New York Knicks Approaching Season-Defining Road Trip
The New York Knicks are approaching a stretch of games that will go a long way towards defining the team’s success or failure in 2016-17.
The New York Knicks have responded to early adversity in an incredible way. Since falling to 3-6, Jeff Hornacek and the Knicks have gone 8-3 to finish the first quarter of the 2016-17 NBA regular season at 11-9.
Encouraging as that all may be, the Knicks are about to embark upon a season-defining stretch of road games.
New York will play six of its next seven games away from Madison Square Garden. That will begin with a road game against the Miami Heat on Tuesday, December 6 and continue with a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, December 7.
Following that brutal back-to-back, the Knicks will play five consecutive games on the road.
The Knicks will live on the west coast for a week with the first outing coming against the Sacramento Kings on Friday, December 9. New York will then play the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday, December 11.
The Knicks will end the road trip with games against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, December 13, the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, December 15, and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, December 17.
If that’s not enough, the Knicks will play three consecutive home games and then close out 2016 with three more road games.
Overall, New York will play six home games and nine road games during the month of December. That’s a brutal stretch for a team that’s 9-3 at home, but just 2-6 on the road.
It’s also an opportunity for the Knicks to right the wrongs of October and November.
New York lost six of its first seven road games, with the exception being an emotional 117-104 victory over the Chicago Bulls. New York won its most recent road game, however, with Carmelo Anthony hitting the game-winner in Minnesota.
For those who missed it:
That’s the type of shot that could change the trajectory of the season.
The primary difference between the Knicks’ success at home and failure on the road has been defense. New York is allowing 103.6 points per game at Madison Square Garden and 110.8 points per game away from The Mecca.
If the Knicks can go at least 3-3 over the next six road games, they can right the ship, remain above .500, and discover a necessary confidence.
More important than securing wins or losses will be playing with the energy that’s been missing for a vast majority of the road games thus far.
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