PHOENIX _ Arizona is filled with games this time of year, baseball spring training games scattered around various sunny locales in which the final score is barely remembered. So the meeting Wednesday night between the Knicks and Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena fits right in.
The baseball spring training games are loaded with players for whom hope springs eternal and this game might have a faint hint of that, too. The Suns have six rookies on their roster. The Knicks have put their faith in their three rookies and belief that free agency and the upcoming NBA draft will turn their fortunes.
But for now, both teams are the dregs of the NBA. The Knicks entered the game with the worst record in the league at 13-51, the Suns just a half game better at 14-51. They race toward the NBA draft lottery with an almost certain spot in the bottom three places _ which all bring an equal 14 percent chance of landing the first pick and a shot at deciding if Zion Williamson really is the franchise-altering piece that they have been waiting for all these years.
