New York Knicks vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Wayward Jazz counters tight defense of Knicks

The NBA trade deadline has brought ruptures to the league and the impact can be far and wide into the season. The West was in troubled waters earlier but after the arrival of Irving and Durant, the scene can shift dramatically. Will the New York Knicks be helped after the arrival of Josh Hart as they take on the Utah Jazz?

The Knicks come into this game after losing 108:119 against the 76ers despite a 30 points and 10 rebounds outing by Julius Randle. The loss broke a two-game winning streak but the Knicks haven’t played well since mid-January, having lost eight of their 13 games, which has led them to 30 wins and 27 losses. They are out of the top-six playoff spots and are currently in the Play-in tournament slate. New York still has the chance to get to the top-six slot but a lot more is needed. Randle, Brunson, and Barrett all have averaged over 20 points but the PG position and Center position isn’t high-yielding. The arrival of Josh Hart doesn’t address the offensive issues but they still will get a playmaking and rebounding strength

The Jazz comes into the contest after defeating the Raptors 122:116 as Lauri Markkanen had 23 points and 9 rebounds. They traded Malik Beasley, Mike Conley, and Jarred Vanderbilt to get Russell Westbrook, Damian Jones, and Juan Toscano-Anderson. Westbrook is likely to be waived so this move was basically a cost-cutting move to save for the next season. The Jazz has 29 losses and 28 wins, which means they have a lot of work to do in raising challenges in the West. Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson have been kept sacredly for now and unless a big deal arrives, they are likely to be retained during the offseason. The team is in the rebuilding mode so let us see how it pans out.

The Knicks have played some erratic basketball for around a month and the same goes for the Jazz which means that a lot of work is needed for both squads. Defensively, the Knicks have done better than the Jazz but their offense has left a lot to be desired. In this game, I lean towards the Knicks, mostly due to the home-court advantage. I predict a scoreline of 120:110 in the Knicks’ favor.