The Knicks are hoping the third time is the charm.

Since the inception of the Emirates NBA Cup in the 2023-24 season, which was formerly named the “In-Season Tournament,” the Knicks have been the only team to reach the event’s quarterfinals in all three years. Yet, they are still pursuing their first championship.  

A 117-101 road win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals moved them a step closer to that achievement. They will host the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden on Saturday (5:30 p.m.) for the second time in less than a week in the semifinals. The Magic defeated the Miami Heat 117-108 on Tuesday in their quarterfinals matchup.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson established the Knicks’ intentions right out of the gate, netting 20 of his game-high 35 points in the first quarter. All five of the Knicks starters scored in double figures, including forward Josh Hart, who posted 21. With the exception of Brunson (3), everyone in the first unit – Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, O.G. Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges – had five or more rebounds, with Towns topping the team with 16.

The win was the eighth for the Knicks in their last nine games. They are an imposing 13-1 at the Garden. The Oklahoma City Thunder, which was 11-0 before facing the Phoenix Suns at home last night in the quarterfinals of the Emirates Cup, was the only squad with a better mark at home. Overall, at 17-7, the Knicks are in first place in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference behind the 19-5 Detroit Pistons, arguably the league’s most surprising team thus far in the 2025-26 campaign.

Despite laboring to adjust to the first-year head coach Mike Brown’s systems on both offense and defense, appearing disjointed and disconnected during stretches of games, and by and large for much of the opening month, this, after a shift from former head coach Tom Thibodeau’s schemes and principles, the Knicks are coalescing.

“We’re starting to figure out who we are,” said Brown after the win over Toronto on Tuesday. “Early in the season, we had a lot of injuries during the preseason, so I didn’t have a good feel for this team, or as good a feel as I needed to have, and that’s partly the reason we [have had issues] on the road.”

Indeed, in 10 road games, the Knicks are 4-6, a weakness they must improve on as they strive for the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 and first appearance since 1999. 

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