Knicks extend win streak to five

The New York Knicks extended their win streak to five after a 128-120 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1603231066160078849

Game Breakdown

The Knicks went on the road in Chicago and came out victorious in a dogfight. New York is led by a trio of lefties in Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett.

Julius Randle starred again in Wednesday night’s matchup. Posting 31 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three three-pointers. His fourth game in a row with 27 or more points.

Brunson, who was in a walking boot at practice the other day for an ankle injury, was questionable for the game but played. Despite questions about his health, he showed up big for New York with 30 points on the night and seven assists on 52% shooting from the field. RJ Barrett, the youngest member of the trio, contributed 22 points in the win with 4 triples before fouling out in the fourth.

Despite good play from key players, the Knicks couldn’t put the Bulls away in regulation. Zach Lavine and Demar DeRozen shined for the Bulls, answering the bell every time the Knicks looked to pull away. DeRozen’s 32 points and Lavine’s 25 sent the game into overtime.

But, it wasn’t enough as the Knicks hit clutch shots down the stretch to put the game on ice.

Second-year shooting guard Quentin Grimes hit a clutch three in overtime to make it a two-possession game.

QUENTIN GRIMES IS CLUTCH

GETS THE DELAYED BANG FROM MIKE BREEN pic.twitter.com/kgSzJoTVdg

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 15, 2022

This three was Grimes’ fourth on the night and his 14th point of the game. After a defensive stop, Brunson came down the court to put the icing on the cake of a great win for New York.

https://twitter.com/KnicksMSGN/status/1603228904340291585

Breaking the ankles of Bulls guard Alex Caruso and sinking the dagger three-point shot.

Win-streak significance

This five-game win streak is the Knicks longest streak since the 2020 season when they made the playoffs as the fourth seed in the east. It is also the second-longest win streak New York has had since the 2014 season.

It is significant for many reasons. Before this win streak started, the Knicks were 10-13. They were coming off a 20-point loss to the Mavericks and many fans and reporters were wondering how long Head Coach Tom Thibodeau had before he would be fired.

Fast-forward to now and Knicks fans have seen some of the best basketball the team has played in a decade. The team is rejuvenated and is breathing a new life. They are currently ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference and have been starting to find an identity.

The team is young. They have finally let their young players take the reins and get important minutes. Players like Grimes and Barrett as mentioned before have been important in starting roles. But, the team removed veterans like Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose from the rotation. Giving bigger roles to players like Immanuel Quickley, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims, who are giving energy when they are on the floor. Young power-forward Obi Toppin is included in this but he has been out recently with a knee injury.

They are fast and defensive-minded. In three of their five wins during the streak, they held the other team to under 100 points. Which is a recipe for success in the NBA. If the Knicks keep playing defense like this, their winning ways will likely continue.