Pre-Game: Knicks vs. Bucks 8:30 PM

The New York Knicks will play the Milwaukee Bucks today hoping to end their three game losing streak. Over the last three games the Knicks defensively have struggled to keep the opposition from scoring. And then to make matters worst the Knicks lost Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries to injury. Those two are the Knicks two best defenders as big men. There absent was very evident in the Knicks lost to the Spurs in the last game. The Knicks were dominated in the painted area and tonight they will need to keep the Bucks out of the paint tonight. It is unknown if Tyson Chandler will play tonight, but the Knicks have recalled Jerome Jordan from the Erie Bayhawks in preparation if Chandler is unable to go.

Tonight will come down to the success of the Knicks on both ends of the court. Last game Carmelo Anthony really picked up the scoring load as he scored 27 points on 12 of 24 shooting from the field. The Knicks will need that same effort out of him tonight. The success of this team is on what Anthony can do to help the team. Right now the pressure is on him to be successful and help this team win. Jeremy Lin did his part in saving the Knicks season, but right now Anthony has to prove that he can do the same.

Amare Stoudemire played a very nice game against the Spurs, offensively, but struggled on the defensive end to help out. Multiple times Stoudemire watched as Tony Parker or Manu Ginobli just glide in to the hoop rather than stopping the ball. Tonight Stoudemire will be matched up with Drew Gooden. Stoudemire has to be the matchup nightmare tonight otherwise Gooden will eat him alive on the boards and scoring.

This game will come down to this matchup tonight, the battle of Jeremy Lin and Brandon Jennings. Both players have had very big games in their careers, but tonight Jennings will try to get the best of Lin. Jennings has the feeling that the Knicks should have drafted him, but instead the Knicks chose Jordan Hill. Every game the Knicks play against Jennings he brings his best effort. Tonight expect a big game from Jennings who will score with the best players in the league. Lin will have to stay up on Jennings and not allow him to get hot, otherwise the Knicks will lose this game.

This game has to be won by the Knicks. They can not lose to teams with poorer records then theirs. This is especially true with the tough teams they will face in the next couple of weeks. This game starts at 8:30 PM and can be seen on MSG. Hopefully the Knicks can start a new winning streak tonight in hopes of getting back to .500 in the next week. Let’s go Knicks!