It's good times in New York! Well, at least for the Knicks.
The New York Knicks (31-17) are the third seed in the Eastern Conference after picking up a 118-103 win against the surging Utah Jazz.
With the Philadelphia 76ers loss to the Golden State Warriors last night and the Knicks having won eight games in a row, finishing with a 14-2 record in the span of 16 games; the Knicks are propelled to the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
They are 1.5 games behind the second seed Milwaukee Bucks and six games from the top-seeded Boston Celtics.
The Knicks have found their groove halfway through the season and can compete with some of the best in the Eastern Conference.
New York Knicks: What's Working
The Knicks have continued to get it done, mainly thanks to their deep roster and stars' continuing to play well.
Last night's win against the Jazz was another example of the Knicks depth as they saw several role players step up.
Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, who have played masterfully throughout January, both went off for big games last night. DiVincenzo had dropped a career-high 33 points, along with Hart's Triple Double to help lift the Knicks past the Jazz.
Jalen Brunson may be on his way to his first All-Star selection, continuing an excellent string of play by dropping 29 points against the Jazz.
The Knicks have also gotten strong play from Miles McBride and Isaiah Hartenstein throughout the month of January as they continue to rise up the standings.
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New York Knicks: Wounded but Working
The Knicks would try to keep this momentum despite not having two of their biggest stars on the roster.
The Knicks will be without All-Star power forward Julius Randle, who is currently out due to a dislocated shoulder; and small forward OG Anunoby, who they traded for last month and has been day-to-day due to right elbow inflammation.
Randle has played at an All-Star level all season, averaging 24.8 points per game and has finally looked like the perfect complimentary star to Brunson.
Anunoby since being traded to the Knicks has been huge on defense for the Knicks and has also provided them with a good floor spacer.
According to a source that told ESPN, the Knicks seem optimistic that Randle would likely be back sooner rather than later, that his timeline would be measured in weeks not months.
Though both players have only missed a few games, with it looking likely that Randle would be out a bit longer, the Knicks hope that they can continue their excellence throughout the month of February even without the two stars.
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