One of the most storied franchises in the NBA visits one trying to rewrite its own history. The New York Knicks take on the new arena, logo, and jerseys of Western Conference foe the Los Angeles Clippers. Friday night in the association is always special. Let’s talk hoops.
Game Information
- Intuit Dome Inglewood, CAL
- New York Knicks (40-22) visit the (33-29) Los Angeles Clippers
- Previous Matchup: LAC Win 144-122 December 16th, 2023
The Knicks are good but are they a contender?
New York Knicks @ Los Angeles Clippers
The New York Knicks are a good basketball team and that is great for the NBA. They have elite talent mixed with depth and defence. Their effort or intensity is never in question playing for coach Tom Thibodeau. However, there could be some tired legs today as they just lost in OT to Lakers, LeBron, and LeLuka. The Knicks should not be faulted as they purple and gold rattled off their 8th consecutive win. Brunson had 39 and 10 in a fantastic game where they exchanged leads several times.
The Clippers let the lowly suns roar back from 23 in a bad loss. Their next game out they played very well. They beat current association darling, Detroit Pistons, behind the insane effort of their leader. James Harden dropped 50 points with former president Barack Obama sitting in attendance with Clippers own Steve Ballmer. Harden was slicing into the lane like it was his Houston Rocket days.
Both of these teams are pretty much safe in the playoff race. However, neither has been their best as of late. The Knicks are 6-4 in their last 10 and are already 0-1 to start a five game Western Conference road trip. The Clippers have been worse. They are only 4-6 in their last 10 and their 20-10 home record is really holding up their record.
Mikal Bridges finished with 6 points tonight. He has still only scored over 15 points ONCE since February 4th.
The Knicks gave up 6 first rounders for him this offseason 😬 pic.twitter.com/BCuftf47QA
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) March 7, 2025
NBA Game Analysis
The Knicks are known for their scoring. They are top 10 in several shooting and efficiency categories. However, their defence is better than advertised. They may not shot block but they are 9th in fast break points allowed, 2nd in second chance points, and they play hard. Unfortunately, outside of Karl-Anthony Towns they don’t have much rebounding. Backup bigs Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are both on the injury report.
Thibodeau’s team can win this game by getting into the midrange. New York is 5th in the league for 2-point% and lucky for them the Clippers are 20th in 2-point percentage defence. Jalen Brunson could have a good day getting downhill and into the paint. Or perhaps, young speedster Miles “Deuce” McBride, he’ll be looking to bounce back after going 0-6 against the Lakers. If you can get his lines early you could get lucky as Jalen Brunson is GTD after spraining his ankle last night.
Jalen Brunson is amazing but the Knicks offense lacked any variety down the stretch last night https://t.co/2zV40pNuNq pic.twitter.com/EcxOT6EAXN
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) March 7, 2025
The Clippers will have their two max contract stars playing in this one. Kawhi sat out against the Pistons after playing in the big loss to the Suns. He’s has scored 20+ in 3 straight games he’s played. The Little Brother of LA is seemingly just trying to get to the big dance. Then let their stars shine on the biggest stage. Their path to victory is to spread the floor and get into the paint. The Knicks have the leagues 21st ranked paint defence. Additionally, they’re also 29th in blocks and 18th in steals. They struggle to make plays on the defensive end. That becomes very evident when you check the box scores. Lead guards have success against the Knicks.
“I’ll rest when the season’s over.”
James Harden had the perfect walk-off line after dropping 50 PTS in the Clippers’ win 😤 pic.twitter.com/vMHg0J7qsx
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2025
NBA Best Bet: Karl-Anthony Towns o2.5 Assists (-110)
The Knicks offence has looked incredibly one dimensional. With or without Brunson the Knicks need to add layers like their onions. KAT has hit this line in 3 straight games head-to-head. It is a line he’s struggled to hit in his last 20 but the Knicks need him to bring every single facet of his game tonight. To conclude, he’s averaging 3.1 assists this year but he’s averaged over 4 assists a game numerous times in his career.
Bonus for Peepin’ the Scribbles: I almost went with Harden o34.5 P/A or Kawhi Leonard o30.5 PRA.
Thanks for reading!
Also, get the best odds & all the up to date lines right here at Betting News!
Follow us at Betting News for all of our sports betting content & streams on Twitch every day as well!
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER
Looking for a great promo for a new sportsbooks? Check out all the various sign-up bonuses & reviews we have for numerous sportsbook, available everywhere!