The New York Knicks are desperate for a win on New Year’s Eve. What must they do to improve to 17-16 with a win over James Harden and the Houston Rockets?
The New York Knicks are reeling. Since improving to 14-10 on December 11, the Lakers are 2-6 with three losses by double-digit margins and another three in heartbreaking fashion via poor execution down the stretch.
Now 16-16 with New Year’s Day on the horizon, the Knicks will look to achieve a measure of redemption and avoid falling below .500 entering 2017.
Next on the schedule for New York is a team that’s handled them in both preseason and regular season play in 2016-17: the Houston Rockets. James Harden’s crew has been exceptional overall, but it’s been dominant against the Knicks in specific.
After losing 130-103 to the Rockets in the preseason opener, New York fell 118-99 to Mike D’Antoni’s new team on November 2.
New York needs this victory for a vast number of reasons, but that sense of urgency doesn’t guarantee success. Defeating the Rockets will be a matter of firing on all cylinders and executing in areas in which the Knicks simply haven’t been consistent.
The question is: what must the New York Knicks do in order to defeat the Houston Rockets and avoid falling below .500?