Suddenly red-hot Knicks pick up fifth win in a row with dominant victory over Trail Blazers

It’s incredible just how quickly the mood around a team can change. 

It was just last week that the Knicks looked lost, having dropped nine of 11 games. Jalen Brunson was asking his teammates to “care” more than they had been showing. Their contender chops were being questioned. 

And just like that, that discourse is on the back burner. The dominant team that was present in the beginning of the season has re-emerged. 

The Knicks (30-18) thumped the Blazers 127-97 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, their fifth straight win. Now three games under .500, the Blazers aren’t exactly a huge test. But they do represent the third team currently in the playoff picture that the Knicks have beaten in this streak. 

“We went through a little bit of adversity in terms of our wins and losses,” coach Mike Brown said. “Our guys just kind of stayed with it. We kept trying to help them as best we could. Those guys stayed with it, they stayed together. This is a veteran group that has been through a lot. They figured out what they needed to do to play at a high level. They’re going out there and showing it.” 

Off nights for Brunson are rare. Two in a row? That almost never happens. After finishing with just 13 points and battling an illness in the Knicks’ win over the Raptors on Wednesday, he recorded a team-high 26 points Friday. His four-point play at the end of the first quarter gave the Knicks an early 15-point lead.