The New York Knicks campaign has been nothing but a rollercoaster ride this year with its fair share of ups and downs. And that looked set to continue with the side bouncing back from its mid-season slump in style. After destroying the Nets, they won against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. And suddenly, the iconic franchise is being loved by the New York media once again.
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The Knicks have had a solid season, all things considered. They even won the NBA Cup in December, after which their difficult stretch began. They were 2-8 in their last 10 games, with the team suffering blowout losses to weaker teams like Dallas.
News publications were not too kind to the Knicks roster, with many calling out their chemistry issues. They were being discussed as a potential play-in team, with some going as far as calling them a “lottery side.” Now, they are the darling competitors for the top spots once again. Josh Hart, however, is not willing to respond to this “love” too kindly.
“You guys can write what you want. Three games ago, we were turning into a lottery team, and now y’all are like oh, we’re battling up the East,” said Hart after the Knicks’ victory over Philadelphia.
The only way for players to fight back against a negative media narrative is by showing that it does not bother them. Hart and New York were underdogs going into Philly. Now, they have reminded the East of who they are and what their potential is.
Josh Hart: “You guys can write what you want. Three games ago, we were turning into a lottery team, and now yall are like oh, we’re battling up the East.”
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) January 24, 2026
The craziest thing about the 76ers game was that the Knicks essentially did it without Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been under pressure of late. Towns fouled out early and watched as New York had a tremendous third quarter, going on a 30-13 run.
That stretch of play showed how dominant their offense can be when Towns is not in it. Mikal Bridges also had a quiet game, scoring just nine. Jalen Brunson continues to be clutch, Hart is the heart of the team, and role players like Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Tyler Kolek, and Landry Shamet have made more of a difference than KAT or Bridges.
Last year, the Knicks surpassed all expectations. This year, people want them to fail more than ever. And they will need KAT and Mikal to be in tip-top form to counter that.
What this difficult stretch and comeback really showed is that the Knicks’ identity is not tied to one star or one hot run, but to adaptability. They can win pretty, they can win ugly, and they can win when the script gets flipped mid-game.
That is usually the difference between a team that survives the regular season and one that scares people in April. The noise around the Knicks is not going anywhere, but nights like this hint that New York might finally be built to outlast it instead of reacting to it.
