For the first time since the 2012-13 season, the Knicks head into the All-Star break with a record above the .500 mark.
Of course, that was the last time the Knicks made the playoffs.
Thursday night’s 114-104 win over the Detroit Pistons capped off what turned out to be a very impressive first half of the schedule, as the Knicks take a 19-18 record into the break, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
And while the reality of a playoff run will only become more and more of a possibility as the Knicks get into their second-half schedule, head coach Tom Thibodeau and the team’s key players know that there’s still a lot of work to do and plenty of room to grow after their first half-season of action.
“There are some good things that we did and obviously some things that we have to improve upon,” Thibodeau said after Thursday’s win. “The break comes at a good time. We’ve had a difficult schedule in terms of travel, and we’ll get a chance to gather, take a look at the first half, dig into it, and then, of course, be ready for the second half.
“The challenge will be great. It should bring the best out in us, but just don’t change our approach, concentrate on improvement each and every day, and be ready for Milwaukee. That will be a great test for us first game out.”
While Thibodeau’s fiery leadership has been one of the biggest reasons for the Knicks’ turnaround through the first half, All-Star Julius Randle has led the charge on the court, averaging 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists, while shooting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
But the Most Improved Player candidate echoed what his head coach had to say about where the team is at the break, saying the Knicks need to remain focused heading into their second-half slate.
“It gives us good momentum going into the break,” Randle said of Thursday’s victory. “Now it’s on us as players just to stay sharp, come back ready whenever we have to play vs. Milwaukee. It’s on us. We’ve got to stay sharp, got to stay mentally sharp, and come back and have a good second half. A great half was great for us, but we know that we can keep improving and getting better as a team, and we will.”
RJ Barrett, who had a strong performance Thursday with 21 points, five assists, and four rebounds, noted afterwards that this Knicks team seems to more together and more engaged than last year’s disappointing squad.
“I think we’re working very hard. We’re having some success,” Barrett said. “We still have a lot of things that we have to clean up, but I think hard work is always going to make up for it, so we’re just trying to learn and grow every day.
“I think we’re all engaged. We all have our mindset on the same goal, and we’re all working towards that. We’re very, very together and I’m enjoying this year. I’m loving it a lot.”
The Knicks will begin their second half next Thursday in Milwaukee when they take on the Bucks, hoping to start the second half on the right foot.
