The Knicks are in a three-way tie for the best road record in the league.
That record will be tested on Thursday night when they start a four-game West Coast swing in Sacramento against the Kings.
New York currently has a 20-12 road record. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are also 20-12 on the road.
Why are the Knicks so good on the road?
“Because we have a lot of mentally tough guys, guys with a chip on their shoulder. And then we have just great individual people,” Immanuel Quickley said late Tuesday. “It takes character to win on the road, it takes toughness to win on the road. And I think we have that. So whether we’re up or down, we know how to handle that. And I think it shows when we’ re on the road.”
The fifth-place Knicks are a game ahead of the Nets in the Eastern Conference standings. They are two games behind the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers. Nine of their final 15 games are on the road, including a March 31 date at Cleveland.
Based on their play away from MSG this season, you’d think the Knicks like the road-heavy schedule down the stretch.
“When we go on the road, we don’t really change too much (in terms of our) preparation and stuff like that. Guys are really locked in,” RJ Barrett says. “We have a team of guys that come ready every day and put in the work, are really focused on basketball, trying to win these games.”
According to Tankathon, the Knicks have the 19th-toughest remaining schedule in the NBA (based on opponent winning percentage). The Nets are 9th and the Cavs have the easiest strength of the schedule, per Tankathon.
The Knicks may have Jalen Brunson (questionable) back from his foot injury for the Sacramento game. Tom Thibodeau said on Tuesday that Brunson has been progressing well from treatment and did not require additional testing – like an MRI – on the injury.