New York Knicks Demolish Washington Wizards
Tuesday night in D.C. was supposed to be a stress-free coronation. The Knicks walked into Capital One Arena and absolutely dismantled the Washington Wizards, 132-101. It was the kind of game where youโre checking your watch in the fourth quarter, wondering if you can beat traffic, because the result was decided before halftime. It was their seventh straight win.
But because the basketball gods love a little drama, the headline isn’t just about the blowout. Itโs about Josh Hart walking gingerly toward the tunnel in the third quarter.
The Josh Hart Factor: Why New York Is holding Its breath
In the third quarter, with the game well in hand, Hart exited with an apparent ankle injury. If you watch this team, you know Hart is the caffeine in the Knicks’ morning coffee. Heโs the hustle, the grit, the guy diving for loose balls when up by 20.
Seeing him limp off took the air out of the balloon for a few minutes. Hart had already dealt with ankle issues earlier this season, so seeing a re-aggravation is the last thing the team wanted. He finished with 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. The hope across the boroughs is that this was purely precautionary. With the game turned into a laugher, there was zero reason to risk him.
Total Domination: How the Knicks Dismantled Washington
Injury scare aside, letโs talk about the clinic New York put on. This wasn’t a basketball game; it was a varsity team practicing against the JV squad. The Knicks led by as many as 18 in the first quarter and went into the locker room at halftime up 72-45.
We aren’t seeing the sluggish, confused offense from a few weeks ago. The ball was popping. New York shot a blistering 17-of-37 from deep. When the Knicks are hitting nearly 50% of their threes, good luck to whoever is on the other side.
Karl-Anthony Towns was a force of nature in the paint. He dropped 19 points and vacuumed up 14 rebounds, reminding everyone why the front office made that blockbuster move. He makes the game look easy when he’s engaging on the glass like that.
Then you have Mikal Bridges, who seems to have found his rhythm. He led the way with 23 points, efficiently slicing up a Wizards defense that looked like they were running in mud. Jalen Brunson added 21 points, and here is the miracle of the night: he didn’t have to play superhero minutes. Brunson was the only player on either team to crack the 30-minute mark, and barely at that.
From Slump To Surge: The Knicks Are Rolling
Remember early January? That dark timeline where the Knicks went 2-9 from Dec. 31 to Jan. 19? Fans were calling sports radio, ready to trade everyone and fire the popcorn vendor.
That feels like a lifetime ago. This seven-game winning streak has been nothing short of a rampage. They aren’t just winning; they are burying teams. Look at the margins of victory during this run: 54, 27, 30, and now 31 points. They are crushing the morale of their opponents.
Tuesday marked their 11th consecutive win over the Wizards, a streak that dates back quite a while. Washington, to their credit, tried. Will Riley put up 17, and Bub Carrington had 14. The Wizards had won three of their last five coming in, but running into this buzzsaw was a reality check.
Whatโs Next For the Knicks?
The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season at the perfect time. The chemistry issues that plagued them during the slump seem resolved. The defense is rotating, the extra pass is being made, and everyone seems to know their role.
But the difficulty setting is about to ramp up. New York got to rest their starters down the stretch on Tuesday, and theyโll need those fresh legs. Up next is a Wednesday night showdown at Madison Square Garden against Denver.
Beating the Wizards is one thing; handling Nikola Jokiฤ and the Nuggets on a back-to-back is a different animal entirely. The status of Hart will be the big question mark leading up to tip-off, but if the last seven games are any indication, the Knicks are ready for a fight.
