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New York Knicks: Five keys to defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 16

By Maxwell Ogden

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK- OCTOBER 19: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks hug after the game on October 19, 2017 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Sr./NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK- OCTOBER 19: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks hug after the game on October 19, 2017 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Sr./NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Lance Thomas #42 of the New York Knicks handles the ball while being guarded by David Nwaba #11 of the Chicago Bulls in the fourth quarter at the United Center on December 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: Lance Thomas #42 of the New York Knicks handles the ball while being guarded by David Nwaba #11 of the Chicago Bulls in the fourth quarter at the United Center on December 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Defense: Effort

This may seem like a broad and anticlimactic answer, but the New York Knicks will only win this game if they commit on defense. Whether or not Kristaps Porzingis plays, the Knicks are preparing to face one of the NBA’s truly elite defensive teams.

Thus, while it may be easy to say the New York Knicks need to go all-in on offense, the reality is that scoring against the Oklahoma City Thunder will be like pulling teeth.

Oklahoma City currently ranks No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rating at 100.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. It checks in at No. 1 in both deflections per game and loose balls recovered per game—two statistics that can only be achieved through pure and unrivaled effort.

With Oklahoma City all but guaranteed to play hard on the defensive end of the floor, the Knicks are going to need to match that intensity.

The Thunder have their flaws on offense, but Russell Westbrook is still the reigning NBA MVP, and both Paul George and Carmelo Anthony are nightly threats to drop 30. Steven Adams has been playing like a star in recent weeks, and Alex Abrines is developing into a lethal three-point shooter.

With or without Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks are going to have to prioritize defense to even have a shot at defeating Anthony and the Thunder.

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