Knicks are 3-1 and believe there's room for improvement
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson dribbles against Charlotte Hornets guard Dennis Smith Jr. in the second half at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
MILWAUKEE — It was less than two hours before game time Wednesday when Tom Thibodeau was asked about the schedule that would await the Knicks when they finished off that night’s game at Madison Square Garden.
Thibodeau smiled and said, “I'm just worried about tonight,” which is the expected and, in this case, correct answer. The Knicks needed a harrowing overtime session to come up with their third straight win, beating the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets, 134-131. That sent the Knicks on the road with a 3-1 record and a deserved bit of confidence.
A test certainly awaits the Knicks. The three straight wins all came at home against teams that figure to be chasing Ping-Pong balls and a shot at projected No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama. But now they were headed to Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Friday, then on to Cleveland for the young and talented Cavaliers, led by the player the Knicks thought would be starring for them — Donovan Mitchell.
The five games that follow this two-city trip are all against teams expected to be contenders, with three of them on the road. That's a test for any team, let alone one trying to establish itself..
While there are plenty of issues to address, the Knicks took it as a plus that they won despite not playing the way they wanted to or the way they will need to against these contending teams.
“You’ve got to win ugly, for sure,” Jalen Brunson said. “When we play good, we play perfect, we’re supposed to win those games. But when we’re not playing our best and we give up leads, how can we respond? Those are signs of good teams. If we can do that consistently, I think we’re going to put ourselves in position where we can be the best team we can be. But I think this is a good step for us. We’ve definitely got to continue to get better, but this is a good step.”
Thibodeau listed mostly the good that the Knicks did in Wednesday's win, but what he liked most of all was that they fought through adversity.
“We just talked about it in [the locker room],” Thibodeau said. “To deal with adversity in a positive way. Obviously, we don’t like giving up the lead. We did. That was our reality. But then find a way to win at the end, whatever we’ve got to do. Whether we’ve got to get three stops in a row, you’ve got to get an offensive rebound, you’ve got to get a stop, you’ve got to get a block, whatever.
“Hustle. Don’t quit on a play. All those things. It comes down to one possession, so it all does matter. I liked the look of determination, and I think a lot of that comes from Jalen’s look. His demeanor is terrific for our team. I love Julius [Randle]. He’s been terrific from training camp on. The look of determination is important. If you look frustrated, you’ll play frustrated.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
