Knicks’ Home-Court Dominance Is No Fluke - But Can They Pack That Energy on the Road?
There’s something brewing at Madison Square Garden, and it’s not just the echo of another loud Knicks win. Through the early stretch of the 2025-26 season, New York has turned the Garden into a fortress - a place where opponents walk in knowing they’re in for a battle, and often walk out with a loss.
At 10-1 at home, the Knicks own the second-best home record in the league, trailing only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who’ve yet to lose in their own building. That kind of start doesn’t happen by accident - it’s the product of energy, execution, and a team that’s buying in to the idea that MSG should be a no-fly zone for visiting teams.
“Protecting home court in the NBA is really, really important,” said Miles McBride after Sunday’s 116-98 win over the Raptors. “MSG is a place where guys want to come in and really get off, so we have to be even more locked in at home than other places.”
He’s not wrong. The Garden is still one of the league’s biggest stages, and players love to show out under its bright lights.
But this Knicks squad isn’t giving them much room to operate. They’re defending their home turf with purpose, and the numbers back it up.
Historically, the bar for home dominance in New York is high. The 1992-93 Knicks set the gold standard, going 37-4 at MSG en route to a 60-22 season - a run that ended with a hard-fought loss to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Since then, only three Knicks teams have managed to crack 30 home wins in a season: 2000, 2001, and 2013. This group is on pace to join that exclusive club - and maybe even chase something greater.
“Obviously the fans come out and show love and they’ve been great in terms of support,” said Josh Hart. “So give them love.
I don’t know. We’re comfortable, I guess.”
Comfort is part of it. Sleeping in your own bed, sticking to your routine, and walking into a building where 20,000 fans are behind you - that matters.
But it’s not just about vibes. The Knicks are playing efficient, connected basketball at home.
Their net rating at MSG is 13 points better than it is on the road. That’s not a small gap - that’s the difference between a contender and a coin flip.
And that’s the challenge now: how do you bring that same edge on the road?
New York started the season 0-4 away from home before picking up three wins in their last four road games. But context matters - all three of those wins came against teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year. At 3-5 on the road overall, the Knicks are still figuring out how to win when the crowd isn’t on their side.
“I think I’m more leaning on getting wins on the road,” said Mikal Bridges. “I think winning at home is a little bit easier, so having that attitude and grit to win on the road is more important to me.”
He’s right to emphasize it. The blueprint for recent champions is clear: dominate at home, but don’t fall apart away from it.
Oklahoma City, Boston, and Denver each posted 34 or more home wins during their title seasons over the last three years. Only the 2023 Nuggets managed to win it all with a losing road record - and even then, they went 19-22 away from Ball Arena and still had to grind through a tough Finals series against Miami.
The Knicks don’t want to test that margin. They’ve got the home-court juice - now it’s about proving they can bring that same fight into hostile environments.
Their next test comes Tuesday night against a shorthanded Celtics team playing without Jayson Tatum. It’s the kind of game that can shift the narrative - a chance to grab a road win against a rival, even if they’re not at full strength.
And if they don’t get it? Well, the Garden will still be waiting.
“Our fans make playing at home so fun, and the support they give us and energy they give us is priceless,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “So 10-1, of course we want to give the fans the best product, the best version of ourselves every single night, but it’s really the fans that bring out the best in us.
Shoutouts to them. They’ve carried us to the finish line many times and more than just home games.”
The Knicks are building something at home - something real. But if they want to be taken seriously as a contender, they’ll need to prove that their identity travels. Because come playoff time, the road gets a lot longer - and the lights only get brighter.