The landscape of the NBA’s Eastern Conference is still forming. In the early stages of the season, the expected best teams have asserted superiority and distinguished themselves from the middle- and lower-tier squads. Many teams have yet to establish a clear identity and coalesce, a byproduct of offseason roster changes.
The Knicks, the reigning league champions, who also won the NBA Cup (an in-season tournament now in its fourth year) last December, have taken a measured and relatively placid approach to forging their place among the East’s title contenders.
On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics acted out the authentic or contrived drama between Jaylen Brown and his erstwhile Celtics teammate, Jayson Tatum, who is now the Celtics’ sole superstar, in a nationally televised matchup in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Knicks put in a quiet, workmanlike performance versus the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden.
The Celtics, who were at the top of East at 9-2 going into the league’s slate of games last night (Wednesday), handily defeated the 76ers 123-101. After methodically dismantling the Bucks, who fell to an abysmal 1-10 record, 117-85, the Knicks improved to 6-4, good for fourth place in the conference, just behind the third-place Detroit Pistons (7-3).
Less than 24 hours later, the Knicks were back on the MSG court hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. The Cavs entered the Garden with a 5-6 record and in the eighth spot in the East. The Knicks have stayed the course of “playing the right way” as head coach Mike Brown has routinely preached after an 0-3 start to this season.
“The house wasn’t burning down for us,” Brown said Tuesday following the win against the Bucks. “There were certain small things that we weren’t doing well, but it reminded us how hard this is going to be … to go through stretches throughout the course of the year where you struggle or you lose to a team you’re not supposed to lose to, because it’s going to happen.”
Brown continued: “How are we going to handle it? I think those types of struggles throughout the course of the year build character if you handle it the right way for when the real season happens which is in April, May, and June.”
Brown’s observations are borne of experience. Last season, the Knicks endured a stretch in which they lost nine of 11 games, beginning with a 134-132 New Year’s Eve loss to the San Antonio Spurs. They responded with a five-game winning streak and ultimately went 16-3 in the playoffs, capped by a 4-1 series victory over the Spurs in the NBA Finals.
With starting guard/forward Josh Hart missing the Knicks’ three previous games as of last night due to ankle soreness and illness, and with fellow starter Mikal Bridges’ offense well below his career standards (he was averaging just 6.3 points per game prior to facing the Cavaliers), solid contributions from reserves such as Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek have been vital.
“I think a lot of us are focusing on the small things and just trying to compete and win,” said Clarkson on Tuesday. “We’re a really together group. We try to pick each other up if somebody’s down, all through the line.”
The Knicks start a four game road trip tomorrow versus the Pacers in Indiana. They will play the Raptors in Toronto on Sunday and Tuesday, and then the Minnesota Timberwolves next Thursday.
