On December 4th, the Knicks suffered a humiliating home loss to the Mavericks, allowing 24 made 3-pointers and giving up 41 third-quarter points. The team was booed off the Garden floor and fell to a season-low three games under .500.
That night, coach Tom Thibodeau made the decision to reduce the team’s rotation to nine players, benching Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose.
The Knicks responded with their best win of the season, a 92-81 victory over the Cavaliers.
Thibodeau explained his decision, stating that sometimes, playing too many guys can cause the team to lose rhythm and that it’s better to make a tough decision and get everyone in rhythm.
Since that decision, the Knicks have been one of the best teams in the league, sitting eight games above .500 at 35-27 over the last 39 games.
Thibodeau has stuck with the nine-man rotation despite injuries and slumps, resulting in excellent outcomes.
During this time, the Knicks have won 25 games and have the fourth-best offensive rating (118.1) and the ninth-best defensive rating (112.9) in the league.
They are tied with the Nuggets for the second-best NET rating (plus 5.2) and are outscoring the opposition by 5.2 points per 100 possessions in that time.
The reduced rotation has also led to an increased role for Immanuel Quickley, who has the best season of his young NBA career.
Since Dec. 4, Quickley’s playing time has increased to 30.7 minutes, and he is now averaging 14.4 points and shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc.
The Knicks also outscore their opponents by an average of five points when Quickley is on the floor, making him a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Although the Knicks have faced some struggles during this period, such as RJ Barrett’s struggles after missing two weeks with a lacerated right index finger, and a few mini-losing streaks, they have managed to respond both times.
The team finds itself percentage points behind the fading Nets for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and just two games behind the fourth-place Cavaliers in the loss column. Since Dec. 4, the Knicks have a 10-7 record against teams with winning records, beating contenders such as the Cavaliers twice, Celtics on the road, and Suns and Kings at home.
Their seven losses have come by an average of 7.8 points, with two in overtime.
As the Knicks prepare for their final 20 games of the season, they are in a solid spot, according to Barrett.
With their impressive performance over the last 11 weeks, the Knicks have shattered low preseason expectations from the outside and have shown that they can beat any team in the league.
»The Knicks responds with their best win of the season«
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