Knicks enter win column with two blowout victories

The New York Knicks delivered their first wins of the season against the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. New York scored 107 points against the Nets’ 86, then ran up the score on the Cavaliers in a 114-95 win. The blowout victories demonstrate how good the Knicks can truly be when they begin to gel as a team. These wins are nothing short of a testament that the Knicks have the potential to be a winning team.

As expected, Kristaps Porzingis came to play, scoring 30 points in the first game followed by 32 points in the second.  Controlling the glass was the name of the game as the team pulled down 55 rebounds against the Nets and 51 against the Cavaliers. While the Nets game seemed to be a Porzingis showcase, the story of the second victory was just solid team work.  Tim Hardaway Jr. surprised many on Sunday, scoring 34 points along with eight assists. Enes Kanter and Courtney Lee also played hard, each posting double-doubles. Keeping on a good note, the Knicks figured out a way to minimize their turnovers, only allowing 11 against the Nets and 14 against the Cavaliers. The team also assisted 19 times in the first game and 27 times in the second, showing that they are trusting each other more on the offensive side.

The Knicks’ defense should not be overlooked by any standard. New York held the Nets to six points as they made a 25 point run in the third quarter. Similarly, the Knicks held the Cavaliers defensively in the first quarter as well as the third. New York recorded seven steals and six blocks on Friday followed by nine steals and six blocks on Sunday. The team led their opponents for the majority of both games, defensively keeping the Nets and the Cavaliers at bay as they built their leads.

It is too early to say that all of the Knicks’ woes should be forgotten about in favor of just two wins. On the other hand, Knicks fans should have a little more hope in their team after two extremely solid outings. Friday and Sunday  night serve to show how good New York really can be given the chance to work together. Simply put the Knicks got the job done, essentially controlling every side of the ball against two very formidable adversaries.  On Monday night the Knicks will host the Denver Nuggets and will undoubtedly look to build off of these two wins. If they continue to play with this sort of intensity and efficiency there may be chance that they do just that.