Inside The Wizards

Knicks Pose Major Test for Wizards

The Washington Wizards will host a red-hot New York Knicks team that offers a significant challenge.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 18, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates his three point shot against Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) celebrates his three point shot against Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have a tough task on hand as they host the New York Knicks for a two-game series lasting until Monday.

The Wizards are dead last in the Eastern Conference while the Knicks are sitting in the No. 3 seed with their sights set on the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks have won 16 of their last 20 and are currently on a six-game win streak as they roll into the nation's capital, while the Wizards have only won five games all season long.

The Knicks started the season a little slow as they had to adjust with new acquisitions Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. However, with both of them well-insulated into the team and Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart also playing very well, the Knicks are now a well-oiled machine.

The Wizards are still in the testing phase of their machine and games like this against contenders could be very valuable towards sharpening the tools for the overall product.

Washington's goal isn't to win at all costs, but it is to fight every single night, even in tough circumstances like these two games against New York will be.

The two teams are on the opposite ends of the spectrum and nobody is expecting or even asking the Wizards to win. Simply put, the Wizards are asking their young players to give it their best effort and to learn from whatever mistakes may pop up.

If they can do that, they will at least find a way to make things competitive with the Knicks, and that will warrant a passing grade for this small series before the end of the calendar year. A win would be considered extra credit on the report card going home in their backpack.

Tipoff for tonight's game is set for 7 p.m. ET.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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