N.Y. Knicks: Turning Up The Heat

From the desk: KICKING CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WITH JIMMY

Knicks Scorching and Torching the Competition

Forget the nine-game win streak.  Like the weather outside, the Knicks keep cranking up the heat.  

They totaled 2,146 points through 21 games in December and January for an average of 102.1 points per game.  

Since the acquisition of Derrick Rose, the Knicks are averaging 109.9 points over their last 44 games.  

• The Knicks played the first three games of February without Rose, who made his debut on Feb. 9 against Miami.  

In fifteen April games, they averaged 114.3 points per game and limited their opponents to 105.4 points per game for a +8.7 differential.  After Monday's victory over Memphis, the Knicks are averaging 120 points through two games in May.

Meanwhile, they remain the league's stingiest team, yielding just 104.6 points per game.

Against the Grizzlies, Rose scored 25 points with a +16 in 27 minutes off the bench.  That makes back-to-back 20-plus point games and the third such effort in his last four games.  It's the fifth time since rejoining the Knicks he eclipsed 20 points.  In fact, all five instances have occurred in the last eight games.