The Knicks are the hottest team in the NBA, and a longtime Tom Thibodeau staple has been among the leading factors in their league-best 14-2 mark in January.
“De-fense, de-fense” has been a popular refrain at Madison Square Garden for decades, but the Knicks actually have reemerged as the top defensive team in the league via various statistical metrics over the course of the past month.
The easy answer, of course, is the trade with the Raptors two days before the New Year, with the 14-2 run coinciding with 2023 All-Defense designee OG Anunoby’s first game Jan. 1, although he has missed the past two with elbow inflammation.
But it’s certainly not the only reason the Knicks finished first in the entire league over this 16-game segment in defensive rating (104.8), net rating (15.7), opponents’ field-goal percentage (43.9 percent) and points allowed (100.1 per game).
“I think our guys are playing hard,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks extended their winning streak to eight Tuesday night against the Jazz. “They’re defending, they’re rebounding. They’re sharing the ball. They’re playing smart, they’re playing tough. I think that goes a long way. They’re bringing the best out of each other, but we still have a long way to go.”
The Knicks had been giving up 113.9 points per game in going 17-15 through Dec. 30, and their recent streak — which has seen them hold opponents to 100 points or fewer nine times -— has represented a drastic improvement.
The string has lowered that number for the season to an average of 109.3 points allowed overall, second only to the Timberwolves (107.4) — and significantly better than the league average of 115.6.
Only the Knicks, the Cavaliers (103.8) and the T-Wolves (107.6) were under 110 points allowed per game in January.
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The Knicks’ league-best defense is arguably the biggest reason for this run that has vaulted them into the No. 3 playoff position in the Eastern Conference entering Thursday’s home game against the Pacers.
But it’s not the only one.
Even without starting center Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks also have led the league in rebounding in January with 48.1 boards per game, and they are second to the Hawks on the offensive glass.
Even dealing with Achilles soreness, Isaiah Hartenstein has averaged 12.1 rebounds in January, tied for fifth-most in the league.
Josh Hart also has upped his numbers in that department, hauling down 8.3 rebounds per appearance since the start of 2024 — an increase from 5.9 in his first 32 games — including his first career triple-double Tuesday night.
The Knicks will look to continue their recent home cooking with their next four games at MSG.
They went 9-1 at home in January en route to a 17-5 mark overall in Manhattan this season.
Thibodeau often refers to the Garden faithful as the best fans in the league, as evidenced by Knicks fans totally taking over road arenas in Brooklyn and Charlotte in road wins over the past week.
Thibodeau has reduced his rotation from nine to eight this week due to injuries, but Hart and Precious Achiuwa have combined for 45 points and 32 rebounds as starters in place of Anunoby and Julius Randle (shoulder).
Deuce McBride also has connected on 47.6 percent of his 3-point attempts since replacing traded backup guard Immanuel Quickley in the rotation.
The all-Villanova starting backcourt of Jalen Brunson, who is expected to be named to the All-Star team Thursday, and Donte DiVincenzo has regularly torched opposing guards.
Brunson had nine games with at least 30 points in January, with an average of 28.9, and he finished the month a league-best plus-256, a shade ahead of Anunoby (+252).
DiVincenzo started every game and reached double figures in points in all but one of them, including 33 with a career-high nine made 3-pointers in 15 attempts Tuesday against the Jazz.
The Knicks have dominated teams with losing records all season, but January also featured signature wins, while stepping up in weight class, over the Timberwolves, the 76ers and the two 2023 NBA finalists, the Nuggets and the Heat.
The Knicks hammered those four contenders by an average of 24 points, holding them to 97.8 points on average, yet another impressive stat highlighting their recent defensive improvement.