For the second time this season, there was some genuine concern about the Knicks.

They had lost their third straight Monday night — a 103-91 setback to the Portland Trail Blazers — and it was one of the few times the Knicks didn’t play with a strong heartbeat.

This three-game skid had a different feel than the one that opened the season. The Knicks still were a newly opened jigsaw puzzle – lot’s of pieces, but there was no certainty it would come together.

But it did. And 21 games into the season, the Knicks stand at 11-10 after Wednesday night’s 115-86 demolition of the Miami Heat at The Garden.

So what’s allowed the Knicks to be in the thick of playoff contention in the East? Here are the team’s best surprises of the season, in order.