The NBA is looking to expand their exposure overseas and much like the NFL, they have set up a series of games at London's O2 arena. Normally, it would be assumed that the league would try and send two of the top teams at this point in the season to play one another and attract plenty of attention. Instead, the 5-35 New York Knicks will face the Milwaukee Bucks while one team attempts to break a 15-game losing streak and the other fights for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are bad, very bad. The team is currently on pace to finish with the worst record in franchise history while potentially becoming the only NBA team to finish with fewer than 15 wins after being above .500 the previous season. They have dropped 25 of their last 26 games while being on a 15-game losing streak and there is not much hope in sight with their .125 winning percentage.
The one bright spot for the Knicks could be the potential return of Carmelo Anthony who has missed the past six games with knee soreness. The Knicks are considering shutting down Anthony and letting him undergo knee surgery, but will allow these next couple games be the deciding factor. When healthy, Anthony is averaging 23.9 points per game, but the Knicks are 0-10 when he is off the court.
Injuries have been a major issue for the team. Amar'e Stoudemire is not expected to play in London as he remains out with knee injuries. Andrea Bargnani could also be out with calf and hamstring problems. After trading JR Smith and Iman Shumpert and waiving Samuel Dalembert, there is concern over just how much depth the Knicks have.
The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to take advantage of the Knicks and get up in the playoff standings. The team has won five of seven while being on a five-game win streak before losing to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Much of their success is coming from Brandon Knight who is averaging 20.1 points over the past seven games and is helping the defense rank in the top 10 with just 97.7 points allowed.
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