Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - March 23rd, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Washington Wizards have had a tough run of fixtures in the 2020-21 NBA. They now travel to the Madison Square Garden for their doubleheader against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
The Washington Wizards have taken on the Milwaukee Bucks (twice) and the Utah Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets once in recent games. They have lost six of their last seven games and will now look for a run of wins to return to postseason reckoning.
The New York Knicks, meanwhile, have impressed in spurts and are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 21-22 record on the season. However, they have lost consecutive games by a single point and have struggled to outscore opposition teams, owing to their poor finishing.
However, the likes of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett have been in commanding form, with the former posting triple-doubles in almost every outing.
Match Details
Fixture: Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Tuesday, March 23rd; 7:30 PM ET (Wednesday, March 24th; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards have seen top performances from their two stars, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.
However, considering the pedigree of teams they have come up across in recent games, their performances have been rather underwhelming. The Washington Wizards are reportedly in the market for a center and have had long-term injuries wreck their campaign thus far.
Thomas Bryant and Ish Smith are both out of this game. With Davis, Bertans also sidelined for a few weeks. Robin Lopez has been the standout player from the bench. But the Washington Wizards need better offensive depth to translate their good performances into victories.
Key Player β Bradley Beal
Bradley Bealβs insanely consistent scoring performances this campaign mean he holds the key to the Washington Wizards producing a strong finish to their campaign.
Westbrook has also been on another level in recent weeks, and with Beal, the duo has sizzled. The Washington Wizards are evidently not that far off from becoming a top team in the league.
But they need not look elsewhere for a talismanic influence. Bradley Beal could be one, as he is averaging 32.1 points per game and is due a huge performance in his next outing.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
G Bradley Beal, G Russell Westbrook, F Garrison Mathews, F Rui Hachimura, C Alex Len.
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks have lacked offensive consistency in recent games and have been poor with their finishing. However, Julius Randle has been a revelation, averaging a double-double, with 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists per game. Meanwhile, RJ Barrett has also been decent at both ends of the court.
Both the New York Knicks stars have been impressive with their 3-point shooting, but the team come into this matchup with multiple injury woes. Apart form Derrick Rose, Mitchell Robinson and Elfrid Payton are both questionable, while Austin Rivers is set to miss this game as well.
Key Player β Julius Randle
Julius Randle has produced some stellar performances since the All-Star break. He has been simply sublime with his overall shooting, producing some incredible triple-doubles, as he looks to lead his side to a deep run in the playoffs.
The New York Knicks have had many players missing through injury, but Julius Randle has been the one constant. He could be key to their victory hopes in this game too.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
G RJ Barrett, G Frank Ntilikina, F Alec Burks, F Julius Randle, C Nerlens Noel.
Wizards vs Knicks Match Prediction
The New York Knicks have been defensively impressive all season but have struggled to put up offensive numbers in recent games.
The Washington Wizards, meanwhile, have had some good individual performances. But a terrible run of fixture and shoddy defending means they have stuttered in recent games.
Considering the same, the New York Knicks are the favorites to win this game, which has all the ingredients to be a mouth-watering affair.
Where to watch the Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks game?
The Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks game will be telecast on the MSG network and NBC Sports Washington. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.