The Knicks are making it look routine. Making it look easy. And, more and more, making it look like they’re an elite team. The most intriguing part? They likely haven’t even hit their ceiling yet. Far from it, they declare.
Tuesday marked an early-season landmark for the Knicks as they played their 10th game of the year. Besides a brief three-game blip, the early returns on Mike Brown’s tenure have been promising. They breezed past the Memphis Grizzlies 133-120 at Madison Square Garden, extending their winning streak to five games.
The Knicks are now a perfect 7-0 at MSG, marking their best home start since the 2012-13 season. Currently, they sit second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the 9-2 Detroit Pistons — the very team they eliminated in the first round of last year’s playoffs. For context, the 2012-13 Knicks team started 10-0 at home. With two more games left on this home stand before hitting the road, the Knicks could soon be within striking distance of that milestone.
The Grizzlies, now 4-8, have struggled this year but are no slouches. They were a playoff team last season and boast plenty of star power in Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. However, the Knicks made them look uncompetitive, breaking their spirit and making it appear as if they had quit on their coach, Tuomas Iisalo.
The game was tied 30-30 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter when the Knicks erupted with a 19-0 run, taking a commanding 49-30 lead just under two minutes into the second quarter. From that point, the Grizzlies never got within single digits the rest of the way. Although they briefly cut their deficit to 10 in the fourth quarter, it was far too little, too late.
The Knicks surpassed 40 points in a quarter once again — this time in the first quarter. For the season, they have now scored 40 or more points in a quarter seven times, compared to just 14 times all of last season. They poured in 77 points in the first half, shooting an impressive 54.7 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from 3-point range.
This game marked the second straight first half in which they surpassed 75 points — the first time they’ve achieved back-to-back first halves like that since 1988. They had 114 points entering the fourth quarter, the most points they’ve scored through three quarters in a game since 2008. Additionally, for the first time in team history, they have surpassed 130 points in three straight games.
Everywhere you look, the Knicks are achieving rare feats. What’s perhaps most promising is the variety of ways they can hurt opponents. Jalen Brunson led the team in scoring with 32 points, but six players scored in double digits, showcasing the team’s balanced attack.
On the opposite side, the disgruntled Ja Morant, whose future with the Grizzlies remains uncertain, struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with 16 points on a rough 4-for-14 shooting.
During this five-game winning streak, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 101 points — a testament to their dominance.
There was a telling moment in the third quarter when Karl-Anthony Towns drove to the rim, was fouled, and made a floater to give the Knicks a 26-point lead. Before he took his free throw, Brunson approached him and expressed dissatisfaction with how they ran the offense on that possession. That moment perfectly encapsulates the high standard the Knicks are holding themselves to.
The season is still young, but the Knicks are sending a clear message: they’re a team to be reckoned with, and they’re just getting started.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/11/sports/surging-knicks-dismantle-grizzlies-to-extend-win-streak-to-five-games/
