The playoffs? Now that will take a lot more than 23 wins. Crawford said that he thought 40 to 41 victories might put the Knicks into the postseason. It took 40 victories to make the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.  But to finish 41-41, the Knicks would have to win 19 of their remaining 32 games. Since late November, they have been a .500 team, and they are 13-13 this season at home, so making the playoffs will be difficult. If the Knicks continue at a .500 pace, they will finish with 38 wins.  The Knicks are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, but they are only two and a half games behind the Miami Heat (24-25), which holds the eighth and final playoff spot, and a game behind the Nets (23-27). What’s more, a division title is not out of the question; the Atlantic is perhaps the weakest division in the N.B.A. The first-place Toronto Raptors (26-23) lead the Knicks by four and a half games.  The Knicks’ schedule certainly appears to be favorable. Only 12 of their remaining games are against teams that began Thursday with a winning record. But the Knicks will face two of those teams on their coming three-game western trip, which begins Friday against the Utah Jazz (32-17) and is followed by games against the Los Angeles Lakers (30-20) on Tuesday and the Golden State Warriors (23-27) on Wednesday.  “We’re playing against three tough teams,” Thomas said. “Utah’s very good at home. The Lakers are the Lakers, always. Golden State is a team that’s in transition, but they have some capable parts and some capable players that haven’t played together long enough. But they can get hot.”  After their trip and the All-Star Game break, the Knicks will resume play Feb. 20 at home against the Orlando Magic. They will play 15 of their last 29 regular-season games at home and will not travel farther west than Dallas and Oklahoma City.  If those facts have not boosted the Knicks’ spirits, their recent victories against the Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers, their first consecutive wins since early January, certainly have.  “I think we’re really doing well right now,” forward David Lee said. “We’re playing better basketball as a team. Everybody’s contributing.”  Asked about the importance of winning No. 23 during their western swing, Lee needed clarification. He said he did not know the Knicks’ victory total from last season.  “Really, I promise I don’t,” said Lee, who was a rookie last season. “I try to just forget all the negatives from last year.”  Isiah Thomas said he thanked Eddy Curry for his public vote of confidence, reported in Thursday’s Daily News and in The Star-Ledger of Newark. Curry said he would not want to play for the Knicks next season if Thomas were fired. “But I also reminded him that it was about the Knicks,” Thomas said. “It’s not about me.” ... Thomas and several Knicks players were asked about the former N.B.A. center John Amaechi, who revealed in a book to be published next week that he is gay. Amaechi, who was acquired by the Knicks in 2004 but never played for them, became the first N.B.A. player to acknowledge he is gay. Asked if he thought an openly gay player would be accepted in the league today, Thomas said: “I think he will and I think he should. We’re a diverse society. We preach acceptance.” Jamal Crawford said it could be “a little awkward, I’m sure, because most people have girlfriends, wives, whatever.” Crawford added, “But we’re all professionals.”  A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D3 of the New York edition with the headline: Knicks Looking to Get on the Good Side of 23. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
The number 23 has become a benchmark for the Knicks. Last season, the number represented futility as they only won 23 games. This season, it inspires hope.