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Streaking Knicks Face Best in East This Weekend

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Scott Anthony | Last updated Feb 4, 2026 4:28 PM ET

The Knicks are on a season-tying seven-game winning streak, and they face the Western powerhouse Denver Nuggets tonight in New York. Afterwards, they’ll take a quick weekend road trip to Detroit and Boston to face two teams with very real NBA Finals aspirations. What do they owe their current streak to, and who has been absent? The Knicks can expect to face one or both of these teams on their path to the Finals. Their season record is 0-1 against Detroit and 1-1 against Boston, with two more games against both teams remaining on the season schedule.

Streaking Knicks Face Best in East This Weekend

Who Will Help Make it an 8-Game Winning Streak?

With a seven-game winning streak, the Knicks have tied their longest winning streak of the season. During this streak, Karl-Anthony Towns has fulfilled his scoring and rebounding duties, averaging 13.3 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, while grabbing over 20 rebounds against Toronto and Portland. Jalen Brunson has shot well during the streak, with only his game in Toronto as a relative low point. He went 0-3 from three, shot 5-13 from the field, and had 4 turnovers. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby each have a game with team-leading scoring, with Bridges scoring 30 against Toronto and Anunoby 25 against the Lakers. Game-high assists have been led by multiple players, including Josh Hart, Tyler Kolek, Brunson, and Bridges.

Jordan Clarkson, an off-the-bench fire starter, has played in only three out of the last seven games. In those games, he scored just one three-pointer and was only productive against the Wizards. Coach Mike Brown will still need to keep Clarkson in his back pocket against the Pistons and Celtics, as he can always go on a scoring run and nail multiple threes.

Can they add to their winning streak against Denver tonight? It will be their first of two matchups this year. Both the Nuggets and Knicks are dealing with injuries. The Nuggets will be without notable players Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Cameron Johnson (knee), but Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray can carry games on their own. The Knicks have reported five game-time decisions: Mitch Robinson (ankle), Hart (ankle), Mohamed Diawara (ankle), Miles McBride (ankle), and Kevin McCullar Jr. (calf).

At #1 Pistons (32-7) on Friday, February 6th

Jan 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) shoots against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Pistons acquired Kevin Huerter, Dario Saric, and a first-round pick swap with the Timberwolves. Huerter and Saric’s impact will be something to watch, but the Pistons (37-12) are the second best team in the NBA without them. On January 5th, the Pistons defeated the Knicks 121-90 in a thorough beating, forcing the Knicks to commit 20 turnovers and never allowing them to lead by more than one point. The Knicks were missing Josh Hart in that game, but now, Hart may have injured his ankle against the Wizards. He’s likely to sit out a few games as a precaution.

Not many players can stop Cade Cunningham when he wants to score, and he’s averaging almost ten assists per game this season. He’s a team-leading general on the court, and the Knicks will need to find a way to mitigate his impact. During Friday’s game, look to see who is assigned to defend Cunningham and whether the Knicks attempt to deny him the ball. If you don’t make an effort to disrupt Cade’s game, he will effortlessly drop 30 or more (he’s done it nine times this season).

At #3 Celtics (32-18) on Sunday, February 8th

The Celtics acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls yesterday, swapping him for Anfernee Simons. Their front court now includes Vucevic, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza, who will challenge the Knicks’ defense without Robinson or Ariel Hukporti on the floor (the only two Knicks players with more than 2 blocks per game during their seven-game winning streak).

Joe Mazzulla (.723 career win pct.) has conducted business as usual without Jayson Tatum, relying on Jaylen Brown (29.5 PPG), Derrick White (17.1 PPG), and Payton Pritchard (16.9 PPG). Mazzulla’s players have bought into his game plan, and their team chemistry is high. Mazzulla will be active and on point on the sideline during this game, and expect him to be aggressive with timeouts and challenges. Will coach Brown mirror this effort?

A Gauntlet in March Looms on the Road Ahead

In the not-so-distant future, a mostly Western gauntlet sits on their schedule. Beginning March 1st, the Knicks play the Spurs, Raptors, Thunder, Nuggets, and Lakers over the span of a week. It’ll be the final challenging stretch of the season. The Knicks will finally get a break in the middle of March, notably facing the Pacers (twice), Nets, Pelicans, and Wizards; all teams under .500.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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