Knicks 2021 Schedule: Top Games, Updated Championship Odds and Predictions

The New York Knicks have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2020-21 season, emerging as a playoff contender after most expected them to be one of the league's worst teams.

Tom Thibodeau will undoubtedly receive Coach of the Year consideration if the Knicks continue their solid play in the second half of the schedule, which was released Wednesday.

The Knicks are 15-17, good for seventh place in the Eastern Conference but only 1.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Atlanta Hawks. Teams seeded 7-10 will be in a playoff to determine the final two spots in each conference this season. 

Julius Randle has become a breakout star under Thibodeau, averaging 23.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists on his way to earning his first All-Star berth. RJ Barrett has also shown some level of improvement in his second NBA season, while Immanuel Quickley looks like one of the biggest steals of last year's draft. 

Here is a look at the Knicks' second-half schedule, along with some games to watch moving forward.

2020-21 Second-Half Knicks Schedule Details

Second-Half Opener: March 11 at Milwaukee Bucks, 7 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +24000 (bet $100 to win $24,000) (via FanDuel)

Second-Half Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Detroit Pistons (April 3)

The Knicks' biggest roster move of the first half was reuniting Thibodeau and Derrick Rose, who spent a little more than one season in Detroit. The move saw New York give up Dennis Smith and a second-round pick to bring Rose into the fold and give the head coach a trusted confidante.

Rose has largely been up-and-down since his return to New York, beginning with three straight stellar performances before his shooting took a major nosedive. He's averaging 10.9 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 38.4 percent overall in seven games with the Knicks.

Smith has not been particularly productive in a Pistons uniform, averaging 6.1 points and 2.3 assists, but he has started two games and is coming off a 14-point outing Tuesday against the Orlando Magic. After leaving the Knicks seemingly with his career on its last legs, Smith may wind up impressing with more playing time. 

While the Pistons have been among the NBA's worst teams this season, there will be some level of motivation from both Rose and Smith to show up against their former teams.

Brooklyn Nets (March 15, April 5)

The Nets run New York basketball but don't necessarily run the city. Acquiring Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving in the span of a little over a year might make them the best basketball team in the city for the next half-decade, but they are still attempting to overcome decades of Knicks loyalty.

That undercurrent is always in play when the two teams go head-to-head and is especially apparent amid the Knicks' surprising competence this season.

The Nets have not been the world-beaters some expected, while their city rival has won over fans with its scrappy play.

Brooklyn will be a heavy favorite regardless of the matchup, but with a limited number of fans being allowed in arenas, the opposing crowds will finally get to make their voices heard. 

Second-Half Forecast

The clock is going to strike midnight on the Knicks. No coach this side of Gregg Popovich is better at coaching up talent than Thibodeau, but the talent deficiency is glaring.

The Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder are the two most glaring examples of teams punching above their weight class in the first half. The Thunder have already started showing signs of regression, losing seven of their last nine. 

Part of this has been because the NBA's first few months have been marred by COVID-19 and injuries. It's hard to take much seriously given the overwhelming parity the combination of the virus, injuries and teams resting players has caused.

The Knicks come out and play hard every night, as Thibodeau teams are wont to do. Randle and Barrett have been among the league's minutes leaders all season, which shaves off some of the margin when teams aren't going 100 percent. (It's worth noting that Barrett's minutes have dipped significantly of late, a situation worth monitoring.)

Simply trying and competing every night will probably still win them some games in a crowded second-half schedule. However, as the NBA gets a better handling of the pandemic and teams begin jockeying for position, the league's best teams are going to start beating up on the likes of the Knicks.

Record Projection: 29-43 (12th in Eastern Conference) 

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