As the New York Knicks prepare for a grueling five-game road trip, they’ll face some of the Western Conference’s toughest rising teams. This stretch, which ties their longest away stint of the season, will serve as a major test for a squad that hasn’t spent much time away from Madison Square Garden.

The last time the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers met, barely a month ago, there was a seismic shift in the basketball landscape.