Off the back of contrasting results last time out, NBA championship hopefuls New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder will both be looking to put on a show in Saturday's meeting at Madison Square Garden.
The home side eased past the Toronto Raptors last time out to snap a three-game losing streak, while the away side saw their 15-game winning run nipped in the bud by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Match preview
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The New York Knicks began 2025 on a winning note courtesy of a 119-103 triumph over the Utah Jazz on January 2, but things soon spiralled out of control over the next five days, in which they lost to the Thunder, the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic.
Suffering three straight defeats for only the first time this term, Tom Thibodeau's men took on a Raptors outfit that had won just one of their last 15 matches, and the outcome was predictable as the Knicks ran out 112-98 winners.
A back-and-forth first half saw the Knicks go into half time with only a four-point lead, which was extended by six in the third quarter and a further four in the final 12 minutes of a largely one-sided second half.
Recording double-double number 31 for the campaign, Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 27 points on 9-14 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds (both game highs) to continue his blistering start to life in New York.
While the Cavaliers and the Celtics have emerged as the leading contenders to make it out of the Eastern Conference to the NBA finals, the Knicks are not that far behind as they sit third in the standings with a 25-13 record.
Having returned to winning ways in the second of a five-game homestretch, Saturday's hosts will be looking to emerge victorious in front of their fans once again before welcoming the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons.
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In a highly anticipated clash that yielded 30 lead changes, conference leaders Cavaliers and the Thunder went head-to-head in Thursday's encounter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse with two lengthy winning streaks on the line.
Mark Daigneault's men were in the ascendancy after the opening exchanges, but an underwhelming second-quarter display saw them trail at the interval, and despite edging a thrilling third quarter to cut the deficit heading into the final stretch, they were undone in the closing 12 minutes by an unrelenting Cavaliers side.
Following his masterclass against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the ever-reliable Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way in scoring once again for the Thunder with 31 points, six more than Jalen Williams, who scored 25+ points for the first time since December 21.
A 30-6 record still leaves the Thunder well clear at the top of the Western Conference, but last year's number one seed will be itching to embark on another winning run, having prevailed in 15 on the bounce prior to losing against the Cavs.
As two of the top three teams with the fewest turnovers per game prepare to go head-to-head, both will be wary of losing the ball on too many occasions knowing the offensive capabilities on the opposing side.
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Team News
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Mitchell Robinson is closing in on making his comeback from a long-term ankle injury that has seen him fail to feature for the New York Knicks this season.
However, Kevin McCullar Jr (knee) and Miles McBride (hamstring) are still out of action, although the latter is relatively closer to being available for selection once again.
Chet Holmgren could return to action for the Thunder before the end of January, but the center is unfit to play any part on Saturday due to a right iliac hip fracture.
Alex Ducas and Alex Caruso are also expected to miss out for the away side with back and hip injuries respectively, while Ajay Mitchell is yet to fully recuperate from a sprained toe.
Nikola Topic will not play again this season, having suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and he rounds off the list of Thunder absentees alongside Adam Flagler, who is nursing a metacarpal fracture.
New York Knicks possible starting five:
Brunson, Hart; Bridges, Anunoby; Towns
Oklahoma City Thunder possible starting five:
Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort; Wallace, Williams; Hartenstein
We say: Thunder to win by 6+ points
Winning six of the last seven editions, the Thunder have had the upper hand in this fixture of late and will fancy themselves to come out on top once again.
While we expect the home side to pose a stern test, we are backing the visitors to carry the day.
Adepoju Marvellous
