New York @ Memphis preview
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Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2022 ) Memphis 120, New York 108
When the NBA added a play-in format, the idea was to keep more teams in contention for a playoff berth late in the season.
The Knicks aspire to be one of those teams and they seek a season-high fourth straight win Friday night when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies.
Before the play-in round, only the top eight teams qualified. With the format expanded to include 10 teams, New York entered Wednesday just 3 1/2 games behind the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks despite holding a 28-38 record.
The Knicks are on their fourth three-game winning streak this season. Their last three-game winning streak was Jan. 10-15 when New York was 22-21 and in ninth place.
Since then, New York is 6-17 in its past 23 games. Before sandwiching blowout wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks around a comeback win in Sacramento, the Knicks were 1-11 in their previous 12, a stretch that included blowing eight double-digit leads.
On Wednesday, the Knicks allowed a season-low 31.4 percent shooting in a 107-77 rout of the Mavericks. The Knicks also allowed a season-low 13.6 percent from 3-point range (6 of 44). Luka Doncic scored 31 but the rest of the Dallas roster had 46 combined.
"I love the way our guys are coming out and the intensity that we're playing with and the togetherness on both sides of the ball," New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. "So we're tied together defensively and offensively, guys are sharing the ball, making plays for each other. When you do that, you can get into a rhythm. So, we've got to continue to do it."
Julius Randle scored 26 points after getting a career-high 46 Monday in Sacramento and his performances have improved since January. After averaging 16.4 points in January, he is averaging 25.5 points in his past 15 contests.
Memphis has split its past eight games after winning 22 of 26 to rise into second place in the Western Conference and is coming off one of its quickest starts of the season.
In Tuesday's 132-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Grizzlies scored 77 points by halftime. Memphis also hit 11 3-pointers by halftime and scored 23 of their franchise-record 42 fastbreak points in the opening 24 minutes.
"Obviously getting stops on the defensive end helps us get out and run because we are not taking the ball out the net," Memphis guard Ja Morant said. "At that point, we have a lot of guys that can push the break."
Morant scored 24 points, marking his 21st straight games with at least 20 points. Desmond Bane added 22 and is shooting 50 percent (17 for 34) from 3-point range in his past four games.
Memphis also is coming off one of its most proficient showings from 3-point range. The Grizzlies made 16 3-pointers Tuesday after missing 21 of 26 3-point attempts in a 123-112 loss at Houston on Sunday.
Memphis claimed the first meeting when Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 and Morant added 23 in a 120-108 win in New York on Feb. 2.
--Field Level Media