Washington @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 11, 2019 ) Washington 115, New York 99

The New York Knicks showed signs recently of a slight turnaround, but back-to-back games against the Eastern Conference's elite teams sent them back to reality. They'll try to rediscover the winning formula against a team more at their level when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday.

After making a coaching change near the end of a season-opening 4-20 stretch, the Knicks won three of four - including two road victories and a 23-point home win over Atlanta - before falling by double-digits to both Miami and Milwaukee. "They went 6-for-6 from the 3-point line to start the game, which was our game plan, to make their guys take shots," forward Julius Randle told reporters of a slow start in Saturday's 123-102 loss to Milwaukee. "They did to start the game and then they cooled off. We didn't make shots to start the game, which just hurt us." The Wizards are enduring their fifth losing streak of at least three games after falling 125-108 at Philadelphia on Saturday. Bradley Beal posted his second straight 30-point game with 36 to go along with eight rebounds and six assists in the loss.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington, MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (8-20): Beal is 25-for-48 from the floor over the last two games after shooting 37.3 percent from the floor over his first nine games in December. His fellow starters combined for just 38 points on 11-of-33 shooting in Saturday's loss as the support remained hard to find for a team that has dropped nine of 11. "This is a championship team," coach Scott Brooks told reporters of Philadelphia. "We're not close to that right now. We want to get there."

ABOUT THE KNICKS (7-23): Randle scored a team-high 20 points Saturday and Kevin Knox II came off the bench to chip in a season-high 19. The ever-changing point guard position saw another shift as Elfrid Payton made his first start since Oct. 28 and responded with 10 assists and four steals. The 25-year-old Payton has 38 assists against four turnovers over a five-game stretch.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knox scored in double figures in each of his last four games following six straight single-digit efforts.

2. Wizards PG Ish Smith missed all seven of his shots in 20 scoreless minutes at Philadelphia after going 9-for-9 and scoring 26 points the previous night in Toronto.

3. Washington won three of four meetings last season and 18 of the last 21 overall.

PREDICTION: Knicks 119, Wizards 117