The New York Knicks have a tough matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night and they may be severely shorthanded. New York is coming off a narrow win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and they will now face off against the Grizzlies who currently sit second in the Western Conference standings.

For the game, they could be without one of their best players, as Karl-Anthony Towns is on the injury report. Towns is averaging 24.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 53.

The Heat are 17-18 against Eastern Conference opponents. Miami is ninth in the NBA averaging 14.0 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.2% from downtown. Tyler Herro leads the team averaging 3.6 makes while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range.

Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks are 38-20 and third in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. But their last three games – two losses to Eastern Conference contenders Boston and Cleveland followed up with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers – won’t do much to change the narrative that the Knicks can’t beat good teams.

Towns has been battling a knee ailment this season. He aggravated his knee while driving to the basket with nine minutes remaining in Sunday's 118-105 loss to the Boston Celtics. He limped to the locker room but surprisingly returned with the Knicks down 18 with four minutes remaining.

When asked about his bond and rivalry with Towns, Jokic downplayed such talk. According to Jokic, while they’re not necessarily close friends who hang out off the court, the close proximity of all their matchups over the years has fostered a healthy respect and appreciation for one another.

The revised All-Star format drew some criticism around NBA circles, but the Knicks’ two participants mostly liked the experience

The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (two-game minimum): Towns made the most of his two times on the floor in Week 17, posting a pair of double-doubles where he hit the 40-point mark.