Wizards Need Continued Effort vs. Knicks

The Washington Wizards are looking to fight against the New York Knicks.
Dec 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) shoots the ball as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) shoots the ball as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards gave a strong effort, but they fell short against the New York Knicks in their last game in overtime.

They will get another crack at them tonight in the second matchup of a two-game series, and they need to bring the same kind of effort in order to have another shot.

“They played hard regardless of who was out there for them and they came ready to play," Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson said h/t Posting and Toasting.

Hearing Brunson's compliments should have the Wizards feeling good about themselves and the effort they game in their last game.

The Wizards gave the Knicks quite the challenge in their first meeting on Saturday, and that's something Washington needs to take for this game and beyond. The Wizards may not be on the same talent level as most, if not all, of the teams that they play against, but they can control the amount of intensity they bring onto the court.

If they can come into the game with the same level of intensity that they did in their last game, their chances of winning become a lot higher.

The Wizards may be playing with or without Jordan Poole, and they already know that they will have Kyle Kuzma back in the lineup, though he could be on a minutes restriction playing in his first NBA game in over a month.

Regardless of the situation, which appears to be changing on a game-by-game basis, the Wizards need to come in with the right type of energy. Without that, the Wizards are beating themselves before the other team has a chance to do so.

Tipoff between the Knicks and Wizards is set for 7 p.m. ET inside Capital One Arena. Fan can watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!


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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.