New York Knicks: 10 Reasons They're NBA's Hottest Team Despite Loss To Celtics
Basketball has returned to Madison Square Garden.
Because for the first time since the Patrick Ewing era; the New York Knicks are relevant.
Led by Amar'e Stoudemire—who is giving a big eff-you to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade for picking Chris Bosh as their preferred sidekick—the Knicks have won 13 of their last 15 games.
Even though their eight-game winning streak came to an end last night in a 118-116 heartbreaker to the Celtics, the Knicks are still the hottest team in basketball.
A last-second loss to the Celtics' is nothing to scoff at, and the Knicks have proven that they're here to stay.
Here's why New York is playing better basketball than anyone else in the NBA...
They're Looking Like the Phoenix Suns of Old
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It took Mike D'Antoni a couple of seasons to get the right mix of talent in place, but he finally has the right blend to run his trademark run-and-gun, uptempo offense effectively.
D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix led the league in scoring for three straight seasons from 2004-05 to 2006-07, and topped the 110 points per game mark in three of his four seasons as head coach.
The Knicks are currently second in the NBA in scoring offense, at 108.8 points per game.
This group clearly has the talent to duplicate what D'Antoni did in Phoenix, where he compiled a 253-136 (.650) record in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
And when you see that they've topped the 100-point mark nine games in a row, you'll realize this team isn't going to stop scoring anytime soon.
They may not have Steve Nash, but the Knicks can still light it up.
Carmelo Anthony Could Be En Route
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With Carmelo Anthony reportedly only willing to sign an extension with the Knicks if he's traded, the rich could keep on getting richer.
The Knicks are the hottest team with or without 'Melo, but now that it seems that they are the only team with a shot to add his 23.7 points per game, their flame just keeps on growing.
This team puts up almost 110 points per game without a dominant perimeter scorer, and if they add Anthony, the heavens are the limit for the Knicks' offense.
The Rabid New Yorkers Are Flocking
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The Knicks will always come close to filling up the Garden because of its history, but now they've become the hottest ticket in the Big Apple.
Closet Knick fans are popping up with their "GO KNICKS!" Facebook statuses and tweets by the thousands, something that hasn't happened since, well, ever, because the Knicks haven't been good since the Social Media Age began.
The Bandwagoners are out in full force, and you could even hear it through the TV broadcast last night against Boston.
With thousands of screaming, sports-crazy New Yorkers flocking to the Garden to cheer on the flavor of the year, the noise level in the Garden will be off the charts.
It'll be like a Justin Bieber concert, except bellowing New York sports fans will be the ones doing the screaming.
And with the Garden booming like this, the Knicks could be unbeatable at home.
They Win on The Road
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Winning on the road in the NBA is no joke.
Just ask the Washington Wizards, who own an 0-12 record away from the friendly confines of the Verizon Center.
But the Knicks are doing their best work outside of MSG, with a 10-4 mark. Those 10 wins are tied for tops in the NBA.
And once their strange 6-6 record at home returns to normalcy, the Knicks will just get even hotter.
They Knock Down Shots
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A Mike D'Antoni-led team can't be successful unless it shoots the lights out of the ball.
Fortunately for the Knicks, their shooting has been outstanding.
New York is second in the NBA in free-throw percentage (.812), first in three-pointers made per game (9.1) and sixth in field goal percentage (.471).
The Knicks are simply put, wet.
The Lakers Are Lukewarm
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This all might sound well and good, but to be the hottest team in the NBA, you've got to be playing better than every other team in the league.
The Lakers have more talent than the Knicks, but they aren't showing it.
They've lost five of their last 11 games, and the five wins have come against New Jersey, Washington (twice), Indiana, Sacramento and that other L.A. team.
It's pretty clear the Knicks are going through a better stretch than the Lakers.
Miami Is Just a Bit Behind
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In case you haven't heard, the Miami Heat have a little bit of talent down there in South Beach.
And they're the second-hottest team in basketball, winners of 10 games in a row.
But the Knicks have been just a bit better.
Since they turned their season around on Nov. 17, the Knicks are 13-2.
Miami is 13-4 over that same time period.
The Heat are on fire, but are still a few degrees cooler than the Knicks.
Friday night's matchup at the Garden might change things, though.
Rajon Rondo Is Out of Commission
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Ah, but didn't the Celtics, who came within one game of an NBA title last season, just beat the Knicks?
Yes, they did. But hear me out.
Rajon Rondo sprained his ankle in the win, and reportedly will be out a couple of weeks.
With Rondo, Boston might be the hottest team in basketball.
But without his precision passing, they're not.
They Torched a Top Defense
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People are criticizing the Knicks for their not-so-daunting schedule, but just take a minute to reflect on what they did last night.
Despite the loss (which would have been a win if the Knicks had an extra few tenths of a second), New York put up 116 points. On Boston.
That's the same Boston team that is ranked third in the NBA in scoring defense, held Charlotte to just 62 points the game before, and has only given up over 101 points in regulation once, to the "Other Big Three" in Miami.
If you don't want to get excited about their 129-point outburst against the Nuggets, knock yourself out.
But the Knicks just put up 118 on the Celtics. Don't take that with a grain of salt. In fact, throw your salt shaker out, and down a bottle Frank's Red Hot, because the Knicks are slathered in it.
Amar'e Stoudemire
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After the Knicks signed Ama're Stoudemire to his max contract, all the "experts" laughed at the so-called desperation move.
In fact, New York got just about as much flak as LeBron did for "The Decision."
But it turned out to be the best non-LeBron signing of the summer, as Stoudemire has been the league's best player during the Knicks' hot streak.
Amar'e is second in the NBA in scoring at 26.7 points per game, and has scored 30+ points in nine consecutive games.
He's ranked eighth in John Hollinger's EWA (Estimated Wins Added) stat at 6.2 and 10th in PER (Player Efficiency Rating), despite a merely solid start to the year.
Stoudemire scored at will against Boston's vaunted defense, knocking down 15-of-22 shots, many of them jumpers.
If he keeps up his current pace, people will have a hard time leaving him off of their MVP ballots, especially with everyone's unrelenting allergy to LeBron.
But Can They Beat the Heat?
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The Knicks are the hottest team in the league right now.
But when Miami travels to Madison Square Garden on Friday night, it's up to New York to prove that it wants to keep that spot.
Whichever team wins will clearly be on the biggest roll in the NBA.
But no matter what happens, we know one thing.
The Knicks are back.
Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud.
