Dominance

In need of a win against another team battling for playoff position, the Knicks came up with their best defensive effort of the year.

Good morning, and happy Saturday! It’s been a while since we’ve had a Friday night game, and thus, a while since a weekend newsletter was in order, but last night’s win certainly warranted it.

Before I get to all the details, a quick word to anyone in the New York area: KFS has its annual outing to the Garden tomorrow night for Knicks vs Sixers, but before the game we’re heading to Penn 6 on West 31st street to share a communal beverage or two before heading to MSG. The pregame festivities start at 5 pm, so whether you’re going to the game or not, feel free to meet us there to say hi.

Game 63: Knicks 98, Magic 74

In a New York minute…

With Jalen Brunson back after a one-game absence, New York’s defense set the tone from the opening tip, with four blocks in the opening three minutes. After allowing the first eight points of the game, the Magic hung tight until the end of the half, when the Knicks ended the second on a 9-0 run to take a 16-point advantage into the third. Orlando never got much closer than that, and by the beginning of the fourth quarter, the rout was on.

One Thing (yup, just one)

115.0.

That’s the league average for points scored per game this season - the highest it’s been since 1970, when the Knicks won their first championship on the back of a defense that went completely against the grain.

Well, that average went down by a decimal point or two last night, when the Magic scored fewer point than any NBA team has in over three years.

How rare of sight was the clinic put on by Thibideau’s troops? We have to go back over a decade, to April 13, 2012, to find a game when the Knicks gave up fewer points. That night, the 14-45 Wizards put just 65 on the scoreboard. Not a single player from the game is still active (unless you count Landry Fields, who is currently running the Atlanta Hawks).

More than anything, this game showed how wildly New York’s defense has fluctuated over the course of this season, and how far they’ve come since the low point of a few months ago.