Knicks face gauntlet of playoff contenders, starting with Grizzlies

Both teams were off Sunday after cruising to home victories Saturday night, when the Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 143-120 and the Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz 125-103.

The win was the third straight for the Knicks following a 3-6 skid from Jan. 3-17 -- a stretch in which New York went 1-4 against teams that entered Sunday with at least a share of a guaranteed playoff spot. The top six teams in each conference qualify for the postseason while the next four teams compete in the play-in tournament to determine the final two berths.

Overall this season, the Knicks are 8-9 against teams currently occupying at least a share of a guaranteed playoff spot and 22-7 against everyone else. New York will have a chance to improve its record against contenders in the final four games of their homestand, when it will oppose a quartet of top-six Western Conference foes.

Following the game against the third-place Grizzlies, the Knicks host the conference fourth-place Denver Nuggets on Wednesday before facing the fifth-place Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday and the second-place Houston Rockets on Feb. 3.

The Knicks hope their quick start Saturday against the Kings -- when they raced out to a 38-25 lead after the first quarter -- following three days off is a sign they'll be ready for the more regular routine of the homestand.

"It's about making the right play every single time, or at least trying to," Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson said. "And if we don't, we hold each other accountable and we go forward from there. But all we want to win and that's the only thing that matters."

Nobody's winning in more regular fashion lately than the Grizzlies, who have the longest active win streak in the NBA. The six-game streak is the longest of the season for Memphis, which also won six straight from Nov. 20 through Dec. 1.

Jalen Jackson Jr. scored 28 points to lead another balanced scoring attack Saturday for the Grizzlies, who put six players into double figures while winning by at least 10 points for the fifth time during their streak.

Eleven different players have scored in double figures over the last six games -- a span in which star guard Ja Morant has been sidelined twice due to a right foot injury and an illness.

Rookie center Zach Edey provided more evidence of the Grizzlies' depth by following up a 13-point performance Friday in a win over New Orleans with a 19-point outing Saturday night. The back-to-back double-digit scoring efforts were the first for Edey since Dec. 26-27.

"Just getting back into our offense and getting back comfortable," Edey said. "We play such a unique style of basketball. It takes a little bit to kind of build yourself into that."

--Field Level Media