Knicks Riding High Going Into New Year

The New York Knicks have won their last eight games going into 2025.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 1, 2025

Dec 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) drives to the basket against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are winners of eight straight games after beating the Washington Wizards 126-106 at Capital One Arena on Monday night.

With Jalen Brunson slightly banged up, the Knicks needed others to pick up the slack, and that's exactly what happened. All five starters finished in double figures, including 32 points and 13 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns and a triple-double from Josh Hart.

“A well-balanced attack. We got good performances from a lot of people," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting.

“I thought Josh was unbelievable the whole game, and then KAT’s second half was dominant. OG and [Mikal Bridges'] defense, Jalen read the game beautifully. So, it was good. Precious came in and gave us good minutes, and then Deuce in the second half was terrific.”

In order to be sustainable throughout the entire season, the Knicks are going to need nights like this where several players chip in at the same time.

Brunson won't be able to have 55 points every night like he did in the last game against the Wizards, but that's sometimes how the cookie crumbles.

Teams that can win in a number of different ways are usually the ones that climb towards the top of the standings. The Knicks are turning into a "pick your poison" kind of team, and that makes them a threat for a deep playoff run in the Eastern Conference.

At 23-10 going into the new year, the Knicks are in a good position at this point in the season. As long as the Knicks can stay healthy and gradually improve, teams should be watching out for them as the calendar moves into 2025.

The Knicks' first game in 2025 comes against Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz on New Year's Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from inside Madison Square Garden.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Jan 1, 2025

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.