Road WarriorsOne of the most impressive aspects to the Knicks strong start is the resiliency seen on the road. New York has found success away from the Garden by compiling a 5-2 mark, including 2 consecutive wins to start the four-game road trip. The Knicks did not win their fifth road game until March 12 last season, which shows their drastic improvement from a year ago. Additionally, New York owns the best road record in the Eastern Conference and only trails the defending champs and Minnesota for the top road record in the NBA.
Porzingis’ Swat Party and Notable NumbersOn Saturday night, Knicks fans witnessed a truly dominant performance from Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian tortured the Rockets by protecting the paint and converting clutch buckets in crunch time to help New York snap a 10-game losing skid in Houston. With 24 points, 14 boards, and seven swats, Porzingis became the first 20-year old to post that stat line in a single game since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93. Porzingis leads rookies in single game performances for points (29), rebounds (tied with Okafor 15), and blocks (7). Oh, and the 7-3 forward/center has six double-doubles in 14 outings this year.
Galloway’s 3-Point AttackLangston Galloway is the league’s leader in 3-point shooting. The second-year guard is showing no signs of slowing down and his marksmanship has provided the Knicks with a dynamic threat from the 3-point line this season. As of Monday afternoon, Galloway ranks No. 1 by hitting 55.3 percent from deep and is tied at the top in makes. Legendary shooter Dirk Nowitzki trails Galloway in the ranking and Doug McDermott is currently in the third spot. Galloway has evolved into a two-way player off the bench for New York, which is certainly one of the reasons the orange and blue is riding a 4-game winning streak and greatly improved this season.
Calderon’s ResurgenceJose Calderon has bounced back nicely after struggling in the first couple games of the season. Over his last five contests, Calderon is averaging 9.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He’s also netting 60.7 percent of his shots from the field and a sparkling 59.2 percent behind the arc in 27.4 minutes of action. The return and placement of Arron Afflalo in the starting lineup next to Calderon has helped balance the starting unit. Afflalo allows Calderon to explore opportunities off the ball and the pair has developed a nice chemistry in the backcourt.
Lopez Wins AgainThe Knicks are 8-6, 5-2 on the road, and enjoying a 4-game winning streak. None of this really matters considering Robin Lopez is undefeated against mascots this year. After a surprise attack on Saturday night, Lopez showed his takedown skills and finishing technique against Clutch The Bear in Houston.