Knicks Whip Wiz for 8th Straight Win

This is the first time the Knicks will be more than 12 games above .500 on January 1st since the 1996-97 season - and just the fifth time in franchise history...

Final Score: Knicks 126 - Wizards 106
Record: 23-10

Eight straight wins. Eight straight victories on the road. Eight straight wins over the Wizards.

Knicks fans, are you tired of winning yet?

When a well-balanced team notches a victory in eight consecutive contests, different players will step on a night basis. The headliner in Monday's waxing of Washington was Josh Hart, who we waxed poetic about over the weekend.

Hart scored 23 points (7-of-15 FGs), ripped down 15 rebounds and dished out 10 dimes in 41 minutes. It was Hart's third triple-double of the season and his ninth as a Knick. The only players in New York's franchise history with more trip-dubs are Walt Frazier, Micheal Ray Richardson and Richie Guerin.

At this point, we shouldn't be shocked by Hart's heroics, but his endless excess of energy and effort remains remarkable.

What's amazing about Hart's prolific production since the Knicks stole him from the Blazers in February of 2023 is that he'd never approached this level of sustained and consistent excellence. Although he had previously given brief glimpses of the player he's developed into, many regarded Hart solely as a solid bench contributor with limited upside.

Yet, sometimes, a player benefits by being paired with a like-minded coach uniquely capable of maximizing his potential. That has been the case with Hart and Tom Thibodeau, as they are an ideal pairing.