The New York Knicks are heading into the second half of the season with momentum firmly on their side.
Sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, OG Anunoby set to return to the starting lineup, and Mitchell Robinson cleared for five-on-five practice, Tom Thibodeau has plenty to feel good about with 28 games left. However, the road ahead won’t be easy.
The Knicks played the majority of their home games in the first half of the 2024-25 campaign, meaning 16 of their final 28 contests will be on the road — a challenge for a team still battling the narrative of struggling against elite competition. Making matters tougher, New York faces the second-hardest schedule in the Eastern Conference and is the highest-seeded team in that category, alongside the Memphis Grizzlies.
To close out the season, the Knicks will have to navigate a brutal slate of road games against top-tier opponents, including the Cavaliers, Celtics, Grizzlies, Lakers, Warriors, and Bucks. In total, they’ll face teams they only play once 21 times, with many of those matchups coming against Western Conference teams also vying for a playoff spot.
How can the Knicks get the job done?
If the Knicks want to be taken seriously as a legitimate contender, they need to start stacking statement wins. Both of their divisional losses this season have come against Boston, with each resulting in a blowout. Currently 11-12 against teams above .500, New York has 15 more games against winning teams—a crucial stretch that will define their seeding and credibility.
The return of OG Anunoby will be a major boost. Not only does it push Precious Achiuwa back to the bench, but it also gives the Knicks a two-way force alongside the starters. The team is 31-17 with Anunoby in the lineup this season, where he’s averaging 16.4 points and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.2 percent from the field. His ability to log heavy minutes is especially valuable for a team that struggles with bench scoring.
Additionally, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Mitchell Robinson has been cleared for five-on-five practice, paving the way for his return. Robinson was a game-changer in the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the 76ers last year, limiting former MVP Joel Embiid’s efficiency.
Though he’ll likely be on a minutes restriction to preserve his health for the postseason, his presence — whether in the starting lineup or off the bench — will provide the much-needed defensive anchor the Knicks currently lack.
One of the team’s biggest weaknesses has been closing out games in the fourth quarter. They rank 16th in the league in fourth-quarter point differential (-0.4), a glaring issue that has cost them winnable games. Their overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks last week is a prime example — they held a six-point lead with 30 seconds left but failed to seal the victory.
Whether it’s Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns struggling offensively, someone needs to step up and take command late in games if the Knicks want to make a deep playoff run.