Knicks Hold Firm in Latest NBA Power Rankings

The New York Knicks are sitting at 37-21 and holding third place in the Eastern Conference. It has been a week that showed both sides of this team, and what you see is not always pretty.

NBA.com's John Schuhmann released his Week 19 Power Rankings and kept New York fourth overall, same spot as last week. The Knicks played three games coming out of the All-Star break, going 2-1. That standing might feel a little generous after the Detroit loss, but the Houston comeback likely saved them from dropping.

That 2-1 record looks decent on paper, but the Detroit loss at home was a gut punch. The Pistons completed a season sweep of the Knicks and it was not close. New York shot just 23 percent from three and got carved up in the paint all night.

The Houston win was the flip side. Down 18 in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks clawed all the way back and won 108-106. That kind of fight is what makes this team hard to write off, even when they frustrate you.

Three Things Standing Out in the Knicks NBA Power Rankings

Feb 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The first thing Schuhmann flagged was the Detroit problem, and it is a real one.

"Only the Kings and Nets have allowed the Pistons to score more efficiently this season than the Knicks, who allowed 127.2 points per 100 possessions over the three-game season series."

Cade Cunningham dropped 42 points, targeting mismatches and going directly at OG Anunoby. Until New York figures this out, Detroit is a genuine concern heading into the playoffs.

Then there is Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been the engine keeping this offense moving.

Schuhmann noted he scored 20-plus in five straight games and highlighted this.

"He turned a one-point deficit into a five-point lead with a personal, 6-0 run in the closing minutes in Chicago. Towns has now committed 17 more offensive fouls than any other player in the league, but he's also registering the highest free-throw rate of his career," he wrote.

That aggression is exactly what New York needs from him every single night.

The clutch factor is the third piece, and the most encouraging one.

Schuhmann pointed out that "they've won five of their last six that were within five points in the last five minutes. They rank fourth in clutch offense, with Jalen Brunson's clutch usage rate not quite as high as his league-high mark last season."

Brunson still delivered the go-ahead bucket against Houston when it mattered most.

Nine of their next eleven games are on the road. Cleveland and Milwaukee come first, then the Spurs visit MSG. The Knicks are good enough to make a deep run, but if Detroit shows up on the other side of a playoff series, New York is going to need a whole different game plan.

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