Tonight the second year of the NBA in-season tournament tips off and we have a couple of matchups that could be potential playoff clashes later in the season.
Knicks visit the 76ers: Neither team is off to a great start, but luckily it’s still early. The Knicks are adjusting to new additions to their roster, and they look great offensively, but they suck on defense. New York ranks 21st in defensive rating giving up almost 116 points per game. They have also given up 121 or more points in two of their last three contests.
On the flip slide, the 76ers are getting Joel Embiid back into the lineup tonight which gives them a huge boost. But the bad news is Tyrese Maxey is still out with a hamstring injury. Philadelphia is currently 27th in offensive rating and 20th in defensive rating struggling on both ends of the floor. It feels like the winner of this game will get some momentum in a tight Eastern conference race.
Mavericks head to San Francisco: The big storyline here is Klay Thompson playing against his former team, the Golden State Warriors. The once Splash Brother is off to a slow start this season shooting 8-for-26 over the last two games and averaging 13.8 points per game on the year. On most nights you know you will get high production from Luka and Kyrie, but this feels like a night where Klay could be the ex-factor and light things up.
Golden State finished as the 10th seed last year in a loaded Western Conference and they are looking to rewrite the narrative this year already off to an 8-2 start. The Warriors are so unique because they are deep with a 13-man rotation and everyone contributes to scoring and defense where the Warriors rank fourth in the league in both offensive and defensive rating. Keep your eyes on Steph Curry and this squad.
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