Suddenly, the red-hot Knicks pick up their fifth win in a row with a dominant win over Trail Blazers

It’s incredible how quickly the mood around a team can change.

Last week, the Knicks looked lost after losing nine of 11 games. Jalen Brunson asked his teammates to have more “care” than they showed.

Their competitors were questioned.

And just like that, that discourse is on the back burner. The dominant team that was present at the start of the season has emerged again.

The Knicks (30-18) defeated the Blazers 127-97 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, their fifth straight victory. Now three games under .500, the Blazers aren’t exactly a huge test.

But they do represent the third team currently in the playoffs that the Knicks beat in this streak.

Nights off for Brunson are rare. Two in a row? That almost never happens. After finishing with just 13 points and battling an illness in the Knicks’ win over the Raptors on Wednesday, he recorded a team-high 26 points on Friday.

His four-point play late in the first quarter gave the Knicks an early 15-point lead.

OG Anunoby added 24 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter when he took over. He went an efficient 10-for-17 from the field and 4-for-8 from 3-point range.

Josh Hart added 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns was passive offensively and saved some of his energy for the boards. He finished with 14 points and 20 rebounds, six of which were offensive. His quick bursts after rebounds helped get the Knicks going in transition. He had just five points entering the fourth quarter.

A dramatic defensive turnaround is largely to blame for this Knicks resurgence. It was clear again on Friday. They have held their opponents under 100 points in four of the five games in this series.

They limited Deni Avdija, one of the league’s breakout stars this year, to just 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the field.

The Knicks used a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and took a 24-point lead. The Blazers cut that to a 10-point halftime deficit, but the Knicks started the second half on a 10-3 run to go up by 17 points and regain command. The Blazers never seriously threatened to make things interesting. Coach Mike Brown was able to empty his bench with just over four minutes remaining.

The Lakers will be the biggest test of this Knicks resurgence on Sunday. But compared to where it was popular not too long ago, this is a powerful response.