Knicks Make Massive Jump in Power Rankings

The New York Knicks are finishing off the year strong, winning 17 of their last 21 games, including each of their last seven contests.

The last time the Knicks lost was the NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 11.

The hot streak has given the Knicks a boost in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann’s power rankings. The team is set at No. 3 after being at No. 7 last week.

“The Knicks had a couple of close calls last week, but they’ve won seven straight games since losing in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, and they’ve gained some separation as a top-three team in the East,” Schuhmann writes.

“The Knicks will close 2024 with a second straight game in Washington. Their first game of 2025 (a visit from the Jazz) will be the end of a stretch where they will have played 14 of 16 games against teams that rank in the bottom 10 offensively. They’ll have a rest advantage when they begin a two-game trip in Oklahoma City on Friday, the first of two meetings with the Thunder in eight days,” he continued.

The only teams that rank higher than the Knicks are the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom sit in first place in their respective conference’s standings.

Even though the Knicks have been dealt an easier hand as of late, they are still executing at a high level and pulling out these wins. Earlier in the year, the Knicks dropped some games they should have otherwise won, so grabbing victories here is a sign of growth.

If the Knicks can continue winning at this rate, they could find themselves clipping at the heels of the Boston Celtics and aforementioned Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings.

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