The Knicks, owning NBA’s strongest remaining schedule, must rise to the challenge

A four-point triumph implicit the struggling Nets mightiness look similar a hollow victory, but for the Knicks, it’s a reflection of loftier goals.

With their sights acceptable connected an NBA championship, they’ll request to beryllium they tin grip teams acold amended than their cross-town rivals.

Starting Saturday, the Knicks participate the astir grueling agelong of their play — a trial that volition specify whether they’re existent contenders oregon simply passengers connected the roadworthy to the playoffs.

They accidental robust sharpens iron. For the Knicks, there’s nary sharper trial than navigating the toughest remaining regular-season docket successful the NBA.

A Brutal Schedule Ahead

The Knicks’ remaining 37 games are not for the faint of heart.

New York owns the toughest remaining docket successful the NBA, with astir each hostile from present until the play finale connected April 13 against Brooklyn warring either for a championship, to enactment retired of the Play-In Tournament, oregon interruption into it.

Of these 37 games:

• 16 are against morganatic title contenders. These teams see Boston, Cleveland, Memphis, Denver, Houston, Milwaukee and Dallas.
• 15 are against teams bunched unneurotic successful the Play-In scenario, including Indiana, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Golden State, Phoenix, San Antonio, Detroit and Sacramento.
• 6 are against lottery-bound teams specified arsenic Toronto, Portland, Washington, Charlotte and Brooklyn.

The docket includes 3 meetings each with the Celtics and Cavaliers — owners of 2 of the 3 champion records successful each of hoops — and 2 matchups apiece against the Grizzlies, Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Kings, Warriors, Trail Blazers, 76ers, and Hawks.

.529 – Strength of Schedule

As of Thursday morning, the Knicks’ remaining opponents person a combined 839-746 record, oregon a .529 winning percentage, the highest successful the league.

The Knicks are 4-6 against teams with a winning percent of .529 oregon amended and 3-6 against rubric contenders.

Against teams warring for Play-In spots, the Knicks clasp a middling 11-10 record, but this includes 3 wins against an Orlando Magic squad with each conceivable scorer retired owed to injury.

The Knicks’ existent 29-16 grounds arsenic the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 effect volition beryllium tested successful each conceivable way.

.944 – Dominance Over Losing Teams

If there’s 1 country wherever the Knicks shine, it’s against teams astatine the bottommost of the standings. New York boasts a 17-1 grounds against losing teams, a .944 winning percent that’s kept them afloat. However, they’ll lone look six much lottery-bound opponents the remainder of the way, including one-offs against the Raptors, Hornets, Wizards, and Nets, positive a two-game acceptable with Portland.

Yet their grounds against losing teams underscores the interest moving forward: 17 of the Knicks’ 29 full victories person travel against teams beneath .500, leaving New York with conscionable a 12-15 grounds against winning teams this season.

9 – Back-to-Backs

The Knicks look 9 back-to-back sets successful the 2nd half, on with a daunting 10-day, five-game West Coast roadworthy travel successful March.

They’ll besides endure 3 brutal stretches of consecutive playoff-caliber opponents:

• A five-game gauntlet opening Saturday against the Kings.
• A 12-game agelong spanning the All-Star interruption successful February and aboriginal March.
• Ten playoff opponents successful their last 13 games of the season.

Adding to the challenge, the Knicks volition look back-to-backs some entering and exiting the All-Star break, leaving small clip for recovery.

What Lies Ahead

The Knicks person demonstrated their quality to grip weaker teams, but their way to existent contention requires rising to the situation against tougher opponents.

Struggles against some rubric contenders and Play-In hopefuls person exposed the inconsistency that separates bully teams from large ones. While they can’t power their schedule, they tin power however they respond to the teams successful beforehand of them.

Saturday’s matchup against the Kings is much than conscionable different crippled — it’s the kickoff of a agelong that volition either cement the Knicks arsenic morganatic contenders oregon exposure them arsenic pretenders.

The stakes couldn’t beryllium higher.

With the Eastern Conference standings tightening, the borderline for mistake is slim. The Bucks way the Knicks by conscionable 3 games arsenic the No. 4 seed, with the Pacers and Pistons breathing down their necks successful 5th and sixth place, respectively.

In a league wherever each triumph carries postseason implications, the Knicks person nary prime but to elevate their game.

The roadworthy up is unforgiving, but the accidental to beryllium they beryllium among the NBA’s elite is theirs for the taking.