happening right now,” explained Amar'e Stoudemire, who had 22 points and 12 boards Tuesday.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (26-20): Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak with a 105-80 rout at Charlotte on Monday night. The Sixers averaged 84.0 points during the skid but eclipsed 100 for the first time since winning at New York 106-94 on March 11. Starting center Spencer Hawes had his best performance since returning from a prolonged injury absence with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Philadelphia was 12-2 in its first 14 games with Hawes, who was sidelined for stretches of 10 and 17 games with a strained Achilles tendon.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Knicks are averaging 111 points and have a victory margin of 22.5 points during the streak.
2. The Sixers waived forward Andres Nocioni on Tuesday. His fate was sealed when the team acquired Sam Young from Memphis at the trade deadline.
3. Woodson joined Bill Sharman of the 1971-72 Lakers as the only coaches to win their first four games with a new club by at least 14 points.