The Knicks opened November the right way with a hard-fought win over the Nets, but the rest of the month still looks like a grind. After a 2-4 October, New York has 13 more games on the November slate, and the path ahead is packed with tight finishes, tough matchups and a few spots where the Knicks should be able to survive on talent alone.
The first real test in the month comes against Chicago, and the Bulls are the kind of team that can make things messy. Their athleticism can stress New York’s shaky transition defense, and they showed last week that they can hang around offensively.
Still, the Knicks should have the edge where it matters most. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns should be able to control the rematch, and Towns, who has been the Knicks’ best player, is expected to keep rolling.
That game in Cleveland is the one that stands out as a measuring stick. New York enters November with only one quality win, and this would be the second.
The Cavaliers have taken five of the last seven in the regular season matchup, but the Knicks have had the upper hand when it counts in the postseason. Cleveland is also dealing with a brutal schedule spot, playing its second game in two nights and third in four nights.
That opens the door for New York to steal a close one and keep its momentum going.
If the Knicks do get past Cleveland, the next one has trap-game written all over it. They could be riding a three-game winning streak and coming off one of their better wins of the season, but on two nights of rest, a slow start against Milwaukee feels possible. Even so, New York’s talent should be enough to get the job done, even if it takes more work than it should.
The rematch with Cleveland in New York is a different story. There’s no reason to expect the Knicks to beat the Cavaliers twice in such a short stretch, especially with Donovan Mitchell and company coming in after already having success against New York in the regular season over the last two years. This time, the Cavaliers stop the streak at four.
The Pacers game brings Tyrese Haliburton’s injury situation into the picture. He is currently out with a hamstring injury and is rumored to be out until at least Nov.
- He is technically on pace to be returning around this game, but it’s also plausible that the Pacers err on the side of caution bring him along slowly.
Either way, the Knicks are projected to get back on track with an ugly but eventual win. Brunson has had some rough shooting nights against Indiana before, and he’s also started this season slowly, so that matchup will be worth watching.
Toronto presents another tricky but winnable spot. After trading for Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors were viewed as one of the favorites to knock off the Knicks in the Eastern Conference.
Leonard was recently sidelined because of knee swelling, though, and reports say he should still be out for this game. That gives New York a chance to grind out another ugly win, with Towns expected to have a big night against a Raptors defense that has struggled to handle him when Jakob Poeltl is on the floor.
The second game of a two-game set is never easy, and that’s the case again later in the month. The Knicks and their opponent have already seen plenty of each other, and the game is expected to be a hard-fought defensive battle where New York’s offense looks a step slow.
Another major matchup loses some of its shine because of injuries. A game that would have been one of the most fun on the schedule no longer features Anthony Edwards, who is expected to be out for a while after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. That opens the door for the Knicks to bounce back with a solid win, and Towns is projected to lead the way.
The month also includes a trip where New York catches a break on the injury front. Ja Morant will be out with a grade two hamstring strain, and the Trail Blazers, who went 4-1 in October, have benefited from a soft early schedule. That one could still be a useful test, but the Knicks are expected to come away with another win and start yet another streak.
Not every spot breaks New York’s way. On the second night of a back-to-back, after barely beating the same opponent earlier in the month, the Knicks are expected to start slowly again. They battle late, but the legs run out and the Pacers, now with Haliburton back, squeeze out a win in New York.
The third meeting with Cleveland in November brings more of the same. Both teams know each other well by then, but the Cavaliers are projected to pull away in the fourth quarter. That would leave the Knicks with back-to-back losses and more questions about the starting lineup and those sluggish starts.
Late in the month, the schedule softens a bit in theory, but the results still aren’t guaranteed to be pretty. The defending champions, off to a slow start, host a Heat team that has been one of the league’s most disappointing groups. The expectation is that the former handles business and takes advantage of a Miami team that may be dealing with a very unhappy Giannis Antetokounmpo by then.
The month closes with Atlanta coming into New York looking for revenge after last season’s first-round exit. The Knicks are projected to struggle offensively in that one, with Brunson taking things personal against Dyson Daniels as he’s prone to doing. That sets up a sour ending to the month.
Overall, the Knicks are projected to finish November with 8 wins and 5 losses, plus the victory over the Nets on Nov. 1.
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