3rd Quarter Report
Down four at the end of the second quarter, the Knicks now have the lead. They have jumped out to a 85-75 lead against the Thunder.
The Knicks came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Oklahoma City Thunder @ New York Knicks
Current Records: Oklahoma City 51-22, New York 44-29
How To Watch
- When: Sunday, March 31, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden — New York, New York
- TV: Bally Sports Oklahoma
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $180.00
What to Know
The Thunder are 8-2 against the Knicks since November of 2018, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Sunday. The Oklahoma City Thunder will head out on the road to take on the New York Knicks at 7:00 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are favored, but seeing as the odds didn’t stop the Thunder in their last game, maybe the team has another upset up their sleeve.
You can’t lose the match if you win every quarter, and that was precisely the Thunder’s strategy against the Suns on Friday. The Thunder blew past the Suns 128-103. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Oklahoma City had established a 21 point advantage.
The Thunder’s win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Josh Giddey, who almost dropped a double-double on 23 points and nine assists.
Meanwhile, the Knicks fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against the Spurs on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the Spurs 130-126. New York’s loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
The Knicks’ defeat came about despite a quality game from Jalen Brunson, who scored 61 points along with six assists. The game was Brunson’s third in a row with at least 30 points.
Even though they lost, the Knicks smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds (they’re ranked first in offensive rebounds per game overall). They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as the Spurs only pulled down eight.
Oklahoma City is on a roll lately: they’ve won 16 of their last 21 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 51-22 record this season. As for New York, their loss dropped their record down to 44-29.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Thunder haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.7 turnovers per game (they’re ranked fourth in turnovers per game overall). However, it’s not like the Knicks struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 12.3. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Thunder were able to grind out a solid victory over the Knicks when the teams last played back in December of 2023, winning 129-120. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Thunder since the squad won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
New York is a 3.5-point favorite against Oklahoma City, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Knicks as a 3-point favorite.
The over/under is 214 points.
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Series History
Oklahoma City has won 8 out of their last 10 games against New York.
- Dec 27, 2023 – Oklahoma City 129 vs. New York 120
- Nov 21, 2022 – New York 129 vs. Oklahoma City 119
- Nov 13, 2022 – Oklahoma City 145 vs. New York 135
- Feb 14, 2022 – Oklahoma City 127 vs. New York 123
- Dec 31, 2021 – Oklahoma City 95 vs. New York 80
- Mar 13, 2021 – New York 119 vs. Oklahoma City 97
- Jan 08, 2021 – Oklahoma City 101 vs. New York 89
- Mar 06, 2020 – Oklahoma City 126 vs. New York 103
- Jan 21, 2019 – Oklahoma City 127 vs. New York 109
- Nov 14, 2018 – Oklahoma City 128 vs. New York 103
