Knicks at 76ers
The New York Knicks put a seven-game winning streak on the line and attempt to extend the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise-record losing streak to 23 when the squads meet in Philadelphia on Friday. The Knicks are 1-0 in the new Phil Jackson era after an impressive 92-86 win over Indiana at home on Wednesday, which pushed New York to within four games of a playoff spot. Friday begins a four-game stretch against losing teams for the Knicks, after which they have a stretch run that involves nine out of 10 games against squads above .500.
The Sixers, who have also lost a franchise-record 17 straight games at home, are four defeats shy of matching the NBA's all-time record for consecutive losses of 26, established by Cleveland in 2010-11. They've at least shown a desire to end the misery by taking the Pacers to the wire in Indiana before falling 102-94 against Chicago at home Wednesday. Three other teams in NBA history have lost 23 in a row, the last being the Charlotte Bobcats two seasons ago.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG (New York), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE KNICKS (28-40): Swingman J.R. Smith has been in and out of the starting lineup all season but has settled in to a featured role while the Knicks have begun to surge. He is averaging 15 points a game while starting every game of the winning streak, making 19-of-42 3-pointers in the process. New York, which fell to Philadelphia at home Jan. 22, had dropped the previous six games in which Smith was in the starting lineup.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (15-53): Although the Knicks are hot, they may represent the best chance for Philadelphia to avoid matching Cleveland's NBA-record losing streak, as the Sixers begin a challenging three-game road trip Saturday. They will visit Chicago, San Antonio and Houston on the excursion, potentially matching the Cavaliers' run of futility against the Rockets next Thursday. One of Philadelphia's two victories over the past two months was that triumph in Madison Square Garden on Jan. 22, but Evan Turner - who has since been traded to Indiana - was the leader with a career-high 34 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks F Carmelo Anthony has been held to an average of 22.7 points - more than five below his average - whole shooting 39.7 percent in the three games against the Sixers.
2. Philadelphia F Thaddeus Young scored 24 points in Wednesday's loss to the Bulls and is averaging 23 over his last four games.
3. New York averaged 114.5 points over the first six games of the winning streak before the 92-point effort vs. Indiana.