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Feb 27, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) before the tip off against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

For the Knicks, This is The Homestretch

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Steven Simineri | Last updated Mar 1, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks will kick off March and the homestretch of their season with an NBA Cup Final matinee rematch against the San Antonio Spurs. It feels like ages ago that Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson, who are both out of the rotation, helped spur a fourth quarter comeback that catapulted the Knicks to a 124-113 Cup Championship.

The Knicks have had a Jekyll and Hyde season since that game, but they are playing good basketball with 13 wins across their last 17 games. Meanwhile, the scorching hot Spurs have won 11 straight and just became the first team in league history to go undefeated in a month while scoring 110+ points in every game (minimum 10 games).

Over the last five weeks, the two teams have been the best in the NBA by multiple metrics, per NBA.com. In defensive rating, the Knicks are first at 105.4, followed by the Spurs at 106.9. When it comes to net rating, San Antonio is first at +12.3, and the Knicks are third at +11.0. The 13 wins by each squad are tied for the most since Jan. 20.

The Knicks And Spurs Are The NBA's Hottest Teams

The 38-22 Knicks have 22 games remaining and it’s a dash to the finish line and juggle for seeding now. Mike Brown's team responded from an uninspiring loss in Cleveland with a blowout of the Bucks earlier this weekend. Yet they are still seeking to be the best version of themselves on a consistent basis.

"It's important to battle through adversity," Karl-Anthony Towns told MSG Networks after their 127-98 demolition in Milwaukee. "When you're in a playoff setting you may lose one, you got to get next and show we can bounce back quick, but consistency. Keep building off this and be the best team we can be come late April."

Karl-Anthony Towns Has Been Back To His Old Self Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

There’s a real chance this group can reach 55 wins, something the franchise hasn't done since the 1996-97 season and only five times during their 79 years of existence, which would very likely mean a top-three seed and not playing Detroit in the second round.

New York trails the Pistons by seven games for the top seed in the East, and that is all but out of reach. They wake up today in 1.5 games up on Cleveland for the third seed in the East and 1.5 games behind the Celtics for the number two spot. There's only a three -game cushion on the Raptors, who sit in fifth place at 35-25.

These last few weeks boil down to two remaining segments. New York has six games over the next nine days, which include games against the Spurs, at Toronto, a home matchup with Oklahoma City, and then a trip out West, where the team plays in Denver and a back-to-back in Los Angeles.

The Knicks Embark On Their Biggest Test Of The Season

The Knicks will conclude their West Coast swing against the tanktastic Jazz, and then play in Indiana before heading home. Then come 14 games to finish things off, eight of which are at Madison Square Garden. Ten of those games come against teams that are under .500.

Seven of their remaining games come against tanking teams. Assuming they take care of business against the dregs of the league, the Knicks need to go just 7-8 in the other 15 games to eclipse last season’s win total of 51.

The last gasps of the long 82-game grind gives way to the homestretch of a basketball season with so much still unresolved. For the Knicks, it's all sitting right in front of them.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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