Friday night's 116-94 win over the Bucks is precisely what New York Knicks fans needed to see after Wednesday's disappointing loss. New York dominated from start to finish, so much so that Matt Ryan made his Knicks debut late in the fourth quarter and hit his first three.
New York returns to .500 on the season with a 4-4 record. The Knicks are two-and-a-half weeks into the season with their new-look lineup. Some fans have gotten too impatient with New York, making the win over Milwaukee reassuring.
The Knicks moved the ball well and found open looks for one another. The starting five finished with double digits for the seventh consecutive game, a franchise record.
The Knicks starting five all scored in double-figures. This marks the seventh consecutive game in which all five starters scored in double-figures, which is a franchise record.
— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR) November 9, 2024
So, yes, the only game New York's starters didn't score in double digits was against Boston on opening night, a game that couldn't have been uglier than it was.
Knicks starters score in double figures for seventh consecutive game
You might not think it's that impressive that the starters scored in double figures again, considering that New York didn't win all of its past seven games. However, it's a positive trend for a starting five with two newcomers.
Speaking of, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from deep. There have been stretches where he's turned invisible on offense (like in the loss to the Cavaliers), which is unacceptable. The win marked the third time this season that KAT attempted at least 20 shots (his season-high was 25 against Miami).
Meanwhile, Josh Hart took only five shots but made four for 11 points. He's scored in double digits in every game thus far, which is far more than fans expected after he finished with only two preseason points.
Mikal Bridges (7-of-18), Jalen Brunson (6-of-14), and OG Anunoby (4-of-12) didn't have great shooting nights but still finished with 17, 15, and 14 points, respectively. Brunson's gotten off to a rocky start, and his open looks weren't falling on Friday. However, he did well feeding his teammates.
The bumps that New York has encountered this season haven't been unusual for a team that made two blockbuster trades over the summer. The offense isn't fully clicking yet, but it's started to flow much better, specifically in the win over the Bucks. That reason alone is enough to be hopeful.