Breaking down and predicting every game remaining in the regular season

With just 20 games left to go in what has been maybe the most up-and-down season the Knicks have ever had, we take a look ahead to see how they’ll fare to finish out the 23-4 regular season campaign.

8-Mar: vs. Orlando — L

With Jalen Brunson likely heading into Friday’s game listed as questionable, the Knicks will have a hard time winning this game, which is rather unfortunate considering Orlando just recently leapfrogged them for fourth place in the East. Dropping this game will mean that the Magic can take a 1.5-game lead over the Knicks, making New York’s hope of securing a top-three seed even more difficult. Given the Magic’s youth and lack of an elite offense, there’s a chance that the Knicks could eek this one out. But I just don’t see it happening against a very good Magic team that has won eight of their last ten games and should have very little trouble stifling the Knicks’ offense.

10-Mar: vs. Philadelphia — L

Who knows how Brunson’s leg will feel, and how the Knicks will handle his return? Not I. But, if it was up to me, I would try to give him as much time as possible and play the long con. The Knicks still have an opportunity to make a deep playoff run if they can get healthy but all chances of that go out the window if Brunson were to come back too early and re-injure himself. As frustrating as it may end up being, I think the Knicks do, or at least should, sit Brunson out one more game, giving him an extra two days of rest. And because of that, I think they lose the first game of back-to-back matchup against the Sixers. Philadelphia is certainly capable of being defeated but beating a team twice in a row, regardless of who they are, and who they are missing, is difficult and they have a better shot of winning when one, Brunson returns, and two, their backs are up against the wall.

12-Mar: vs. Philadelphia — W

For precisely all of the reasons I listed above, New York will pick up the win here. With Brunson back in the lineup, rested, and healthy, the Knicks, who will likely feel the heat of dropping three games in a row, come away with a much-needed win.

14-Mar: @Portland — W

The Knicks will start a four-game west coast road trip that will include games against a good Kings team, a Warriors team that recently defeated them, and the defending champion Nuggets making this game against Portland pretty much a must-win. The Knicks have played down to competition before, but the Trail Blazers are in the midst of a very bad season and the Knicks, even with all their injuries, are the superior team and will take the win.

16-Mar: @ Sacramento — W

For the Knicks to really stay afloat until Julius Randle and OG Anunoby return, they must start winning games that they, in theory, shouldn’t be winning. And against Sacramento, they’ll have a decent shot. At 35-26, the Kings are a good team carrying a record very similar to the Knicks, but at the time of this being written, they are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and just 16-11 at home, which is good but by no means dominant. The Kings will score a lot but they also give up a lot of points, which should give the Knicks a chance to steal a win on the road, extending their win streak to three.

18-Mar: @ Golden State — L

The Warriors have a worse record than the Kings but have been better as of late. They too have a home record that won’t wow you but it’s hard to see them losing to a Knicks team they recently took care of rather easily on the road. I think New York can keep this game a lot closer and more competitive this time around, especially if they don’t start the game out being completely dominated like they did the last time these two teams met. But I still think the Warriors will be too much and they’ll end the Knicks win streak.

21-Mar: @ Denver — L

The 42-20 Nuggets, unlike the Kings and Warriors, are dominant at home and are an impressive 24-6 when playing Denver. Anything can happen but it’s hard to see this New York team who will be in their fourth game in seven days, beating the Nuggets in Denver. We also can’t forget that the Knicks beat the Nuggets at the end of their road trip in January so Denver could be coming into this game with some extra motivation.

23-Mar: vs. Brooklyn — W

This is around the time we could start seeing Randle, Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson back. Assuming Anunoby is the first to return, I think easing him in against an inferior Nets team in what will be close to a home game, will be ideal. That being said, with or without Anunoby, the Knicks should be able to win this.

25-Mar: vs. Detroit — W

In what will be Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, and Shake Milton’s first game back in Detroit since coming over to the Knicks, New York should win this one. But it won’t be as easy as some may think. Detroit, despite their ugly record, has given teams scares, and we all saw that firsthand as the Knicks were a call away from losing to them just a week ago. It’ll likely be another close one down the stretch, especially if Anunoby isn’t back yet or takes a day off (I think they make sure he’s rested and ready go to take on his former team) but New York should be able to pick up the victory.

27-Mar: @ Toronto — W

The Raptors have been bad without Scottie Barnes. They barely beat a LaMelo Ball-less Hornets team and then lost to the Pelicans by 41 points. Anunoby, who’ll be making his first return to Toronto since being traded to New York, will likely play and if he does, the Knicks should be able to win this one with relative ease, pushing their win streak to three.

27-Mar: @ San Antonio — W

The Knicks’ schedule continues to help them as they head to San Antonio to take on one of the worst teams in the league. Regardless of who is back and who isn’t, as long as everyone else is good to go, the Knicks should take care of business.

31-Mar: vs. Oklahoma City — L

The Knicks’ lighter schedule comes to an end as they take on one of the best teams in the league to finish out the month of March. Randle and Robinson could come back in this game, or even a bit earlier, but I don’t think it matters. Even if the Knicks get Randle, Anunoby, and Robinson back, it’s highly unlikely that all of them will be fully ramped up and in rhythm. And, the Thunder are simply just too good right now. They have the third-best record in the league at the moment and are 19-13 on the road and probably won’t have too much of a problem winning this one, and ending the Knicks win streak.

2-Apr: @Miami — W

Knicks fans will always have games against the Heat circled, but considering how the direction of the season changed the last time these two teams met (for those that somehow forgot, it’s when Randle got hurt), this game will mean a little bit more. Additionally, coming off what could be an ugly loss against a very good Thunder team, the Knicks could come into this one extremely hungry and motivated. But no game against the Heat is easy. They’ve been much better in February, thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler’s improved play and we already know Eric Spoelstra will have his guys ready to compete. This could be one of the most important games of the season given the seeding implications but with the injured trio all hopefully back and getting into a groove, I think New York scrapes out a physical game that should have a playoff game feel to it.

4-Apr: vs. Sacramento — W

If the Knicks can take a win against Sacramento during their West Coast trip, they’ll be coming into this one with revenge on their mind. Not only that, they, like the Knicks, will be in the midst of a very close playoff race, meaning this should be another closely contested, high-stress, high-level basketball game. But the Knicks, if fully healthy, have a chance to return to the dominant form they showcased in January and I think they continue to get closer to that level with another important win against the Kings, and I think Randle, who has historically had some big games against Sabonis, has another one here.

5-Apr: @ Chicago — W

The Bulls continue to be weird a team that beats some superior teams like the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Kings but also losses against teams like Pistons. DeRozan seems to love playing against the Knicks so New York will have to make sure he is kept in check. But if they can do that, then they should have an easy time winning this one. I think they have their first dominant 20-point plus win since the return of the currently injured trio and really get the fans feeling excited again.

7-Apr: @ Milwaukee — L

The Knicks could be coming into this one having won 7 of their last 8 (maybe they don’t, but this whole thing is hypothetical and guesswork so who knows), but the win streak ends here. I think the Knicks actually have a shot to beat the Bucks in a seven-game playoff series but teams are going to beat the Knicks and if they are to do so, this much-improved Bucks team seems like a likely candidate. Their offense is still inconsistent and they’ve still yet to reach their full potential but Doc Rivers has found a way to drastically improve what was an abysmal defense. The Knicks will keep it close in what could be a playoff preview but Milwaukee ends the night the victors here.

9-Apr: @ Chicago — W

I rarely pick a team to win two games against the same opponent in a short period because it’s difficult to do so in the NBA. But Chicago could already be in the end-of-season mode by this game. They may very well have very little to play for leading them to sit some of their veterans. Meanwhile, the Knicks, likely coming off of a loss and still in the middle of an intense seeding battle, will be determined to secure a win here. The Knicks are the better team and should be hungrier so I can’t see them not winning this one.

11-Apr: @ Boston — W

It’s not a secret that New York has struggled against Boston this year. But I think the Knicks, who’ll be playing Boston with Anunoby for the first time this season, come away with the win. But it’ll be because Boston starts resting guys. They’ll have locked up the first seed by then and with just three games remaining in the regular season, I can see them resting a few players and not letting the Knicks get a feel for how they match up with them with Anunoby in the lineup.

12-Apr: vs. Brooklyn — W

Brooklyn likely won’t be playing for anything here and they could be taking a look at a few guys in an attempt to get ready for next season. The Knicks win this one.

12-Apr: vs. Chicago — W

Thankfully the Knicks finish the regular season with a pair of very winnable games because with how close the Eastern Conference currently is, every game, especially the ones in mid-April, could matter a lot. For pretty much the same reasons I picked the Knicks to win their previous matchup against the Bulls, I have them winning here. Circumstances and roster favor the Knicks, and they’ll win their final regular season game at home and do so convincingly to head into the playoffs feeling good and hopefully healthy.

This would have the Knicks going 14-6 the rest of the way, giving them a final record of 50-32, which is incredibly optimistic and maybe unlikely. And I know that the West Coast trip could get ugly and that there are a few games, like the ones against the Heat, Kings, and Celtics, that are very loseable. But this team was incredibly dominant when healthy, and the schedule does lighten up significantly after their west coast trip. It won’t be easy, but here’s to speaking things into existence.