Undefeated at home — and with a chance to keep running up the tab.
The Knicks are protecting Madison Square Garden under new head coach Mike Brown, turning home games into statement nights to open the season.
They’ve rebounded from a three-game road skid to stack four straight home wins entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the first leg of a back-to-back that continues Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
The Knicks entered the back-to-back a perfect 6-0 at home, tied with the Denver Nuggets for the most home victories among the six remaining teams still unbeaten in front of their own fans.
“We had lost three in a row, and a lot of people thought the sky was falling. We hadn’t been together long. I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t know when to put Josh [Hart] in, when to take him out. I didn’t know when to put Mitch [Robinson] in, when to take him out. I was still figuring out our rotations and how we’re going to play and all that other stuff. So we just needed time. Again, I was bad, and we were bad as a team,” Brown said after Sunday’s victory over the Nets. “Again, it’s not going to happen in one night. We may go on another three-game losing streak. We may mess up in the third quarter. Who knows? If you want to be great in life you’ve got to find a way to be consistent. Be consistent. That’s the biggest thing.”
The Knicks are winning at home by an average of 17.6 points per game, a run highlighted by Sunday’s 36-point demolition of the Nets, a 23-point victory over the Timberwolves, and a 12-point win that handed the Bulls their first loss of the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns has long emphasized the importance of owning home court — the kind of advantage that carries weight deep into the postseason.
“All of us got pride. We want to have the fans going home smiling,” Towns said after Sunday’s win. “And we want to protect home court and continue to give our fans something to cheer for.”
If the hot start is any indication, the Knicks are positioned to build some early separation. Eleven of their next 22 games are at home, meaning 17 of their first 25 contests will take place at Madison Square Garden. Entering Tuesday’s meeting with Memphis, the Knicks (6-3) sat second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, with Miami, Cleveland, and Milwaukee tied at 7-4 and both Chicago and Philadelphia at 6-4.
Still, Towns insists the focus stays squarely on the moment.
“I worry about the present. Today is Brooklyn,” he said Sunday. “Tuesday is someone else — Memphis. And then Wednesday? I only know about Wednesday because it’s my birthday the next day. For me, I just always stay focused on the present. The future will take care of itself. Get this win. Find a way to win tonight. Tomorrow we’ll regroup and worry about the next one.”
The schedule tilts in the Knicks’ favor early — no team in the NBA has had a longer home stretch this soon into the season.
“We want to take advantage of being at home absolutely,” said Miles McBride. “Just make sure we go out there and handle business every night.”
JC FOR 3
Sixth man Jordan Clarkson says he’s growing more comfortable within Brown’s offense and alongside his new teammates — and that comfort is beginning to translate to production.
Clarkson tallied 11 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes against the Nets on Sunday, marking his third double-figure outing in his last four games. Over that span, he’s shooting 57.6% from the field and 41.2% from three, ranking among the league leaders in effective field goal percentage for players averaging at least 15 minutes off the bench.
“I still think I’ve got a long way to go in terms of all the calls and all the movement we have offensively,” Clarkson said after the victory over the Nets. “It’s taken some time to get used to everybody and the system and coach as well, so I’m just trying to stay locked in on that offensively and then defensively for me it’s being in the right spots and trying to bring anything I can on that end.”
WORK IN PROGRESS
Towns continues to fine-tune his fit in Brown’s up-tempo system — and the process remains ongoing.
Towns’ scoring average has dipped from 24.4 points per game last season to 20.7 so far this year, and his efficiency has fallen nine percentage points from both the field and beyond the arc.
“I think everything we’re doing is still a work in progress and we’re trying to — all of us are trying to figure out how we can impact in the system most efficiently,” Towns said. “I’m glad we’re learning through wins.”
