Knicks display determination and intensity in much-needed win over Magic

A day or two can change the vibes.

The New York Knicks appeared on the defensive earlier this week, deploying a fly swatter to fend off the bottom part of the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture. On Thursday, someone handed them a sword.

OG Anunoby practiced again, back to five-on-five drills and merely awaiting clearance from team doctors before he can return for a game. During a win over the Orlando Magic the next day, Isaiah Hartenstein moved like he did before tendinopathy took over his Achilles. Jalen Brunson scored as often as you would expect from an All-Star guard, and oh, the knee contusion that appeared so nasty less than a week ago wasn’t enough to keep him out for more than one game. Precious Achiuwa bombarded the boards and swatted any shot near him. Josh Hart pulled off an uncanny impression of Josh Hart. The Knicks defended like a force.

On Friday, they downed the Magic 98-74, the fewest points any team has allowed in the NBA this season and the first time the Knicks have held an opponent to fewer than 75 since April 2012. The Knicks had dropped their first three games of the season against Orlando, which entered the night a half-game better in the Eastern Conference. The victory swung New York (37-26), which hopes to avoid the Play-In Tournament, back into fourth place.

But forget about the result — even if it did matter, for every obvious reason. Instead, focus on the circumstances of the win.

Only five days after hobbling off the court in Cleveland, Brunson didn’t just play. He looked like his usual self, going for 26 points in only 29 minutes. And on the other end, it was as if one of the world’s most intimidating defenders had already come back; Anunoby’s spirit was everywhere.

The fully idealized version of the Knicks, the one fans received a glimpse of during a 14-2 January but hasn’t encountered since, is closer to reforming.

Anunoby’s rehab is going according to plan. He underwent surgery to remove a loose bone fragment from his right elbow in early February. Because the operation was routine, just a cleaning, the expectation was that he would see doctors again three weeks after the surgery and would be cleared for on-court activities then. Not long later, he would be good to go.

Now, he’s right on schedule, back to contact drills.

All Thibodeau awaits is word from team doctors that the backbone of his defense is ready. If he returns in the coming days, New York will have time to ease him back in. The playoffs are more than a month away.

The Knicks have a couple of upcoming home games against the Philadelphia 76ers, who aren’t as intimidating as they once were, considering Tyrese Maxey’s status remains uncertain with the All-Star guard stuck in concussion protocols. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid is recovering from a knee injury. An otherwise difficult West Coast trip then begins with a cookie: a meeting with the inexperienced Portland Trail Blazers.

That’s three winnable games, especially if Anunoby participates in one or two of them. All of a sudden, a sliver of light is gleaming through the Knicks’ training room.

There is hope when Thibodeau says that Anunoby had been running around practices without restrictions. There is hope in watching Julius Randle, who is rehabbing a dislocated shoulder, work up a sweat before games, going full speed through shooting and ballhandling drills. There is hope in the way the defense stifled the Magic, even if Orlando is not the scariest offensive squad. It’s not 1997 anymore. Allowing 74 points through three quarters, let alone four, is impressive.

There is hope in the way Hartenstein moved, especially when he smacked away a would-have-been dunk from Orlando All-Star Paolo Banchero. Hartenstein has mostly played through the Achilles tendinopathy that has plagued him, but especially for the past month, he hasn’t looked the same.

The Knicks didn’t have the league’s top defense in January only because Anunoby was around, though the NBA All-Defensive stalwart was the primary reason. It also was because of Hartenstein, who walled off the paint. His rejection of Banchero — that type of rebuff was a regular occurrence in January.

On Friday, a team that understood the moment showed up.

The Knicks were reeling, losing eight of their past 11. They had just relinquished a winnable game to the Atlanta Hawks on a night that they clanked too many open jumpers. After two days off, they entered Friday’s match with a different tone.

Minutes into the game, Brunson pulled up to launch a 3-pointer from near the logo. He swished it in. Those aren’t the actions of someone whose knee is bugging him. And it wasn’t the type of shot the Knicks were hitting during the 116-100 defeat to Atlanta.

Thibodeau coached differently, too.

The former Detroit Pistons were not as imperative to Friday’s rotation. Alec Burks, who has struggled since coming to the Knicks in February, didn’t enter the game until the second quarter. He played for five minutes, subbed out and never returned. Thibodeau went with an eight-man rotation in the second half. Bojan Bogdanović played for only 12 minutes total.

It’s a trend to watch, especially once Anunoby re-enters the starting lineup and Randle returns after that.

Has Miles “Deuce” McBride officially passed Burks in the pecking order? Does that mean zero playing time for Burks, who the Knicks acquired hoping he would stabilize the offense behind Brunson? Does Bogdanović receive only 15 or so minutes? Could it be less than that if Achiuwa attacks teams how he did the Magic, pulling down 14 boards, blocking five shots and somehow inserting himself into just about any play that involved a loose ball?

These are first-world problems, ones that imply the Knicks have too many good players. Organizations strive for these types of issues.

For the first time in a while, the Knicks looked like one of those teams. It’s amazing how just 48 hours can alter the mood.

(Top photo of Josh Hart: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)