Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has often expressed that he is not watching the standings while trying to keep his team focused on the game directly in front of them. But there are only 14 remaining in the regular season for the 41-27 Knicks, who end a four-game Western Conference road trip tonight in Denver against the Nuggets following three critical, impressive wins.
The Knicks began the string of wins by taking down the Portland Trail Blazers last Thursday, 105-93, toppling the Sacramento Kings 98-91 on Saturday, and knocking off the Golden State Warriors 119-112 this past Monday. The Knicks go into tonight’s game having won five of their last six games and are No. 4 in the Eastern Conference, two games behind the 43-25, No. 3 Cleveland Cavaliers and one-half game ahead of the 41-28, No. 5 Orlando Magic, who have briskly risen in the playoff race with an 12-3 record since Feb. 14.
The Knicks are 19-14 on the road this season, the third best mark in the East, with only the Boston Celtics (23-11) and Cavaliers (21-12) better. Their victory over the Warriors exemplifies a no-excuses mentality that has been at the core of maintaining one of the East’s top seeds despite numerous games missed by their starters due to injuries, notably three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle, who tonight will be sidelined for the 22nd time this season as he recovers from a dislocated right shoulder.
Forward Ogugua “OG” Anunoby flew back to New York earlier this week when he experienced pain in his surgically repaired right elbow, having undergone a procedure to remove a bone fragment early last month, and was out versus the Warriors. The Knicks are uncertain when he will be back in the lineup.
“When you talked to him after the [Kings] game, he felt good,” said Thibodeau. Anunoby seemingly reaggravated his elbow against Sacramento after missing 18 games when he suffered the initial injury on Jan. 27. In his absence, Jalen Brunson, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 21 of this season (March 21-27) and Miles “Deuce” McBride mitigated the void. Brunson, who has now won East player of the week three times this season, scored 34 points and McBride had a career-high 29.
Brunson also posted 45 against Portland and dropped 42 on the Kings, becoming just the fourth Knick in franchise history to have back-to-back 40-point games in addition to Hall of Famers Bernard King and Patrick Ewing, and future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony.
“I don’t have the resume those guys do, so it means a lot,” said Brunson following the win over the Kings. “But I’m just happy we found a way to win.”
The Knicks will be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday to face the Brooklyn Nets and will host the Detroit Pistons on Monday before meeting the Raptors in Toronto next Wednesday.