The Knicks flew West Friday afternoon for a road trip that has been a glaring red light on a schedule that has turned out far better than anyone outside of the Knicks locker room could have expected. They're on a six-game trip through the Western Conference — five of them against teams currently in the top eight spots in the West.
But what seemed like a reality check now seems like one more test for a team that has fared well in nearly every test so far. As the Knicks begin the trip in Houston Sunday they sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and with the nine games left on the schedule need to pass this test to hold on to what they have accomplished.