Red Hot Knicks

On a night when the Rangers collapsed again at the Igloo in Pittsburgh and Syracuse basketball could not win on the road at Providence, it seems only fitting to talk about the Knicks, who won their second straight game and fifth in the last six, 112-104 over the Hawks. Not only did the team improve to within five games of the .500 mark, but they leapfrogged into a virtual tie for 8th place in the East with the Bucks.

Even though the Bucks own the tiebreaker, it still puts the team in a position where even the most pessimistic Knicks fan has to believe this team has a true shot at making the playoffs. Let's take a glimpse at some of the teams the Knicks have beaten since the start of the new year:

-100-88 win vs. the Celtics, who are 2nd in the East, at MSG
-101-95 win vs. the Hornets, who are 3rd in the West, at NOR
-114-109 win vs. the Suns, who are 7th in the West, at MSG
-104-98 win vs. the Rockets, who are 6th in the West, at MSG
-112-104 win vs. the Hawks, who are 4th in the East, at MSG

If one thing stands out to me, it is that the Knicks are playing much better at home, feeding off a newly energized crowd and taking care of business, even against some of the best in the league. Now, while there are losses in that mix to teams like Washington and Oklahoma City, there is a clear step in the Knicks game right now. And to me, two players have been the key factors in this.

1) David Lee: The forward from Florida is the workhorse for this team, posting double-doubles night after night (9 straight now), no matter if the team wins or loses. He's competed with the best in the league down low, and it is clear how much his game has improved. I've already commented on this blog that he should be an all-star this year, and we'll find out soon whether or not he will be. He's been a catalyst and has done everything asked of him and more!

2) Chris Duhon: Coming into a new system and a new team after serving as a back-up with the Bulls, Duhon has put the team on his shoulders and helped control each game. He's averaging close to 13 points and 8 assists a game, helping share the ball (unlike Marbury) and hitting big shots, especially at the free throw line (where he's 86.9% on the season). He's arguably the most valuable player right now on Mike D'Antoni's team.

There's no question the impact guys like Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler, and Al Harrington have had on the team. However, Lee and Duhon have risen their game in such a short amount of time to the level it needs to be if this team wants to succeed.

After a road game at Indiana, the Knicks will be tested to the max, facing the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics in a five-day span. In case you didn't know, those are the three best teams in the league. Fortunately for the Knicks, they are all at home, where the team is 14-9 this year compared to a dismal 6-16 on the road. The team has to improve away from MSG, but winning at least two of these three games at home would be a huge statement as to how good this team really is.