The New York Knicks (8-8) are headed to the desert to play the Phoenix Suns (9-6) on Sunday afternoon. This game will be the first time these two teams see each other. It is also the fourth straight road game for the Knicks.
Speaking of the road trip, New York is now 2-1 out west over the course of the three games they’ve played. Chief among those games of course is the latest one, in which the Knicks lost on Friday night to the Golden State Warriors, 111-101. The Knicks shot horrifically from everywhere on the court except for the free throw line (they shot 32/34, 94% at the charity stripe), which was really the only thing that kept this game close throughout.
The Knicks trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter, but for most of the contest they managed to trail by roughly 10-13 points. There also wasn’t a Knick who you can point to and say that they played particularly well, besides Julius Randle (20 points) kind of and Jericho Sims (10p/10r/3 blocks).
Being that the Suns deploy All-Star Devin Booker (he just dropped 49 points on Friday in a 134-133 loss to the Jazz) and fellow sharpshooters Mikal Bridges and Cam Payne, the Knicks will have their hands full guarding the perimeter; something they’ve struggled to do for much of the season. They will probably catch a bit of a break on that front though, as Phoenix’s other All-Star guard Chris Paul has a heel injury that has kept him out for the last four games.
Despite what a lot of NBA fans expected due to some offseason drama, the Suns have been one of the best teams in basketball so far just as they were for the past two seasons. Phoenix is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference and has the sixth-best winning percentage in the NBA.
New York has already lost games to other league juggernauts like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Although they beat the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets back-to-back to start the current road trip, Utah’s success is likely unsustainable and Denver was without 2X MVP Nikola Jokic. No doubt about it, this will be another early challenge for the Knicks that will provide further perspective on this season’s outlook.
Also, one final note of interest for this matchup is how the Jae Crowder trade rumors have recently been linked to the Knicks, and more specifically a three-team trade that was nearly done. So, that situation will be the main storyline and is something for fans to monitor.
"Jake Fischer…reported…Suns were getting close to finalizing a 3team trade centered on Crowder
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 17, 2022
"…Heat & Bucks…among those who've been linked
"…Begley last week reporting…Suns & Heat have spoken
"...Knicks are also among the teams with an interest"https://t.co/u0SSem7gBc
New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns Odds, Spread, Over/Under
The latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have Phoenix as -6.5 favorites with the team -110 to cover. The Suns are -240 on the moneyline and the Knicks are +198. The over/under is set at 228 points.
Knicks Projected Starting Lineup Tonight
- Jalen Brunson
- Cam Reddish
- RJ Barrett
- Julius Randle
- Isaiah Hartenstein
Knicks Injury Report
Regardless of if we get to see Cam Reddish today, Quentin Grimes should definitely start getting some time. Playing Derrick Rose at this point, especially when there has been a clear willingness to sit another veteran in Evan Fournier, is more detrimental to the Knicks’ immediate and long-term future than not.
Reddish (groin) and Mitchell Robinson (knee) are listed as questionable.
New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns Prediction
Because the Knicks are coming off of a loss in which their opponents basically sleep-walked to a convincing win, it is hard for me to believe that New York will bounce back and beat what is currently a much better team than the Warriors in the Suns. Even if RJ Barrett can finally get over his sickness, the reasons for his shooting struggles so far have transcended the illness. The Knicks may be without their best perimeter defender in Cam Reddish, too.
As the 8-8 record displays, New York team is a far from predictable team right now in terms of if they can win individual games. However, they seem to have been working through all of the same problems throughout each of their first 16 games, so the only reasonable thing to predict is that the negative aspects of this squad will remain to hamper their chances of success.
I think Devin Booker will walk right over the Knicks without trying much, just as Stephen Curry did. Either that or Booker will erupt for the second straight game. Phoenix’s impressive balance of offensive (10th in NBA PPG with 115) and defensive (6th in NBA with 108.8 opponents PPG) team skill will be too much for New York to combat.
Phoenix 120, New York 106
What channel is the New York Knicks game on?
New York-Phoenix can be found on MSG Network. The tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns Live Stream
If you’re looking for a live stream, head to fuboTV for a free trial. Or if you have cable but are away from your television, you can use your TV provider information for the MSG GO app.
Knicks Next Game and Upcoming Schedule
New York has one more away game before heading back to The Garden for a two-game homestand. Then, they will be back on the road for just one game.
Nov. 21 at Oklahoma City
Nov. 25 vs Portland
Nov. 27 vs Memphis
Nov. 29 at Detroit
3 trade destinations for Immanuel Quickley that will certainly hurt Knicks fans
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the New York Knicks have "shown a willingness" to listen to trade offers for Immanuel Quickley.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.