Three Takeaways From Knicks' Blowout Win Over Trail Blazers

The winning streak continues.

Within the last couple of weeks, the New York Knicks have made a complete turnaround. They had another dominant win versus the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 30 by a score of 127-97. This would mark their fifth win in a row, with four of those victories coming while they held their opponent to less than 100 points.

Here are three takeaways from another dominant performance by the Knicks:

The Knicks have been locked into their defensive identity.

A battery has been placed in the backs of the players. Since they began their winning streak, it seems as if they’ve been going into practice focusing on defense. In four of the last five games, they’ve held their opponents to under 100 points.

Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown would be the first to acknowledge the switch:

"Defensively, our guys are doing a nice job trying to do what our rules are. They're trying to stay connected, trying to play off of one another," Brown said per video from SNY on X.

There were so many things that the Knicks did as a team that really set them apart defensively. Last night, what Brown spoke about postgame about staying connected and sticking to their defensive principles is what made them successful, whether it was rotating, closing out, or getting the 50-50 balls, the entire team is bought in collectively.

Karl-Anthony Towns Continues To Show His Value.

Much of the news lately surrounding Towns has been trade rumors linking him to the Milwaukee Bucks in talks centering around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Within the last 48 hours, reports circulated that Towns had “hard feelings” this past offseason with the Knicks front office about being in trade talks, per The Athletic's Sam Amick.

However, Towns' play as of late doesn’t reflect that he is bothered by it. In back-to-back games, he has recorded 20+ rebounds. He finished the game with 14 points to go along with it. Currently, he leads the league in rebounding at 11.6 rpg.

Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson spoke about KAT’s impact on the team:

Brunson: "What he's been doing these past couple of games has been great. We need that from him. That's what he brings to the table. Offensively, when the ball's not going in as much as it should be, he finds a way to impact the game. I think that's really important for us, and it's a big-time performance from him." Brunson said per a video from SNY on X.

With Towns continually playing like this, not only does this put the Knicks on top of the Eastern Conference, but the trade talks will more than likely become quieter and quieter.