The Knicks will look to complete a three-game sweep of their season series against the Washington Wizards when the teams meet in New York on Thursday.
Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle paved the way for the Knicks in the first two meetings, both at Washington. Brunson scored 32 points and Randle added 22 in New York’s 120-99 victory on Nov. 17 before the latter had 39 and the former had 33 in the Knicks’ 121-105 win on Jan. 6.
The stars also turned in strong performances on Wednesday to send New York to its seventh win in the past nine games overall. Randle collected 31 points and eight rebounds and Brunson added 30 points and seven assists in his return from a bruised left calf to fuel the Knicks to a 109-94 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets.
The nine-game stretch coincides with OG Anunoby’s time with New York since he was acquired from Toronto. Anunoby recorded 15 points and four steals on Wednesday for the Knicks, who are in the midst of playing 12 of 14 games at home. They split the first two contests headed into their tilt with Washington.
Anunoby’s former team, the Raptors, is on tap for Saturday.
Wizards star Kyle Kuzma scored team-high totals of 19 and 27 points in the encounters vs. New York. He had 21 points and eight rebounds before being ejected after receiving two technical fouls late in the fourth quarter of Washington’s 129-117 setback to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers didn’t play for the Wizards on Monday, one day after being acquired from Detroit in a trade that sent Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari to the Pistons. Bagley and Livers, however, participated in practice on Wednesday, and coach Wes Unseld Jr. worked to make it a familiar session for his newest charges.
Whether Bagley will crack the starting lineup was not public knowledge, but the Wizards will be without Daniel Gafford (concussion protocol) after he hit his head during the loss to the Pistons.
The Wizards have lost seven of their past eight overall and are 4-18 on the road this season.
