Fans of the New York Knicks were seemingly ready to hit the big, red "PANIC" button after four straight losses and reports of players-only meetings and discontent within the locker room. They can exhale after the team vowed to bounce back, acknowledged their issues, and responded with a 120-66 win over the Brooklyn Nets. That's the biggest margin of victory in the history of the team, going back to their first game against the Toronto Huskies in 1948 as part of the BAA.
Knicks needed a jolt, win by most points in team history
Team Captain Jalen Brunson spoke about the need to get back to doing the little things, not feeling above any details of the game but rather being willing to do whatever was needed to win games. Josh Hart said that practice felt awful after the loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, adding that he was unsure it gets worse than being booed on their home floor.
The Nets made clear ahead of the season that they don't plan on winning many games. Acknowledging their desire to lose was connected to their desire for a high draft pick is still shocking, given the NBA's lack of punitive measures for a team that did everything but use the "T" word: tanking.
However, the big win for the Knicks is still significant – regardless of who the opponent was. New York's fervor from the opening tip was noticeable to anyone who watched the game. The team set screens for each other, zipped the ball around the court, and made sure to close out on shooters when on defense.
It was a Knicks team that looked fully bought into their roles and doing what they knew, as a group, it would take to win. Brown described it after the game as "fun," adding that the group put together a full 48 minutes of their style of basketball. It very well may have been the first time this season that the coach made such an acknowledgement.
Knicks need momentum to carry into postseason
The Knicks aren't playing well for the first time this season. The won the NBA Cup because they banded together as a group and bought into their roles. While the schedule they faced on the way to the Cup Championship wasn't necessarily any sort of gauntlet, Victor Wembanyama's Spurs were a legitimate challenge in a playoff environment.
New York's players lost their way a little bit after winning the Cup, acknowledging to media in recent days that their level of comfortability might have been too high as a group. It doesn't have to result in a new record being set every night.
If the team can keep this kind of momentum, passion for details, and pride up throughout the rest of the regular season, though? They'll be where they want to be ahead of the playoffs, which opposing teams will need to watch out for.