Forget about the daunting five-game West Coast swing.
The Knicks aren’t thinking that far ahead — and they shouldn’t.
Instead, they’re focused on one game at a time, correcting their mistakes after a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors and gearing up for Thursday’s showdown against the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s the right approach, but let’s zoom out.
The path is there for the Knicks to go 4-1 on this trip. They just have to take advantage of the schedule.
TOUGH START, FAVORABLE FINISH
The Knicks might lose to the Lakers. That’s just reality.
Los Angeles has surged to a tie for the No. 2 seed in the West and boasts the league’s hottest duo in LeBron James and Luka Dončić, who has dropped 29 or more points in each of his last three games.
But if the Knicks can steal a win against the Clippers the next night, the rest of the trip opens up.
- Sacramento (Game 3): The Kings will be on the second night of a back-to-back while the Knicks get two full days of rest. Sacramento is rolling, but the schedule favors New York.
- Portland (Game 4): The 12th-seeded Trail Blazers have overperformed of late, but a team with championship aspirations like the Knicks should handle business.
- Golden State (Game 5): The Knicks beat the Warriors on the road last season after losing to them at home. With Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup, there’s a real shot at redemption.
That’s the roadmap. Drop the Lakers game, handle the Clippers, take advantage of the schedule, and close strong in San Francisco.
REINFORCEMENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This time around, the Knicks won’t be short-handed like they were against the Lakers earlier this season.
Mitchell Robinson is back. OG Anunoby is healthy. Towns returns after missing the Warriors loss for personal reasons.
That changes everything. The Knicks lost to the Lakers in January without Robinson and Anunoby (who exited early), though Anthony Davis also sat out for L.A.
Now Dončić replaces Davis, and while the LeBron-Dončić pairing is terrifying, Anunoby’s availability makes the Knicks significantly more equipped for this battle than last time. The Knicks only trailed the Lakers by five before Anunoby left the Feb. 1 loss with a foot injury. They went on to lose by 16 as LeBron rattled off a 30-point triple double without the Knicks’ defensive stopper on the floor to slow him down.
CLIPPERS ARE VULNERABLE
Beating the Lakers is a tall task. But beating the Clippers the next night is doable.
- They’ll be playing their third game in four nights.
- They’re just 4-6 in their last 10.
- Plus Kawhi Leonard hasn’t looked like himself in his first season fully healthy
If the Knicks can capitalize on Night 2, they set the stage for a successful West Coast road trip.
BUT FIRST THEY’LL HAVE TO GET THROUGH KINGS
As of Thursday, the Kings are also one of the NBA’s hottest teams, winning seven of their last 10 games. They could be on dead legs, however, against a Knicks team rejuvenated by two off days during their road swing.
The Knicks already beat the Kings at Madison Square Garden in one of their statement wins of the season. They should be able to do it again, though the Kings, too, are different after trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.
New York should also be favored in this matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers (28-35), who won 10 out of 11 games entering the All-Star break but remain at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
This could be a trap game, which plays into Jalen Brunson’s hands as the most clutch performer in the NBA — pitted against one of the league’s younger teams.
THAT BRINGS US BACK TO GOLDEN STATE
The Knicks did not have Towns in their loss to the Warriors on Tuesday. Coincidentally, New York only managed to score 102 points and was unable to match the Warrior firepower from downtown.
Towns’ offense could be all the difference in the encore. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr knows Brunson will turn it up a notch for the rematch, too.
“You have to mix it up [against him]. Last year, we came in [MSG] and had a good game, got off to a great start, and we defended him pretty well,” Kerr said. “And then I think three weeks later at Chase [Center], he came out and just torched us had [34]. So we know what kind of competitor he is.”
If the Knicks get to 3-1 heading into the Warriors rematch, history says Brunson has the firepower to close the trip with a statement win.
ONE GAME AT A TIME
The Knicks aren’t thinking ahead to Golden State.
They’re locked in on the Lakers. And when that game is done, they’ll shift to the Clippers.
That’s exactly how they should approach this trip.
But step back, and the path to 4-1 is clear.
The Lakers are tough— but if they lose, they must bounce back against the Clippers.
The Kings will be fatigued.
The Trail Blazers should be a win.
The Warriors game is winnable — especially with Towns back.
Take care of business, and this trip could launch the Knicks toward a strong finish to the season.
“Just focus on the Lakers, and after that, we focus on the next one,” said Brunson. “Just keep doing one game at a time, the way we’ve been doing.”
Originally Published:
