If the New York Knicks were going to make a statement to the rest of the NBA and move up in the Eastern Conference standings, there was no better time than January. They were set to face one of the easier schedules in the NBA and have taken full advantage despite some obstacles.
The Knicks made a major change to their lineup before the month started, trading Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. The trade has worked out better than anyone could have predicted, as New York has turned into a powerhouse.
Even a drastic lineup change couldn’t slow the Knicks down against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. With Julius Randle sidelined because of a separated shoulder and Anunoby dealing with inflammation in his right elbow, New York was extremely short-handed.
Josh Hart and Achiuwa stepped into the starting lineup for their injured teammates and both played well. It was a total team effort in the 113-92 victory. Donte DiVincenzo picked up the scoring slack with 28 points, while Hart replaced the rest of Randle’s production with 12 rebounds with seven assists.
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Jalen Brunson led the way with 32 points and seven assists, resulting in the Knicks winning their 30th game of the season. Off the bench, Jericho Sims, Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride all contributed solid minutes as well.
That was New York’s seventh consecutive victory, pushing their record to 13-2 in January. This is the team’s best month since 1995 when they went 13-2 in January. With one game remaining in the month, on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz, the Knicks have a chance to match a franchise record.
The most games the Knicks have won in a single month is 14. They have accomplished it twice, with the first time being in November of 1969 when they went 14-1. The most recent time was in 1994 when they went 14-0 in March. They have a chance to match that number if they can defeat the Jazz on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
New York will be looking to exact some revenge on the Jazz, who defeated them 117-113 on December 13th. Not only will that motivate them, but being able to join Knicks lore and match some franchise history should have this group ready to go on the second night of a back-to-back set.
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