The New York Knicks entered Christmas day with a 16-13 record. After defeating the Orlando Magic on Dec. 22, New York won their second game in a row. Not only were the Knicks looking to finish their homestand on a positive note, but they were looking to build momentum heading into their three-game road trip.
While New York went 2-1 in their homestand, it suffered a tough loss to the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. It then started off their road trip in Atlanta. Carmelo Anthony was ejected in the second quarter after shoving Thabo Sefolosha.
The Knicks struggled in the second half, totaling 19 points in each quarter, but managed to force overtime. They ultimately lost.
Their other two games on their road trip didn’t end well, either. The Knicks’ 3-point defense continued to struggle against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans were almost as efficient from the field as they were from 3-point range. New Orleans shot 44.7 percent from the field compared to 41.4 percent from deep.
That kind of production continued in the new year against one of the bottom offensive teams in the league, the Orlando Magic. Jodie Meeks came out of the gates and drained a few threes en route to 23 points on 6-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
It was no easier against the Milwaukee Bucks, which downed the Knicks 105-104 on a buzzer-beater by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Brandon Jennings believes this is the time for the Knicks to take the next step.
“We got to come ready to play every night,” Jennings said. “This is a time where we can take that next step or it’s going to get ugly.’
The offense isn’t in question. The defense has been an issue for some time now and the team will need to make adjustments as they embark upon a difficult month.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Joakim Noah believes the Knicks will need to build defensively in order to make some noise.
“We have three guys on this team that can score with the best of them. If we can just somehow find a way to build defensively, I think we can really make some noise.”
Recently, there have been rumors about the Knicks upgrading their defense by acquiring a player from the Phoenix Suns. New York is looking for someone that could help bolster their defense.
Even Jeff Hornacek said the team needs to, “Find somebody who can play some defense.”
Out of the Knicks’ 13 opponents left in January, six of them have an under .500 record. New York will need to capitalize on those match-ups, as they are looking to end their three-year playoff drought.
The main challenge for the Knicks will be back-to-backs. New York is 0-6 during the second game of a back-to-back in 2016-17.
New York has 15 games remaining in January. The team has four back-to-backs in the month, which includes a stretch of four games in five nights.
January could be a make or break month for the New York Knicks.
More from Daily Knicks
This article originally appeared on 
