A four-point win over the struggling Nets might seem like a hollow victory, but for the Knicks, it’s a reflection of loftier goals.
With their sights set on an NBA championship, they’ll need to prove they can handle teams far better than their cross-town rivals.
Starting Saturday, the Knicks enter the most grueling stretch of their season — a test that will define whether they’re true contenders or merely passengers on the road to the playoffs.
They say iron sharpens iron. For the Knicks, there’s no sharper test than navigating the toughest remaining regular-season schedule in the NBA.
A Brutal Schedule Ahead
The Knicks’ remaining 37 games are not for the faint of heart.
New York owns the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, with almost every opponent from now until the season finale on April 13 against Brooklyn fighting either for a championship, to stay out of the Play-In Tournament, or break into it.
Of these 37 games:
- 16 are against legitimate championship contenders. These teams include Boston, Cleveland, Memphis, Denver, Houston, Milwaukee and Dallas.
- 15 are against teams bunched together in the Play-In scenario, including Indiana, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Golden State, Phoenix, San Antonio, Detroit and Sacramento.
- 6 are against lottery-bound teams such as Toronto, Portland, Washington, Charlotte and Brooklyn.
The schedule includes three meetings each with the Celtics and Cavaliers — owners of two of the three best records in all of basketball — and two matchups apiece against the Grizzlies, Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Kings, Warriors, Trail Blazers, 76ers, and Hawks.
.529 – Strength of Schedule
As of Thursday morning, the Knicks’ remaining opponents have a combined 839-746 record, or a .529 winning percentage, the highest in the league.
The Knicks are 4-6 against teams with a winning percentage of .529 or better and 3-6 against title contenders.
Against teams fighting for Play-In spots, the Knicks hold a middling 11-10 record, but this includes three wins against an Orlando Magic team with every conceivable scorer out due to injury.
The Knicks’ current 29-16 record as the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed will be tested in every conceivable way.
.944 – Dominance Over Losing Teams
If there’s one area where the Knicks shine, it’s against teams at the bottom of the standings. New York boasts a 17-1 record against losing teams, a .944 winning percentage that’s kept them afloat. However, they’ll only face six more lottery-bound opponents the rest of the way, including one-offs against the Raptors, Hornets, Wizards, and Nets, plus a two-game set with Portland.
Yet their record against losing teams underscores the concern moving forward: 17 of the Knicks’ 29 total victories have come against teams below .500, leaving New York with just a 12-15 record against winning teams this season.
9 – Back-to-Backs
The Knicks face nine back-to-back sets in the second half, along with a daunting 10-day, five-game West Coast road trip in March.
They’ll also endure three brutal stretches of consecutive playoff-caliber opponents:
- A five-game gauntlet beginning Saturday against the Kings.
- A 12-game stretch spanning the All-Star break in February and early March.
- Ten playoff opponents in their final 13 games of the season.
Adding to the challenge, the Knicks will face back-to-backs both entering and exiting the All-Star break, leaving little time for recovery.
What Lies Ahead
The Knicks have demonstrated their ability to handle weaker teams, but their path to true contention requires rising to the challenge against tougher opponents.
Struggles against both title contenders and Play-In hopefuls have exposed the inconsistency that separates good teams from great ones. While they can’t control their schedule, they can control how they respond to the teams in front of them.
Saturday’s matchup against the Kings is more than just another game — it’s the kickoff of a stretch that will either cement the Knicks as legitimate contenders or expose them as pretenders.
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
With the Eastern Conference standings tightening, the margin for error is slim. The Bucks trail the Knicks by just three games as the No. 4 seed, with the Pacers and Pistons breathing down their necks in fifth and sixth place, respectively.
In a league where every win carries postseason implications, the Knicks have no choice but to elevate their game.
The road ahead is unforgiving, but the opportunity to prove they belong among the NBA’s elite is theirs for the taking.