Tom Thibodeau is finally on verge of some good Knicks problems

The Knicks had lost a couple of games in a row, on the road, to the two acknowledged beasts of the NBA East. They’d gotten steamrolled in Milwaukee in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament, getting trucked by 24 and surrendering 146 points, followed that up with a 133-123 humbling in Boston.

Much of the early speed of the season had sputtered away.

Then came the anvil on the head, on Dec. 11: Mitch Robinson, who’d landed awkwardly on his ankle in Boston, was out. For a time it seemed like a couple of months. Later that was revised to the whole season when it was revealed to be a stress fracture; later still it was announced Robinson would likely be back for the playoffs. He’s been back practicing in the last week.

Monday night marked the Knicks’ 50th game since Robinson went down. To celebrate, they were given the NBA equivalent of a buy game, a 124-99 breeze against the depleted Pistons. In those 50 games the Knicks have pieced together a 31-19 record. When Robinson went out they were in seventh place in the East — tied with the Nets, who were also 12-9.

(Yes. I had to look that last part up twice to make sure it was right.)

These 50 games could have sent things spiraling sideways, especially if you factor in that the other two-thirds of the Knicks’ starting frontcourt are missing, Julius Randle hurt since late January and RJ Barrett traded away in late December, and that Barrett’s replacement, OG Anunoby, has only played three games since late January.