Oklahoma City Thunder make a move in NBA Power Rankings; Bucks still No. 1
By Phil Watson
New York Knicks. 27. team. 27. . 7-23. Previous:
Last week: Lost at Denver 111-105, beat Atlanta 143-120, lost at Miami 129-114, lost to Milwaukee 123-102
This week: Monday vs. Washington, Thursday at Brooklyn, Saturday at Washington
The New York Knicks got their lone win of the week on Tuesday when they hammered the Hawks, but finished with a 1-3 record. While the Knicks remain the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the NBA at a 28.3 percent rate, per Cleaning the Glass, that is about the only thing they are doing well, ranking 29th in offensive ranking and 24th in defensive ranking, for instance.
Mitchell Robinson had a big game in the win over the Hawks, scoring a season-high 22 points to go with 13 rebounds and two blocks. For the week, he averaged 13.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game, hitting 74.2 percent from the floor and a very solid 8-of-9 at the foul line.
156. . 8-21. Previous: . Cleveland Cavaliers. 26. team
Last week: Lost at Toronto 133-113, beat Charlotte 100-98, beat Memphis 114-107
This week: Monday vs. Atlanta, Friday at Boston, Saturday at Minnesota
For fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers that might not be familiar, what the Cavs have done in their last two games is called a “winning streak.” I kid, of course, but the wins at home over the Hornets and Grizzlies last week were Cleveland’s first consecutive victories since Nov. 10 and 12.
The Cavs have done two things well — offensive rebound (second-highest rate in the NBA) and keep teams off the line (fewest free throw attempts surrendered), per Cleaning the Glass. Jordan Clarkson broke out of a slump with 33 points and 6-for-8 deep shooting against the Grizzlies. For the week, Clarkson averaged 17.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game while shooting 54.5 percent overall and going 8-for-15 from deep.