The New York Knicks visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Tipoff is at 10 p.m. ET. A link to the live radio broadcast is available below.
Portland (12-2) has gotten off to a hot start thanks to forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who leads the team is points (22.3) and rebounds (9.6) per game. The Trail Blazers are looking for their 11th win, but the task was made more difficult with the suspension of Mo Williams.
Williams was suspended for their third-quarter squabble on Saturday with Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut, who was also suspended for one game. Wesley Williams, although not suspended, was also ejected along with Williams and Bogut.
"That inspired us," Matthews said, via ESPN. "We got better from it, we got stronger from it. Mo and I were continuing to cheer. They couldn't hear us, but we were continuing to cheer."
The Knicks, meanwhile, are trying to right a sinking ship. New York (3-9) has struggled through the season. Winning was made even more difficult with center Tyson Chandler's broken leg and the minutes-restrictions on Amar'e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin. Raymond Felton is dealing with a sore back and is listed as day-to-day, according to ESPN.
That leaves Carmelo Anthony, who's been consistent, and J.R. Smith, who's struggled shooting from the field, to shoulder the burden of winning.
"It's a very tough time," said Anthony. "This is a time where you could easily put your head down and mope around, but I can't do that."
