The New York Knicks will try to get their first win without Julius Randle for the first time this season against the Oklahoma City Thunder. New York is coming off a close win against the Detroit Pistons, 94-85. On the same night, the Thunder were blown out by the Phoenix Suns, 115-97.
Keys for Knicks Getting Win
Play for 48 minutes
In their last two games, New York has clearly not played for a full 48 minutes. Some minutes they are cold, then they go on big runs to take a big lead. But this game could be a “trap game,” and if the Knicks don’t play with confidence and allow the Thunder to stay near the Knicks’ lead, the winning streak could come to an end.
In their previous game against the Pistons, the Knicks had a 13 points lead but gave up the lead in the third quarter. There was a four-minute of two points during the third quarter by the Knicks.
More Opportunities without Randle
Knicks fans have been waiting for this moment for a while for the young guys like Grimes, Toppin, Quickley, and Barrett to get more touches and opportunities to prove they deserve more minutes. Julius Randle entering the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols means more minutes for the younger guys. Head Coach Tom Thibodeau must trust the guys who will replace Randle in the rotation Friday night.
Obi Toppin will be expected to replace Julius Randle in tonight’s game against the Thunder. Note, I could be wrong; that is my prediction. With Evan Fournier being questionable for tonight’s game, Barrett and Quickley could see more minutes in place of Fournier. Quentin Grimes is another young guy to look for, who started on Wednesday. Grimes is averaging 4.5 points and 1.1 rebounds this season. But when Grimes plays more than 20 minutes, he has scored in double-digits.
Injury Report
Knicks
| Player | Status | Injury |
| Matt Mooney | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Evan Fournier | Day-to-Day | Ankle |
| Danuel House Jr. | Out | Finger |
| Julius Randle | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Jericho Sims | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Derrick Rose | Out | Right Ankle |
| Nerlens Noel | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
Thunder
| Player | Status | Injury |
| Kenrich Williams | Day-to-Day | Ankle |
| Sai-Gilgeous-Alexander | Day-to-Day | Ankle |
| Vit Krejci | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Josh Giddey | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Aleksej Pokusevski | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Jeremiah Robsinon-Earl | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Tre Mann | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
| Darius Bazley | Out | NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols |
Game Prediction
With SGA not being 100% and the Thunder also missing Josh Giddey, this Oklahoma City squad will struggle to score. It doesn’t help when you face a team coached by Tom Thibodeau. New York will be able to pull out the win. But expect the Knicks to score below 110 points.
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