NY Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder set for Round 2 of potential NBA Finals preview
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Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks is fouled by Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett of the Toronto Raptors during their game.
PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK – The New York Knicks did not have to wait long to remember what life was like with Karl-Anthony Towns back in the line-up.
As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they cannot wait to take part in another potential National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals preview.
The Knicks will aim to get a bit of revenge on Jan 10 (Jan 11, Singapore time) when they host the Thunder in the final regular-season clash between the possible title contenders.
Both teams were off on Jan 9 after playing the night before.
Towns posted another double-double on his return for the Knicks, who pulled away from the visiting Toronto Raptors for a 112-98 victory.
Meanwhile, the Thunder’s franchise-record 15-game winning streak ended with a 129-122 loss at the Eastern Conference and league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Towns, who missed the 103-94 defeat by the Orlando Magic on Jan 6 with a right knee injury, had 27 points and 13 rebounds against the Raptors, downing nine of 14 from the field, including three of three on three-pointers.
With the victory, the Knicks snapped their three-game losing streak. The skid was preceded by a nine-game winning run that vaulted New York securely into third place in the East.
Towns’ latest big game brought him to 31 double-doubles in 35 games this season.
Only Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings is ahead of him with 32 in 34 games.
“I’m not really worried about me, I’m worried about the team,” Towns said.
“We had a three-game skid. For us to find our way (against Toronto) and for me to be able to play, I’m just happy we were able to get this win.”
The West-leading Thunder (30-6) left Cleveland with a rare loss, as the Cavaliers (33-4) won an acclaimed mid-season battle by outscoring Oklahoma City 23-15 in the closing stretch.
The Thunder and Cavaliers, who are the first teams to win 30 of their first 35 games in the same season since the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks did so in 1971-72, were the first squads to ever meet with active double-digit winning streaks. Cleveland’s winning run now stands at 12 games.
While the Thunder officially had a 15-game winning streak, the loss was their second in a little more than three weeks.
Oklahoma City’s 97-81 defeat by the Bucks in the NBA Cup championship game on Dec 17 is not counted as a regular-season game.
“Losing twice in a month and a half I’ll take, no matter what stage the games are on,” said star Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points against the Cavs in his 21st 30-point effort of the season.
Oklahoma City’s streak, which began on Dec 3, included 10 victories by double digits – notably a 117-107 win over the visiting Knicks on Jan 3.
The loss to the Cavs dropped the Thunder to 22-5 since centre Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture on Nov 10.
Holmgren, who was expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, is travelling with the team on their four-game road trip and was seen in workout clothes during the shoot-around on Jan 8. REUTERS
