Looking to fill the absence of their injured star Jalen Brunson, the host New York Knicks will try to get back on track against the lowly Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
New York (43-26) still holds the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference but is 3-4 since Brunson went down with a sprained ankle in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6.
The Knicks enter play coming off a pair of losses to sub-.500 teams in the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets. New York averages 116.3 points per game but has failed to reach the 100-point total three times since Brunson’s injury, including Thursday’s 115-98 defeat in Charlotte.
On a night in which OG Anunoby’s 25 points and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 24 led the Knicks’ scoring, the team shot a paltry 25.6 percent from 3-point range.
“We didn’t make our 3s, and a lot of them were great looks,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said postgame. “You try to not let that take energy away from other parts of your game. Guys were very unselfish, but we just didn’t make them. That’s where you have to count on your defense and rebounding, and we fell short.”
Behind Brunson’s team-leading 26.3 points per game, Towns adds 24.4 points and 12.9 rebounds per contest. Thibodeau revealed Thursday that Brunson is out of his walking boot and is doing some light shooting. The Knicks expect to have him back before the end of the regular season.
Washington (15-54) dropped its third straight game on Friday, falling at home to the Orlando Magic, 120-105.
The Wizards are limping into the final three weeks of the season. Following the worst season in franchise history a year ago, Washington’s next victory will surpass last season’s mark.
Owners of the league’s worst record, the Wizards trailed by as many as 33 points in Friday’s loss. In defeat, rookie Alexandre Sarr led Washington with 19 points and 10 rebounds, marking the 19-year-old’s fifth straight game scoring at least 19 points. After a relatively slow start to his NBA career, Sarr has impressed on a struggling team.
“There’s always an adjustment period, but he’s just progressed each month for us,” Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said. “We’re seeing his shooting and scoring improve, but really it’s a little bit of everything. It’s been his playmaking, his ability to drive, and the most important thing, which is his defensive versatility. We love how Alex is progressing and we still have some more time to see it this year, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Sarr is averaging 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while Jordan Poole paces the Wizards with 20.4 ppg.
A Washington loss on Friday would mark the fourth defeat to New York this season, and its ninth in a row against the Knicks, dating back to February 2023.
–Field Level Media
