The San Antonio Spurs will continue their East Coast road trip with a visit to historic Madison Square Garden on Sunday night. The Spurs suffered a tough loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, but get a much easier opponent in the New York Knicks on Sunday. The Knicks are one of the worst teams in the NBA, and their roster has been depleted.
San Antonio has actually lost five of their last six games, but they are still in great shape in the Southwest Division. The Spurs enter the weekend with a 33-27 record and are just one game behind the Houston Rockets. New York has won just one game in their last 20 tries, and bring an 11-48 record into this game. San Antonio is -8.0 over the Knicks on Sunday night.
Spurs Need More Offense
The Spurs entered this season without much of their championship core, but they have found a way to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. San Antonio would be in much better shape if they could find a way to score more points. The Spurs are averaging just 112.4 points per game, which is right around league average. San Antonio does make more than 40 percent of their three-point shots, but they don’t take many of them.
Head coach Gregg Popovich is known for sharing the wealth on his team, but the 2018-19 Spurs are led by two superstars. DeMar DeRozan is pouring in 21.4 points per game this season, while also leading the team with 6.2 assists. Center LaMarcus Aldridge has chipped in with 20.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. If the Spurs are going to run down the Rockets, DeRozan and Aldridge must lead them.
Knicks Playing For Future
The New York Knicks have been an absolute mess this season, but they have their eye on the future. The Knicks made several trades during the season that has depleted this roster, and they aren’t competitive on most nights. New York is averaging just 105.3 points per game this season while giving up 114.0 points per game. The Knicks do have some interesting pieces to build around, but they aren’t ready to compete with a team like the Spurs.
Point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has been given the keys to the New York Knicks offense, and he has played well since arriving in New York. Smith is averaging 15.8 points while also averaging 6.1 assists per game. Center DeAndre Jordan has also played well since coming to the Knicks, scoring 11.8 points and grabbing 12.0 rebounds per night. The Knicks will need to use their draft picks and money wisely in the offseason to improve this team.
San Antonio Gets Back on Track
This feels like the perfect game to get the San Antonio Spurs back on track. The Spurs have been scuffling a bit of late, but this should be an easy win. New York doesn’t present much of a challenge, and they are more interested in losing games and improving their lottery chances. Bet the San Antonio Spurs -8.0 over the New York Knicks.
