Thunder at Knicks
The Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten to the point where any loss comes as a shock, especially to a losing team. The Thunder will try to bounce back from a loss at the lowly Brooklyn Nets when they visit the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City had a seven-game winning streak come to an end with the 116-106 setback to the Nets on Sunday after sitting through a three-hour delay to the start time due to the blizzard on the East Coast. “We didn’t do things on a sustained, high enough level for a long enough period of time,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters. “We battled and fought and our guys played hard, but we couldn’t keep it together and keep it going.” The Knicks have dropped two straight to fall two games below .500 and played the end of Saturday’s 97-84 loss to the Charlotte Hornets without star forward Carmelo Anthony due to soreness in his knee. Anthony, who sat out two games earlier this month with an ankle injury, is day-to-day but plans on playing Tuesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Oklahoma, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (33-13): Oklahoma City has won 22 of its previous 27 games but is aware that any inconsistencies in effort can lead to a loss. “Just because you played well your last four or five games, it doesn’t mean you’re going to come out the next night and play well,” forward Nick Collison told the team’s official website. “You have to be engaged mentally and physically and be able to do it. We weren’t (on Sunday), but we’re confident that we can play better in the next one.” All-Star forward Kevin Durant seemed to be immune from the struggles and recorded 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the loss.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (22-24): New York is 0-4 this season in games that Anthony doesn’t play, and the hobbled star managed nine points in 29 minutes before leaving Saturday’s contest. “It’s just general soreness,” Anthony told reporters. “I don’t think it’s nothing to worry about. I’m not too concerned. It will just be about healing and getting back right.” Anthony played over 40 minutes in back-to-back games after returning from the ankle injury on Jan. 18 but tailed off in the last two games as the Knicks averaged 86 points in back-to-back losses.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder C Steven Adams (elbow) sat the last two games and is not expected to play on Tuesday.
2. New York SG Arron Afflalo is 4-of-15 from the field in the last two games.
3. Anthony scored 25 points in a 93-90 win at Oklahoma City on Nov. 20.