Preview and Picks Before Tipoff

Highlights

Jalen Brunson is questionable for the Knicks’ game, while Isaiah Hartenstein should be available.
The New York Knicks’ morale is down after a brutal loss and a failed protest, while the Golden State Warriors are coming off a win.
The Warriors are favored against the injury-plagued Knicks; look for Jonathan Kuminga to notch over 15 points.

A lineup devastated by injuries and a rare off-night from Stephen Curry were the hallmarks of the New York Knicks’ and Golden State Warriors’ previous games. Now, the two teams will face off on Thursday night in New York and only one will leave as the victor.

The Knicks will try to right the ship after being blown out by the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. However, it will be tough as the majority of their starters will be sidelined with injuries, and Jalen Brunson is listed as questionable after not playing in last night’s affair.

Morale for the Knicks is also down after the team’s protest, which was submitted after their February 12 loss to the Houston Rockets, failed. The Knicks lost that game on a called foul, and crew chief Ed Malloy acknowledged after the game that the foul should not have been called. However, the league upheld the outcome, citing that the Knicks failed to demonstrate that a rule was broken.

“New York was required to demonstrate that there was a misapplication of the official playing rules, as opposed to an error in judgment by game officials. Because the foul call at issue reflected an error in judgment, New York did not demonstrate a misapplication of the playing rules, and the extraordinary remedy of upholding a game protest was not warranted.”-The NBA in a statement regarding the outcome of the Knicks’ protest

For the Warriors, the game plan will be all about sustaining momentum. They are coming off a 123-112 win against the rebuilding (and struggling) Washington Wizards, kicking off their four-game road trip in a positive manner. Curry had a rare off-night where he scored zero points in the first half, his first time since November 23, 2012, against the Denver Nuggets.

Despite Curry’s woes in the first half, Golden State managed to beat the struggling Wizards, receiving help from Klay Thompson (off the bench) and Jonathan Kuminga. The duo scored 25 and 21 points, respectively, and Curry turned it on in the second half, finishing with 18 points, but only 4-for-16 from three.

Injury report and how to watch

The Warriors are mostly healthy, while the Knicks are not

Warriors:

Gui Santos (OUT – Right knee)
Andrew Wiggins (OUT – Personal reasons)

Knicks

OG Anunoby (OUT – Right elbow)
Julius Randle (OUT – Right shoulder)
Mitchell Robinson (OUT – Left ankle)
Jalen Brunson (QUESTIONABLE – Neck)

How to watch:

Betting Lines

Warriors favored against the fragmentary Knicks

Point Spread: Warriors -3.5 (-108) / Knicks +3.5 (-112)

Money Line: Pelicans (-154) / Knicks (+130)

Over/Under: 223 (-110)

Our Picks

GMS presents our picks, from props to parlays

Point spread bet: Warriors -3.5 (-108)

The Warriors have struggled for the majority of this season, something the basketball world has not been used to for the past few years. They have spent most of this year under .500, but as of late, have pulled it together and have won eight of their last ten. Golden State is now 30-27, good enough for ninth in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Knicks continue to skid as major pieces of their rotation remain out. It becomes a similar story each game, where the Knicks become the underdog as they face healthier teams. But the reality is that the majority of New York’s starters are still out with injury, and that cannot be ignored.

Since their magical January run in which they went 14-2, the Knicks have slipped in February when the injuries took over. They are 4-7 this month and only 2-6 in their last eight. As a result, they have had to rely on defense, but with the Warriors’ lineup healthy and full of shooters, that game plan might falter. Look for Golden State to take this matchup at Madison Square Garden.

Jonathan Kuminga over 15.5 points (-110)

Jonathan Kuminga has been a young spark for the Warriors this season. In the last game versus the Wizards, Kuminga put up 21 points. Despite this, he has averaged 15.4 points this season and only 14.2 in his last five, so he can be streaky. Regardless, if he sees ample playing time in this game — and there’s no indication that he won’t — look for him to put up over 15 points.

Donte DiVincenzo over 4.5 three-pointers (-112)

With the majority of the Knicks’ starters out for tomorrow’s game, there is little reason to believe Donte DiVincenzo won’t see significant playing time. He has stepped up in the absence of his peers, when three-pointers have become his game. DiVincenzo has some credit to give to Stephen Curry, however, for his decision to join the Knicks.

“Ultimately, [Stephen Curry] said it. It was on my mind. You know, I’m a grown man. I make my own decisions, but to have somebody of that stature to almost voice the opinion that I’m thinking — it makes you feel good about the decision you’re making, rather than if he says something way out of left field and you kind of start to question things. He reinforced what I was thinking about New York.”-Donte DiVincenzo on Stephen Curry encouraging him to join the Knicks

The Knicks are thankful DiVincenzo chose them, as he has averaged 5 threes over his last five games, and put up 7 in last night’s game versus the Pelicans. Expect him to put up at least 5 threes in this game for those reasons.

All odds and lines courtesy of FanDuel.