Teams very rarely establish a new identity in the middle of a season. Yet, that's what has happened with these Knicks, who have somehow racked up six straight wins.
As we discussed earlier this week, the Knicks had slipped all the way to 26th in Defensive Rating following the Dallas Debacle on December 3rd. For the first time in franchise history, New York had allowed more than 101 points in each of their first 23 games. They had allowed 186 wide-open three-pointers, more than any team in the NBA. They had fallen three games below .500.
At that point, with the season teetering, Thibs went to a nine-man rotation, with Miles McBride operating as the first guard off the bench and Quentin Grimes establishing himself as the team's two guard. New York surprisingly beat the Cavs the following day and has not looked back.
The 'Bockers beat up on the Bulls once again Friday night in Chicago 114-91, with four of the Knicks' five starters scoring at least 19 points and the team knocking down 17 three-pointers. Yet, once again, defense was the difference in this one, as Chicago was limited to a season-low 91 points. New York has played five opponents since the Dallas game, holding four of them to a season-low in scoring.
In the victory over Cleveland, the Cavs had 81 points. In the win over Atlanta, the Hawks had 89. In the victory over Sacramento, the Kings scored 99 points. Capped off by last night's dominance in the Windy City.
Incredibly, the Knicks have been the best defensive team in the NBA over the past two weeks. During this six-game run, New York is allowing just 97.7 points per 100 possessions. For some context, the Grizzlies are the only other team in the NBA with a DefRtg below 107 since early December.
The Knicks Net Rating during this stretch is +16.3. Memphis is the only other team north of +6.8.
Controlling the glass has been key to the Knicks' success on the defensive end during this streak. They've posted a league-high 57% rebound rate, including corralling 79% of defensive boards.
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