For the first time this season, the New York Knicks have won four straight games. The streak started with an impressive win over Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers and the Knicks’ latest win was a 112-99 victory over the Kings on Sunday.
New York has three days off before traveling to Chicago to play back-to-back games against the Bulls at the United Center on Wednesday and Friday. Chicago sits below New York in the Eastern Conference standings with an 11-15 record that has sparked trade rumors about All-Star Zach LaVine.
The Knicks could very well extend their streak this week, but before we make it that far, let’s go over a few takeaways from the team’s previous four wins.
Four straight wins for the Knicks now. That ties for their second longest win streak since 2013-14, a mark achieved several times, and trails only their nine straight in the #WeHere season. #WeBack?
— Jonathan Macri (@JCMacriNBA) December 12, 2022
3 reasons Knicks fans should be excited about four-game win streak
3: Julius Randle’s hot streak
After an offseason that was full of trade rumors and a fan base that didn’t want to see him suit up in a Knicks uniform again, Julius Randle has been off to a hot start in 2022-23. As expected, he’s benefitted from the addition of Jalen Brunson.
Randle’s averaging 22.3 points in 27 games, the second-highest for him since he averaged 24.1 points during his All-Star season. In the wins over the Hawks and Hornets, he scored 30+ points. The same could’ve been said about the win over the Kings, but he was ejected in the third quarter after scoring 27 points, which included 17 points in the first quarter alone.
If Brunson has to miss time with his sprained ankle, New York will be relying on Randle even more. His success so far this season hasn’t necessarily been unexpected, but it’s been nice to see after a rocky 2021-22 season.
With the Knicks hoping to earn the opportunity to compete in the play-in tournament at the end of the year, the way in which Julius Randle plays between now and then will play a big role in that. He isn’t going to be on fire every night, but so far, his play has been a pleasant surprise. In the words of RJ Barrett (subscription required), “he’s hooping.”