The Knicks have won 15 of their last 19 games.
But it’s fair to call a spade a spade: many of those wins have come against teams they were expected to beat.
Two were against the 5-23 New Orleans Pelicans. Another pair came at the expense of the 7-23 Toronto Raptors. Add in two wins over a scrappy but lottery-bound Brooklyn Nets squad and two more against an Orlando Magic team missing its top stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
And throw in a couple of victories over the young but inconsistent Charlotte Hornets and a blowout against the Washington Wizards — a team the Knicks will face two more times before the New Year — to paint a clearer picture: the Knicks have benefited from a favorable schedule.
That’s not their fault. The Knicks can only play the teams on their schedule.
And the results speak for themselves. At 20-10, they sit third in the Eastern Conference behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. They’re 9-7 against teams at .500 or better and an impressive 11-3 against sub-.500 teams. A win is a win, and the Knicks are taking all of them as they come.
“These are NBA teams, the best of the best. I mean, any night, that’s what makes NBA basketball so special,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after the Knicks’ 20th win of the season on Wednesday. “These are the best basketball players in the world. Any night, you could lose. All these teams play with pride. We had to execute against some teams people wanna say are [bad], but we’re in the best league. We’ve had some dogfights, and we had to be unified and utilize the lessons we’ve learned all season. Never take any team in the NBA for granted.”
The Knicks understand that their true test will come against playoff and championship contenders, but these games against rebuilding teams are serving another purpose: building chemistry for a squad that was dramatically reshaped just weeks before the season.
“I think we just look at each other and see if we’re getting better or not,” said Mikal Bridges. “That’s the biggest thing. I think we took a jump this month. Every day, just keep trying to get better. We want to win — that’s the main goal — but sometimes getting better is what we’re looking for. So happy to win while also getting better.”
HART OF THE TEAM
Josh Hart recorded a team-high 12 rebounds on Wednesday, matching up against San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 18 boards. The juxtaposition was striking: the 6-foot-4 Hart battling the 7-foot-4 rookie for position all night, once again highlighting the intangibles Hart brings to the Knicks.
“Just motor, man. He’s just always active, and that activity allows him to get some really good rebounds,” said Towns. “Shout out to Josh. Man, those are big rebounds.”
When asked what makes Hart such a strong rebounder, Thibodeau offered a simple explanation: “I think anticipation. He reads the ball coming off the hand. His reaction to the ball is great. Oftentimes, he’s on the perimeter, and if he gets that running start, he’s tough to stop.”
HOLIDAY BATTLE
Thibodeau also acknowledged the unique challenge of playing on Christmas Day, a time traditionally reserved for family.
“It’s not easy. It’s a holiday. It’s a family day. These guys, they make a lot of sacrifices,” Thibodeau said. “They have young kids, and so we also know it’s an honor and a privilege to be playing on this day. So we embrace that. We also know what it means to our city and our fans. And so we wanted to give them something to be proud of. Hopefully, we can spend the rest of the day with our families and then on to the next one.”
MIKAL’S BEST
Bridges, playing in his third Christmas Day game, said this one at Madison Square Garden was his favorite.
“Christmas and the spirit, family, people coming to the game bringing family members, people getting tickets for Christmas,” Bridges said. “It’s different. Obviously, it’s another game, but just the joy and the spirit—people are off from work.
“It’s just The Garden. It’s just different, feeling that energy. Definitely really cool.”
And with that energy behind them, the Knicks are looking to keep the good times rolling.