The New York Knicks didn’t have to wait long to remember what life was like with Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup.
The Oklahoma City Thunder won’t have to wait any time at all to take part in another potential NBA Finals preview.
The Knicks will aim to get a bit of revenge Friday night when they host the Thunder in the final regular-season clash between the possible title contenders.
Both teams were off Thursday after playing Wednesday night. Towns posted another double-double in his return to the lineup for the Knicks, who pulled away from the visiting Toronto Raptors for a 112-98 victory. Meanwhile, the Thunder’s franchise-record 15-game winning streak ended with a 129-122 loss at the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Towns, who missed Monday’s 103-94 defeat to the Orlando Magic with a right knee injury, had 27 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday as the Knicks snapped their season-long three-game losing streak. The skid was preceded by a nine-game winning streak that vaulted New York securely into third place in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the fourth-place Magic heading into the latter’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night.
Towns’ latest big game — he has 31 double-doubles in 35 games this season — improved the Knicks to 22-11 when they start the quintet of Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
“I’m not really worried about me, I’m worried about the team,” Towns said. “We had a three-game skid. For us to find our way (Wednesday) and for me to be able to play, I’m just happy we were able to get this win.”
The Thunder left Cleveland with a rare loss Wednesday night, as the Cavaliers won an acclaimed midseason battle by outscoring Oklahoma City 23-15 over the final 9:05.
The Thunder and Cavaliers, who are the first teams to win 30 of their first 35 games in the same season since the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks did so in 1971-72, were the first squads to ever meet with active double-digit winning streaks. Cleveland’s victory extended its run to 11 straight wins.
While the Thunder officially had a 15-game winning streak, the loss was their second in a little more than three weeks. Oklahoma City’s 97-81 defeat to the Bucks in the NBA Cup championship game Dec. 17 is not counted as a regular-season game.
“Losing twice in a month-and-a-half I’ll take, no matter what stage the games are on,” said star Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points Wednesday in his 21st 30-point effort of the season.
Oklahoma City’s streak, which began Dec. 3, included 11 victories by double digits — notably a 117-107 win over the visiting Knicks on Jan. 3. Even with Wednesday’s loss, the Thunder lead the Houston Rockets by six games in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference entering the Rockets’ clash against the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night.
The loss Wednesday dropped the Thunder to 22-4 since center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture Nov. 10. Holmgren, who was expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, is traveling with the team on its four-game road trip and was seen in workout clothes during Wednesday’s shootaround.
