New York Knicks build winning mentality amid hot streak - Julius Randle, Tom Thibodeau react to 7-game winning streak
The New York Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and are playing great basketball for the first time this season.
The Knicks escaped Indianapolis on Sunday with a 109-106 victory over the Indiana Pacers, which was the seventh straight win for the franchise. This is their longest streak since a nine-game run in April 2021. Sunday's win also marked just the second time during this streak that New York won by fewer than ten points.
''Right now, New York is as good as any team in the NBA,'' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.
Julius Randle (25 points and 14 rebounds) and RJ Barrett (24 points) combined for 49 points for the winners.
''To win on the road and like this, it was tough,'' Randle said afterwards. ''It was a hard game, but we got it done. I think first, it's just the trust -- just trusting each other, helping each other," Randle said afterwards.
During this streak, the New York Knicks have relied on defense to take the upper hand and beat their opponents.
They have held opposing teams to under 100 points in four of their last seven games and are 13th in the league in opponents points per game (112.4) and eight in defensive rating (111.6), respectively.
"We trust each other. We help each other. We’re in the right position. We’re the aggressor, not them, and it works. It’s contagious," Randle said about New York's defensive performance, via Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Julius Randle on the stingy Knicks defense: "We trust each other. We help each other. We’re in the right position. We’re the aggressor, not them, and it works. It’s contagious."
At the same time, the Knicks have been elite on offense as well, scoring more than 110 points in four of their last seven games. They are now averaging 114.1 points per game, good for 13th in the league.
Julius Randle has been the main weapon offensively for the New York Knicks. He's leading the way in scoring with 22.4 points per game, on 45.7% from the field and 33.7% from beyond the arc, to go with nine rebounds and 3.6 assists.
"Win streaks don't mean anything" - New York Knicks coach wants team to be grounded
Coach Tom Thibodeau is excited about the team's impressive run, but he wants to see his players remain humble and maintain their winning mentality.
''Win streaks don't mean anything. This game won't mean anything in our next game,'' the veteran coach said. ''You've got to start all over, put the work in preparation, and when the ball goes up, be ready to go."
He continued:
''Obviously, it's always better to win. But to think you're going to win the next game because you have a win streak, if you start skipping over the steps to prepare for a game, then there's going to be slippage, and then you're going to get knocked down. And I don't want us to get knocked down. I want us to be ready for the next game.''
The New York Knicks went 3-0 on their West trip and have won six straight on the road. They will now return to Madison Square Garden for a four-game homestand, starting with a battle against defending champions Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
The Knicks have the momentum on their side and will look to extend their longest winning streak in the league in their final regular-season meeting against the Warriors.