Knicks at Nuggets Preview: How, Who to Watch in Potential March Madness

The New York Knicks have a chance to not only sweep the defending champion Denver Nuggets but also a dangerous four-game Western Conference road trip.

It certainly wouldn't match some of the potential upsets on tap at the NCAA Basketball Tournaments but the New York Knicks nonetheless have the potential to create some March Madness.

The Knicks have a chance at sweeping both the defending champion Denver Nuggets and a four-game road trip amidst another OG Anunoby medical situation when they reach the Rockies on Thursday night. New York has won four in a row and has made a little bit of headway in the crowded middle stages of the Eastern Conference playoff picture: entering Thursday action, the Knicks are 3.5 games away from Play-In Tournament purgatory and 1.5 away from the Cleveland Cavaliers for third place. 

Vengeance will be on the mind of the hosting Nuggets: since falling in a one-sided blowout at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 25, Denver has gone 17-6 and currently sits a half-game out of the top seed of the West behind Oklahoma City. It established some ground from third-place Minnesota on Tuesday with a 115-112 win, a day after the Knicks conquered Golden State in San Francisco.

The Knicks will go for their second straight sweep of the Nuggets after winning both halves of last year's pair. A win would also secure the Knicks' first instance of consecutive winning seasons since three from 2011-13.

What: New York Knicks (41-27) @ Denver Nuggets (48-21)

Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

When/Watch: Thursday, 9 p.m. ET, MSG

Who's Favored: DEN -9.5

Keep An Eye On: Isaiah Hartenstein 

The Knicks' ability to adapt to medically-induced challenges all began with Hartenstein's rise in the wake of Mitchell Robinson's injury back in December. With Robinson reportedly nearing a return, Hartensein's efforts shouldn't be forgotten and it appears he has done well enough to convince Robinson to accept a role off the bench upon his potential return. Hartenstein continues to prove his worth on this road trip: over the first three games, he's averaging 11 rebounds and 1.7 blocks as well as 9.7 points on over 81 percent shooting. His defense came up particularly big in last Saturday's win over Sacramento, when he held Domantas Sabonis scoreless in the fourth quarter. An even bigger challenge awaits in the form of Nikola Jokic on Thursday.

Isaiah Downing, USA TODAY SPORTS

Nugget to Watch: Jamal Murray

When the Knicks dealt the Nuggets a 122-84 loss back on Jan. 25, the two-time MVP Jokic could hardly be blamed, as he was 13-of-18 from the field and pulled in 11 rebounds. The big man, however, lacked his championship support staff, as Murray was 3-of-11 from the field while Michael Porter Jr. got off only four shots. As a fellow 20-plus-point scorer, it'll be up to Murray to infiltrate the Knicks' renowned airtight defenses on Thursday. New York saw its streak of sub-100 point games come to an end in the Bay Area but set the tone early on by holding sharpshooter Stephen Curry scoreless in the opening period.

They Said It

"It's not like it’s going to be all bench guys with no starters. There’s usually going to be two starters out there ... we did it quite a bit last year, mixing and matching, one guy would finish one game. The next time it would be somebody else, depending on what we needed. We know all the things that Mitch adds to the team. It’ll be great to get him back. We’re very pleased with what Isaiah has brought. You throw in Precious (Achiuwa) and Jericho (Sims) has done a good job. We like the depth that we have at that position. That’s been a big plus for us.”-Knicks head coach on how the rotation can change when Mitchell Robinson returns (h/t Stefan Bondy, New York Post)

The Sitch on Mitch: Thibodeau Lays Out Robinson Return Plan

Prediction

The Knicks have dealt with this rollercoaster surge of energy well and received a little boost with word of Robinson's supposedly imminent return. Yet, you'll have to excuse Knicks fans for approaching this stretch with fleeting looks of pessimism ... being a new-century New York hoops fan, after all, mostly consists of waiting for the other sneaker to drop. The Knicks have proven they can hang with the NBA's finest, but Denver comes in furious and armed with something to play for.

Nuggets 110, Knicks 109