San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - January 10th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22

The visiting San Antonio Spurs are hoping to split their season series against the New Knicks. [Photo: Pounding the Rock]

The San Antonio Spurs will play the last leg of a brutal seven-game road trip against the New York Knicks on Monday at Madison Square Garden. If not for a last-gasp 99-97 win against the Boston Celtics, the Spurs would still be winless.

Head coach Gregg Popovich joked around before the San Antonio Spurs took on the Brooklyn Nets, saying he doesn’t even know the names on his roster. That may be an exaggeration, but San Antonio has been one of the teams that has been crippled due to the virus outbreak.

Still, the San Antonio Spurs played hard and executed well enough to force the Kevin Durant-led Nets into overtime, where they finally succumbed. They will need to bring in the same energy and hustle against the New York Knicks.

Tom Thibodeau’s New York Knicks are fresh off a drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The Knicks were unceremoniously blown off TD Garden in a game that Evan Fournier did not play in.

Not our night. Back home Monday. https://t.co/b15FfknIy3

The New York Knicks can’t take the San Antonio Spurs for granted. Despite being on the road for more than a week already and playing shorthanded, there’s no quit in the Silver and Black team. New York must keep up its intensity and energy to avoid an upset loss.

Match Details

Fixture: San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks

Date & Time: Monday, January 10th; 7:30 PM IST (Tuesday, January 11th; 6:00 AM IST)

Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

San Antonio Spurs Preview

The young and undermanned San Antonio Spurs just came up short against the Brooklyn Nets. [Photo: Pounding the Rock]

The San Antonio Spurs played without three of their starters and a few key role players in their loss to the Brooklyn Nets. Despite playing against the star-studded Nets with Durant and James Harden, the Spurs played their usual brand of basketball.

Behind Dejounte Murray’s playmaking, the San Antonio Spurs displayed another masterclass in ball-sharing. They lead the NBA in assists per game at 28.2 per game and dished out 33 in their close loss. That they achieved that number without Derrick White is just an example of how they execute their system to near-perfection.

The San Antonio Spurs also take care of the ball very well. If they can manage to keep the game close, they might just cap off their road trip with a possible win.

Key Player - Dejounte Murray

Dejounte Murray might not get the nod for his first All-Star selection, but he is certainly playing like one this season. The 25-year old point guard has clearly made the leap to stardom this year. Murray leads the NBA in steals per game with 2.1 per contest and is fourth in assists with nine per game. Along with Chris Paul, they are the only players in the league to rank in the top five in both categories.

Dejounte VS Guards in the West

RANK
18.0 PPG: 14th
8.4 RPG: 1st
8.9 APG: 2nd
2.0 SPG: 1st
AST/TO: 2nd
TD3: 2nd
DD2: 2nd

BEST ALL-AROUND GUARD IN THE LEAGUE🗣

#DejounteMurray | #NBAAllStar https://t.co/jf0zAwuUTo

The San Antonio Spurs’ starting point guard is averaging career-highs in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Murray’s versatility is in full display this season. He already has six triple-doubles, trailing only Russell Westbrook, James Harden and MVP Nikola Jokic.

Without a few key players in the lineup, expect young Dejounte Murray to lead the Spurs on both ends of the floor.

San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup

G - Dejounte Murray | G - Josh Primo | F - Lonnie Walker IV | F - Keita Bates-Diop | C - Jakob Poeltl

New York Knicks Preview

The New York Knicks only had 13 assists in their lopsided loss to the Boston Celtics. [Photo: USA Today]

The 75 points that the New York Knicks managed to scrape against the Boston Celtics were their lowest in a long time. The last time they scored less than 75 was in 2018 when they lost to the Orlando Magic. Unlike their previous matchups, the Knicks wilted behind the C's unforgiving defense this time around.

The New York Knicks are only 9-11 at home this season. If not for two really close wins against the Celtics, their record could have been worse. Without a true point guard orchestrating the offense, the Knicks posted a measly 13 assists. Their 20.9 assists per game are only a hair better than the Oklahoma City Thunder for the worst in the NBA.

They simply have to be better at sharing the ball if they want to prevent an upset against the always hard-playing team from Texas.

Key Player - Julius Randle

Julius Randle’s numbers across the board have taken a hit. It looks like his lone All-Star season with the New York Knicks was a fluke. His scoring average is down by almost five points and has been inefficient in putting up points. His 41.9% shooting from the field is the worst in his career since his rookie campaign.

The 27-year-old power forward really made heads turn last year with his outside shooting numbers. Last season’s 41.1% shooting from rainbow country has plummeted to a horrific 31.6%. Defenders no longer respect his shooting, which makes his inside forays that much harder.

The Inside crew discusses Julius Randle's 'thumbs down' gesture during their win at MSG https://t.co/xz117pnF23

That being said, he is still the New York Knicks’ best player. He leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. He dished out six of the Knicks' 13 assists in their loss to the Celtics. Head coach Tom Thibodeau continues to make him the fulcrum of the offense, which makes Randle a key player for the Knicks.

New York Knicks Predicted Lineup

G - Alec Burks | G - Immanuel Quickley | F - RJ Barrett | F - Julius Randle | C - Mitchell Robinson

Spurs vs Knicks Match Prediction

The San Antonio Spurs will be coming in short-handed, but have shown great character for such a young team. If the New York Knicks are looking past the youthful Spurs, an upset loss could be on the cards.

Where to watch the Spurs vs Knicks game

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks is available via MSG Networks and Bally Sports San Antonio.