The Knicks have stressed the need to take their season one step at a time. Sunday, they took the first step in what could be the most important stretch of the season without stumbling. And they did it well enough that even Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau could not resist emptying his bench early.
As they have been throughout the season, the Knicks were up to the task — winning a game that they had to get, the first stop on a six-game road trip being the lone meeting with a struggling opponent. The Knicks did what they had to, dominating the downtrodden Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center, 122-97.