New York Knicks: Keys To Defeating The Washington Wizards

The New York Knicks will have a shot at vengeance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, Jan. 31. What must New York do to achieve victory?

Though the end result was a loss, the New York Knicks are coming off of one of the most encouraging games of the season. Carmelo Anthony had his best performance of 2016-17 and the Knicks went to four overtimes with a postseason-caliber opponent despite losing four players to foul trouble.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, the Knicks will have a chance to prove that the moral victories weren’t lost on this veteran team in need of a turnaround.

New York enters the clash with the red-hot Washington Wizards at 21-28. Washington, meanwhile, is 27-20 overall and 19-6 at home, as well as 21-9 since Dec. 1 and 11-4 since Jan. 1—the second-best record in the NBA.

Since Jan. 1, the only team that has a better record than the Wizards is the Golden State Warriors at 12-2.

The last time New York and Washington met, the Wizards prevailed with a 113-110 victory. The Knicks blew a 110-109 lead with 33 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, which creates the fair and rational hope that victory could be within reach.

Washington hasn’t lost at home since Dec. 6, but the Knicks can win this game. The question is: what must New York do to achieve victory?