NY Knicks: The 3 secrets to success during the 8-game win streak

The NY Knicks have played well late in games

Before the win streak, the NY Knicks ranked 2nd to last in points per game in the 4th quarter (25.2) and shot 43.0% from the field. During the 8-game win streak? They’ve been 14th in the league in points in the 4th quarter 27.0 while shooting 45.2%.

It may seem like just a marginal, insignificant difference, but it’s not. How many Knicks games this season have they lost on just one or two plays? A missed shot, a bad foul call, a sloppy turnover – It seems like almost every game has come down to the wire.

The slight improvement in the 4th quarter has seen the Knicks be on the winning side of these close games. There haven’t been many “Comfortable” games during this winning stretch. The Knicks have gone long periods, sometimes whole quarters, where the offense looks lost, they can’t buy a rebound, or someone on the other team can’t miss a shot.

The difference now is that they’re not letting those stretches define the entire game. It may seem like a cliche, but winning teams perform in the clutch. The Knicks have let too many games slip away in the dying minutes, and now they’re the ones slamming the door closed.

It’s been a lot of fun to see this team continue to be resilient. They’ve been counted out as “pretenders” since the opening tip of the season. Here we are just a few weeks away from the playoffs and the NY Knicks are 4th in the East while riding the longest current winning streak in the NBA. If they can continue to keep up the ball movement, apply the pressure on defense, and step up late in games, they could make some noise in the playoffs.