Tom Thibodeau Amused, Inspired By Knicks' Latest Landmark

The New York Knicks set a unique brand of NBA history before the new year.
Dec 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau (R) and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) look on during a stoppage in play against the Washington Wizards in the third quarterat Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau (R) and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) look on during a stoppage in play against the Washington Wizards in the third quarterat Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks conjured up a unique brand of NBA history in recent mini-sweep of the Washington Wizards.

As if Jalen Brunson's 55-point showing in the Saturday portion, a 136-132 overtime win for New York, wasn't impressive enough, it turned the 2024-25 Knicks into an army of one: by joining OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns in the brotherhood of 40-point scorers this season, Brunson gave the Knicks four men to reach the statistical landmark this season.

They're thus the first team in NBA to have four reps earn the accolade before the calendar flips to a new year, as it's scheduled to do after Wednesday night. While the modern Knicks are never ones to dwell on individual accomplishments, head coach Tom Thibodeau noted that the accomplishment came to perfectly define what have built and are building in this fateful campaign.

"It’s a testament to all those guys because it’s all about their willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,” Thibodeau, amused by the "qualifiers" aspect of the plateau, said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “One night, someone has it going or one guy has a better matchup, whatever it might be and then the game oftentimes dictates who’s going to get the shot."

Tom Thibodeau
Nov 20, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"So just make the right play. Make winning plays and if we do that and prioritize the team and winning, good things will always come from that.”

The Knicks (23-10) have certainly found the "winning plays" over the past calendar year: the wins over Washington, with a victorious rematch earned on Monday night, gave the Knicks eight in a row to close out 2024 and they finished 56-27 in regular season games this year. That will be good for fourth among all NBA competitors, behind only Oklahoma City, Boston, and Cleveland.

No matter who's shooting, the Knicks have set themselves up handsomely for success: entering Wednesday night play, they rank ninth in assists per game at just 28 after placing second-to-last in the Association in the same department last year. Such facillitation and scoring has rendered a slow start long-forgotten as the Knicks embark on what many believe is their most legitimate championship case in quite some time.

The Knicks open their 2025 slate on New Year's night when the Utah Jazz visit Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks