The mighty Knicks lead the NBA in offensive rating, something they haven't done over a full season since the league began tracking a metric that measures points per 100 possessions.
The Knicks enter Thursday's home game against the Hornets with a league-high 121.0 offensive rating, also the highest since at least the 1996-97 season, according to NBA.com.
“I think it's an all-around play,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said before Tuesday's 121-106 win over the Magic. “We want to be top-10 on both sides of the ball. .
“But I think we've proven over the last few years that we have a pretty good reputation offensively.”
In fact, Thibodeau's team ranked seventh in the NBA in offensive rating last season with 117.3 points per 100 possessions, and fourth in the 2022-23 season with 117.0.
He has finished in the top 10 only twice in the past 25 seasons, in 2012-13 under coach Mike Woodson (109.8 points) and in 2010-11 under coach Mike D'Antoni (109.9 points). It was 5th place.
Championship-winning Nuggets manager Michael Malone said recently before the Knicks scored a season-high 145 points in Denver. Because they're elite offensively.”
The reborn Knicks (13-8) have two players averaging over 25 points per game: All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson and imported big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
Five starters, including OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and rookie Mikal Bridges, are averaging nearly 100 points (97.8 points) combined, and top reserve Miles McBride is averaging a career-best 11.3 points per game. He contributed to double-digit points.
The Knicks also lead the league in free throw percentage (.841) and are second to the Cavaliers in field goal percentage (.497) and 3-point percentage (.395).
“That means the ball is coming in. We're giving them rotation. We're making the right plays,” said Brunson, who is averaging a career-best 7.7 assists through 21 games. spoke. “And our defense in particular is solid. We're getting stops defensively and being able to run. That makes things a lot easier for us.”
The Knicks rank 21st in the league in defensive rating, but looked comfortable on both ends of the floor against a Magic team on the rise with the NBA's top defensive rating and 12 wins in their last 13 games. That's for sure.
The Knicks scored 71 points in the first half and led by as many as 37 points in the third quarter, advancing to the NBA Cup quarterfinals.
“We knew they were going to be physical, so we used that physicality against them,” said Hart, who recorded his second triple-double of the season. “We went into our sets and once they got together in the paint, we kicked out and made our shots. So I think we did that. I think we were very selfless.”
Much of that physicality was provided by Towns working alongside Orlando's brothers Franz and Moe Wagner, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds.
The 7-foot Towns led the league with 13.1 boards per game, just ahead of Denver's Nikola Jokic.
“We’re just building, I think we’re building every game,” Towns said. “We're getting better and more cohesive. I think what's so good is [Tuesday’s win] We talk too much about offense, but I thought our defense matched up with our offense, and that's what we ultimately need to be the team we think we are. That's what happened [of the season]”
