The New York Knicks are suddenly surging before the All-Star break. For a second, it looked like the team might not get five more wins this season, now suddenly they are looking to get their fifth in six games. The Knicks are benefitting from the return of Carmelo Anthony after sitting with knee discomfort along with two unknown names motivated by short-term contracts. Now they hit the road to face the struggling Pacers in hopes of starting a win streak.
The Knicks broke a 16-game losing streak and then followed that up with an unthinkable win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Suddenly New York is on a 4-1 run, limiting opponents to just 91.4 points per game, shooting 28.3 percent from beyond the arc. They have a functioning defense and flowing offense, something that had yet to be seen all season long.
The biggest reason for the Knicks success is unknown Langston Galloway and Lance Thomas who have been working off 10-day contracts. Galloway is playing so well the Knicks went and gave him a contract that lasts through next season. He and Tim Hardaway Jr have combined for 32 of the team's 71 points from long range over the past five games. Pair that with Anthony who put up 31 points and 10 rebounds against the Thunder and New York is a team to watch. Thomas is also playing a big role averaging 16.3 points on 62.2 percent shooting over the past three games.
New York now hits the road where they are a league-worst 3-20. Their four wins recently have come at home, so now they must put their success to the test against the Packers who hare looking worse for the wear while trying to avoid a four-game home losing streak. The team is currently shooting 25.6 percent from beyond the arc while letting opponents put up 48.9 percent from the field over the past five games. The Pacers are simply not connecting with one another while the roster holes are too big to fill. After losing to the Toronto Raptors, they are hoping for a bounce-back against New York.
