The New York Knicks' rough start to the season is quickly fading from memory. After losing their first three games, they have since won six of their last seven.
Now, some of those seven most recent games have been against bottom-feeding teams. In the last two, the Knicks didn’t play with their food, came out on top easily, and did what great teams do: handle struggling teams.
Knicks secure blowout wins over the Bulls and Bucks
Four of the Knicks' last six games have come against teams that currently have a combined four wins: the Chicago Bulls twice, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Those three teams have the three worst records in the Eastern Conference, with the Nets the only one with more than one win (two).
On Tuesday, New York faced the now 1-10 Bucks. The Knicks took care of business and made sure the game was never in question with a 117-85 blowout victory. The Knicks first led by double figures with 8:43 left in the second quarter and held that double-digit lead for the rest of the contest in a game without Josh Hart. Milwaukee got hot from 3-point range in the third quarter, scoring 38 points, but they totaled only 47 over the other 36 minutes.
The previous time New York faced a team with a poor record was on November 4 against the Bulls. The Knicks won 135-105, leading by 22 points after one quarter.
Compare that to their first meeting with the Bulls and their game against the Nets. The Knicks needed to overcome a 19-point deficit in Chicago to eke out a six-point win on October 28. On November 2, New York trailed the Nets by four after three quarters, then turned it around in the fourth.
Last season saw the Knicks take care of business against lesser teams
Of course, the Knicks ended their 53-year championship drought last season. They often picked up easy victories over inferior teams during the regular season.
The Knicks beat the Nets by 36 and 54 last season. That 54-point win is the largest margin of victory in franchise history. They beat the Utah Jazz by 34. They toppled the Washington Wizards by 31 and 32. New York beat the Bulls by 40. The Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana Pacers always played them tough, except in their last meeting, when the Knicks won by 26.
It’s good to have something in common with last season’s title-winning team. That club often secured blowout victories against weaker teams, and this year’s team is now doing the same.
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