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β’ Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks
β’ Thursday, February 29 at 730 p.m. ET
β’ Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
There are few things better than when the best players in the NBA make their way to Manhattan for a showdown in New York City. That will be the case on Thursday night in primetime, with New York getting ready to host Golden State. That’s right, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will make their way to town. Having said that, the Warriors are hoping to upset the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Who will end up posting a needed win?
In previous years, we would have assumed that the Warriors would cruise to a victory even if this was a road contest. However, the Warriors aren’t looking the same, with Curry taking a step back. Things have gotten so rough, that even head coach Steve Kerr recently said that Curry has looked a little fatigued out on the hardwood. Thompson has even seen time on the bench, which no one expected entering the new season.
| Warriors vs Knicks odds |  |  |  |
| Knicks to win | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Warriors to win | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over 220 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 220 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
On the other side of the floor, New York has been outstanding, playing like one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Guard Jalen Brunson is playing at an MVP level and fans in New York are loving what they’re seeing out of him. Julius Randle has been dealing with an injury, but the hope is he can get back to full health by the time the end of the regular season gets here, plus the postseason.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Knicks, the home team, hold -110 NBA betting odds. It’s tough for them to lose at home. As for the Warriors, they hold +125 betting odds and they’re not going to back down from this big-time challenge. In what has been a down year for the Warriors, they have a great chance to send a statement to the rest of the league. While that’d be nice, we’re going with the Knicks as our pick to post a win.
π£οΈYerrrrrΒ
We asked the squad to show off their best New York accent pic.twitter.com/WR3PmpfoUd
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 27, 2024
Knicks hold the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference
There’s plenty of buzz in New York and it’s easy to see why. Right now, the Knicks hold the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference. It’s been a long time since New York has made the NBA Finals, but there’s a strong chance they might be able to silence their haters and win the conference. However, things aren’t going to be easy for them, with two teams ahead of them out East.
We’re of course talking about the Bucks and Celtics. Milwaukee won the NBA Finals title two years back and Giannis Antetokoumnpo is once again among the best guys in the league. As for the Celtics, they hold the No. 1 NBA Finals betting odds and Jayson Tatum thinks he’s the No. 1 player in the game. Boston has a sensational chance to win it all and the team’s confidence has only grown after beating the Knicks at MSG on Saturday night.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum going 1 on 1 in practice is amazing to see π₯π₯ pic.twitter.com/jKWjA2jGms
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) February 27, 2024
βWhen it comes down to the playoffs, none of that stuff really matters,β Star Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown said after Boston was able to take down New York at Madison Square Garden. βI feel like itβs going to be about matchups, itβs going to be about playing hard. Obviously, home court (advantage) matters. So, that is key. You get into the thick of it, you’ve got to win basketball games.β
Moving forward, the Knicks are going to have to be able to prove that they can be Boston and Milwaukee, especially on their home floor. It will be interesting to see how far the Knicks will be able to go later in the season, but Brunson and Co. are playing the game at a high level. We’re not sure if they’ll be able to win the Eastern Conference or not, but we do think they’ll go on a deep postseason run.
Warriors need to turn things around as soon as possible
It goes without saying, but the Warriors need to turn things around as soon as possible. Entering the showdown with the Knicks on Thursday evening, Golden State is only two games above .500 at 29-27. Did anyone expect this to be the case? In their prime, Curry and Thompson were the most lethal duo in the game.
However, that’s no longer the case. The two have lost a step and it’s not ideal for Steve Kerry and the rest of his coaching staff. If the season were to end today, Golden State would be in the play-in tourney for the postseason. Seriously? Golden State must wake up and fast.
In order for that to happen, some of the younger talent will have to step their game up. However, Curry and Thompson need to find a way to turn back the clock and play the way we know they can. While we don’t think they’ll be able to beat New York at MSG, a strong showing could do wonders for this team moving forward.
