The NBA schedule for each individual team has been released. Each team will have some big games on their schedule as well as a tough stretch that could make or break their season. I will be breaking down the top 5 games and the toughest stretch on the New York Knicks schedule.
Top 5 Games:
1: Christmas Day – At home vs Bucks
The New York Knicks have a tradition of playing on Christmas Day especially in Madison Square Garden. The Christmas Day game will be just over a month into the season and both teams should get an idea of how their season is going to play out. This game is also a reported target for Kristaps Porzingis‘s return after suffering a knee injury last season. If Porzingis were to return he would be facing the team in which he suffered the injury against. The Knicks take pride in playing on Christmas and MSG will be rocking with the excitement surrounding the Knicks young core.
2: March 17 – At home vs Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers will vist the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. This will be LeBron James first game in MSG as a Los Angeles Laker. LeBron has been a dominate player in his visit’s to the worlds most famous arena. The Lakers and Knicks rivarly has been brought back over the last couple of seasons. This will certainly only take it to another level. As this game is late in the season we should know if these teams have the playoffs in their sights or not which should be interesting.
3: MLK Day – At home vs Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to New York on Martin Luther King Day to take on the Knicks. This game doesn’t have as much meaning as last year as the Knicks traded Carmelo Anthony to the Thunder. This should be a good test for the Knicks which will be about half way through the season. The Thunder are expected to be one of the top teams out West. The Knicks being one of the best franchises in sports will have a lot of holiday games year in and year out.
4: October 26/Jan 8 – Home and Home vs Warriors
The Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks only play each other twice a year and each team gets a home game. The Knicks will host the Warriors on October 26th and then head to Oracle on January 8th. These games will be huge test for the Knicks as they take on the defending championships and the best team in the league. The Knicks home game will be the sixth game of the season. The crowd will be huge as they will try to lure Kevin Durant to New York next season. This game will show where the Knicks are as a team and what they can be for the rest of the season.
5: Feb 1 – At home vs Celtics
The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics have had some of the greatest games in NBA history. The Knicks and Celtics play four times a year two at home and two on the road. The Celtics will travel to New York to take on the Knicks on February 1st on ESPN. This game will be 3 and a half months into the season. This will show what the Knicks have headed to the future. Boston is considered the favorite in the Eastern Conference this season. The Knicks want to make the playoffs for the young core and the 2019 free agency class.
Toughest Stretch: December 27 – January 8
The New York Knicks will play six straight games on the road from December 27 to January 8 which is the longest of their season. This could be a turning point in their season whether its a good or a bad way. The Knicks will take on the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Golden State Warriors. All six of those teams are projected to be playoff caliber teams. The Knicks will be a couple months into the season. They should have good chemistry with each other so they should be ready for their road trip. The Knicks will need to go at least 3 – 3 on the road trip to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference and compete for a playoff spot.
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