No team in the NBA was better than the Knicks in the month of January.
Since acquiring forwards OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa in a trade with the Toronto Raptors for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley on December 30, the Knicks have been the winningest team in the NBA.
Anunoby and Achiuwa made their Knicks debuts on January 1 in a 112-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden, and the team went 14-2 in the month, closing it out with a convincing 118-102 victory over the Utah Jazz at home on Tuesday night.
Guard Donte DiVincenzo, who has been one of the league’s best free-agent signings this season, scored a game-high 33 points on a career high nine made three-pointers, and combined with his former Villanova teammate and current starting backcourt partner Jalen Brunson, the NBA’s top free-agent signing last season, to drop 62 total points.
Josh Hart had 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, Isaiah Hartenstein 14 point and 12 rebounds, Achiuwa 18 points and five rebounds. Achiuwa and Hart were in the starting lineup for the second consecutive game filling in for Julius Randle and Anunoby. The Knicks downed the Charlotte Hornets on the road on Monday by 113-92.
Randle dislocated his right shoulder late in the fourth quarter going up for a layup on Saturday at the Garden in a 125-109 victory against the Miami Heat. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. attempted to take a charge and slid under Randle, who was bumped off-balance and tried to brace his fall with his right arm. He is out indefinitely. Anunoby sat out Monday and Tuesday with right elbow inflammation and is considered day-to-day. If Mitch Robinson, who had left ankle surgery is included, the Knicks were playing minus three regular starters.
However, the Knicks haven’t just persevered through injuries, trades and alterations to their roster, they have thrived. Some of the credit for their resolve has to be ascribed to team president Leon Rose and executive vice president William Wesley for prudent personnel moves.
“One, I think we have a deep team, but two, I think it’s the blueprint that Thibs [Thibodeau] has given us,” said DiVincenzo after the victory over Utah. “We have an identity here, and everybody buys in and there’s a joy that we have with our team right now.”
Coach Thibodeau prescribes collectivism as a mindset to overcome the loss of critical players. “I think the big thing is you don’t replace guys individually, particularly a guy like Julius,” he said. “So it’s our defense, our rebounding, taking care of the ball.”
Before their current run, in which the Knicks go into tonight’s game at home versus the Indiana Pacers on an eight game winning streak, they had lost four of five from December 23 through December 30. Ironically, their upward trajectory began after a 140-126 loss to the Pacers in Indiana on December 30.
The Knicks had the highest defensive rating in the NBA in January and are second in the league to the Minnesota Timberwolves in points allowed per game (109.3) and points allowed per 100 possessions (110.6).
After the Pacers, the Knicks will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday and Dallas Mavericks next Thursday all at the Garden.
Correction from last week’s story: Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the team last summer.
