Eye on the Knicks? Latest Surge Puts NY Atop CBS' Power Rankings

The efforts of Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and the rest of the New York Knicks during their nine-game winning streak earned some supreme praise from CBS Sports.

The New York Knicks currently stand fifth in the Eastern Conference ... but No. 1 in the hearts of CBS Sports.

CBS' NBA department placed the Knicks at the top of their latest power rankings, a rise fueled by an active nine-game winning streak that has carried a flair for the dramatics: Julius Randle pushed things to eight with a buzzer-beating, game-winning triple against the Miami Heat on Friday before Immanuel Quickley, subbing for an injured Jalen Brunson, posted a career-best in scoring at 38 to pace a double-overtime victory in Boston two nights later.

"The Knicks are officially the hottest team in the NBA, beating the Nets, Heat, and the Celtics twice this week to run their win streak to nine games," Colin Ward-Henninger writes in naming the Knicks the team of the week. "Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson each averaged more than 27 points for the week, but the spotlight has momentarily shifted toward Immanuel Quickley, who carried the Knicks to a double-overtime win over Boston on Sunday with a career-high 38 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists."

The Knicks' winning streak is tied for the fourth-longest in the NBA this season and features four wins against teams currently situated in a conference's top six. New York (39-27) is also a season-best 12 games over .500 and the ongoing streak marks the first time they've had separate conjurings of eight consecutive wins since their last championship run in 1972-73. 

The opportunity for a 10th consecutive victory lands on Tuesday night when the Knicks battle the Charlotte Hornets at home (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG) before embarking on a four-game trip out west. Should they prevail against the Hornets, the Knicks will have their first double-figure winning streak since 2012-13, which marks the last time they advanced in a full playoff round. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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