Knicks Head to Cleveland to Take on the Cavs Following a Quiet Trade Deadline

Peter Saclarides

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Feb 23, 2017 · 3 min read

With multiple rumors of trades surrounding the Knicks heating up in the last 48 hours, it was widely expected by fans that New York would have made a deal by 3:00 PM Thursday, but that time has came and went and the Knicks are the same team. Tonight that team that has lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers by an average of 23 points this season will meet up once again for their fourth and final match-up of the year.

Here are a few notes on tonight’s game:

• Following their appearances in the Rising Stars game over All-Star weekend it’ll be interesting to see if Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangómez are able to keep their hot streak going tonight. The two Euros have played very well while on the court together, and we’ll likely see the two get some extended minutes together with Joakim coming off a hamstring injury.
• As we all know, Carmelo Anthony has been on fire lately, averaging 26.2 points per game on 51 percent shooting in the last 30 days. ‘Melo tends to play better in games that mean more, and with tonight’s match-up on national television and against the best team in the East, there may be some extra motivation for Anthony tonight.

• Courtney Lee (illness) and Joakim Noah (hamstring) were held out of practice on Wednesday. Lee is expected to play tonight while Noah is questionable.
• Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee have both been recalled from Westchester. Both are available tonight.
• Oak is back! According to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, Charles Oakley will attend tonight’s game in his hometown of Cleveland, hopefully wearing a #FreeOak t-shirt.
• Derrick Rose didn’t get traded, so you have to watch him play defense against Kyrie Irving tonight. I’m sorry.
• Tonight’s game tips off at 8:00 ET, and will be televised on TNT.

The Knicks are probably going to lose again, and some more for the rest of the season, but that’s okay. Just keep checking tankathon.com for the next few months and it won’t be that bad.

— Peter Saclarides, senior writer

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