The New York Knicks entered Wednesday night's game with a 9-5 record but on an unfortunate losing streak. The team had just won six of seven games in their longest home stand since 2013, half of their games thus far, but was winless on the road four weeks into the season. The win over the Dallas Mavericks improved their record on the road to 1-4.
Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson called the win "ugly," telling reporters in Dallas after the game that every experience that helps the team build character won't always be pretty to look at.
“Found a way to win. It was ugly, but when you win ugly, it’s the signs of a team learning, getting better," Brunson said after a 28-point performance in his first game back from a sprained ankle. The game's result will certainly be represented in the "W" column, and not the other one, but head coach Mike Brown's obsession has been with process over results.
Knicks' road struggles are no cause for concern
Almost every take you hear, read, see, or think of yourself at this point in the season likely has a qualifier attached to it along the lines of, "It's still early, but," as the NBA began play less than one month ago. This applies to the Knicks' struggles on the road to begin the season.
Taking it game by game, their first road loss came in Miami after a 2-0 start at home. It was a game in which New York shot 15-54 on 3-pointers. Jalen Brunson's 37 points and Karl-Anthony Towns' 15-point, 18-rebound performance were not enough to overcome their poor shooting night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's 37 points and Ryan Rollins' 25-point, eight-assist night gave the Knicks another loss two days later in Milwaukee. They closed out the road trip with a Halloween loss in Chicago, when Josh Giddey was one assist away from a 30-point triple-double. The Heat, without Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo beat them, without Brunson and OG Anunoby, again in Miami on Monday.
The 0-4 record was hard to ignore as the team headed to Dallas to take on Brunson's former team. The win, although narrow and likely stressful for fans of both teams, is more than likely going to be the start of a quick reversal of the trend.
How soon can they turn this around?
The Knicks play next against the Orlando Magic on Saturday. It is a road game and the first leg of their second three-game road trip of the season. They're unlikely to repeat the 0-3 result from last time simply because their opponents are far less intimidating on paper.
After Orlando, they head back to the city that never sleeps for a 'road' game against the Brooklyn Nets. A short trip back south will prepare them for their next NBA Cup game next Wednesday, against the Charlotte Hornets.