Pre-Game: Cavaliers vs. Knicks 7:30 PM

The New York Knicks will start their second half push tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks are coming off a lost to the Miami Heat on last Thursday in which the Knicks fell apart in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers lost by three points last night to the Boston Celtics in a very close game. Both teams are looking to win tonight, as the better team will win.

Tonight the Knicks are looking to start their second half off well with a win. After a tough game Jeremy Lin is looking to rebound against the Cavaliers. Lin is coming off an 8 point, 6 assist, and 8 turnover game against the Heat. This was by far the worst game that Lin has played this season. The Heat put countless pressure on Lin and kept him out of the painted area. Tonight Lin will have to limit the turnovers and play his game.

The concern for the Knicks, over the last couple of weeks, has been the integration of their two star players. Carmelo Anthony has struggled since the emergence of Jeremy Lin, but they haven’t played in many games together. Anthony and Lin will get the chemistry to make this duo work. The other star in Amare Stoudemire has looked terrible with his shot. Yesterday Stoudemire told the media that he is going to lose some weight in hopes of gaining his quickness back. He also is looking for a more consistent jumper. Anthony and Stoudemire have slowed the Knicks momentum down, but when both get on the same page the Knicks will be very difficult to stop.

This team is also looking for the second unit to keep the points coming. JR Smith and Steve Novak have emerged as the two key faces of the Knicks bench. Both can put up points in a hurry and the Knicks lacked that in the beginning of the season. Smith has become the consistent scorer that the Knicks have needed. He brings excellent energy and an underrated defensive game. So far Smith has shown that he can be the leader off the bench. If he can keep up those efforts Smith will be a fan favorite, if he isn’t already.

Tonight Josh Harrellson and Iman Shumpert are expected to be in uniform. Bringing those two back gives the Knicks plenty of depth that they haven’t had all season. A rotation of Davis, Smith, Shumpert, Harrellson, and Jeffries is a possibility. The Knicks have a better group of players this season and that could result in a better playoff run.

This game can be watched on MSG at 7:30 PM live from Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are looking to start the second half of the season with a win before their schedule gets a whole lot tougher. Let’s go Knicks!