Knicks Bulletin: ‘I’ll say that till I’m blue in the face’

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If you hadn’t watched a game between the Knicks and the Heat after the ’90s, yesterday’s matchup must have felt like two games rolled into one.

New York and Miami combined for the most points ever in a head-to-head, and even then, the most surprising thing was a man called Landry Shamet.

Here’s everything said before and after yesterday’s events.

"FREAKIN' MITCH ROBINSON. OH MY GOD. 8 FREAKIN' OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS! WAY TO GO MITCH!"

Mike Brown was enthused about Mitchell Robinson's performance tonight 😂 pic.twitter.com/7pjrrlaZX1

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

Mike Brown​


On the defensive challenge against Miami:
“We have to do a better job of guarding the basketball. A lot of the quote-unquote top teams in the league, if you look at it, give up the most threes per game because they’re shifting and protecting the paint because it’s easier to score in the paint than outside the paint, so we’re no different. When you play a team like Miami, they really put a premium on you guarding the ball first and then your shifts being in the right position and making sure you’re able to get out to shooters to be the second jumper. We’re getting better in that area, but tonight’s another test for us to see where we’re at because of the uniqueness of how they play in that regard.”

On Miami’s transition offense:
“Their transition is unbelievable. They just keep coming at ya, keep coming at ya, keep coming at ya, whether it’s a make or a miss. And so we have to do a fantastic job with our transition defense for 48 minutes because they’re capable of putting up 150 points in the blink of an eye.”

On the high-scoring game vs. Miami:
“Fun game for the fans, probably. It was almost like a glorified pick-up game with good spacing… on both ends of the floor, and both teams were just hooping. They’re so hard to guard, they just catch the ball, they snap drive, they put their head down, and as soon as they feel contact, they almost explode into you.”

On overcoming the Heat’s foul-drawing ability:
“This is the first time we won a game where a team shot 30+ free throws. It was extremely hard to keep them off the line.”

On Josh Hart’s triple-double and defensive impact:
“We won the possession game barely, and we needed every one of those 50-50 balls that he came up with. So heckuva job by Josh, getting a triple-double tonight.”

On the in-game decision to play zone defense:
“We were having trouble guarding them off the dribble, and so we just wanted to try and junk up the game, give them a different look, see if we could get them out of rhythm a little bit. You think that it worked, but I don’t know, it’s a good team, and Spo is a great coach. They missed a few out of it. We gotta do a better job rebounding it. But the reality is, we worked on the zone one day, and it wasn’t the zone that we used tonight. We kinda just threw that together, and our guys did, not a great job, a helluva job of responding and reacting to the zone that we called on the fly.”

On the rematch with the Heat next Monday:
“We gotta keep trying to guard the ball better by showing our hands and hopefully they don’t get these calls the next time we play ‘em.”

On the coaching staff’s role in the win over Miami:
“My fricken’ staff was unbelievable. Chris Jent was fabulous. Rick Brunson was fabulous. Brendan O’Conner, they were all really good and they were on point helping me with substitutions, mixing in zone, figuring out where we need to go with the ball offensively.”

On Landry Shamet’s performance on Friday:
“As a new coach, you watch the tape from last year, and what I saw last year, he shot almost 40% from the 3. But more than anything else, defensively, you feel him defensively.”

On Shamet’s all-around game vs. Miami:
“People can sleep on him if they want, but if you think of him at Wichita State, he was a point guard then and was extremely athletic. He will dunk on you in a heartbeat. It’s not just about his shooting, and he’s making great decisions.”

On managing player minutes for long-term success:
“The biggest thing is, you know, trying to make sure you watch everybody’s minutes instead of trying to chase games. There might be some games that, maybe throw the towel in early. You know, just instead of – if you’re in that many close games, just instead of chasing every single game – it’s important to win, but you also have to understand, ‘hey, I want to keep this guy’s minutes here, this guy’s minutes here, this guy’s minutes here, instead of trying to extend everybody’s minutes. Because if the season is long, we don’t want anybody worn out by the end of the season.”

On leaving Jalen Brunson in the game late vs. Orlando:
“I’ve been a part of some crazy, crazy comebacks. I’m trying to win the game. A couple minutes left. A stop and two 3s, and it’s a two-possession game. That’s all I was trying to do, is win the game.”

On his decision-making around when to pull starters:
“If I feel like our guys are still being competitive and still trying to play the right way and win the game, and I feel like there’s a chance, then I’m going to try to win the game.”

On Brunson’s ankle injury and diagnosis:
“I don’t try to figure out much about the medical. I don’t know much about the technical terms. When somebody says [an] MRI or X-ray or whatever is negative, that’s a good thing. So when I heard, ‘Negative,’ I was like, ‘Great.’ But when they say Grade-this, Grade-that, I couldn’t tell you. But you never want anybody hurt, let alone somebody on your team and somebody in the caliber of Jalen.”

On the team handling Brunson’s absence:
“This is a process. It’s about having the next-man-up mentality. If this guy’s out, next man step up, and you don’t have to do anything extraordinary. Just do your job. No different for me. If a guy is down, I’ve got to do my job and not try to be too creative.”

On the team’s mentality without Brunson and Anunoby:
“It’s about the next man up. Who that next man is gonna be, I don’t know. There was no way I could tell you that some of these guys were gonna score the ball the way they did. … We have a standard that we’ve all bought into, that we’ve all embraced.”

"Josh was cussing my ass out cause I didn't shoot the layup at the end. I should've. He's right. This is important to all of us"

– Landry Shamet on the NBA Cup point differential tiebreaker

Players whose teams advance get prize money from $53 – $531K

Shamet makes $3.08M pic.twitter.com/vyFsgnri4s

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 15, 2025

Landry Shamet​


On his offensive role:
“We have a system that bodes well for connectivity. The ball moves. It can be any one of us any night. I think we were just playing within our system. Sometimes shots find you.”

On stepping up in Brunson’s absence:
“Whatever it takes. We’ve got Jalen out. We lose OG early there, and we got great contributions across the board from everyone. It’s the mentality we have to have and we’ll continue to have.”

On the team’s mentality:
“What makes this group special, we got a lot of guys that just care about winning. Whatever it takes, we got Jalen out, we lose OG early there and we got great contributions across the board from everyone. It’s the mentality we have to have and we’ll continue to have. It’s next man up. A lot of teams talk about that, but I think this group really embodies it, and will continue to.”

On the team’s defense vs. Miami:
“Wasn’t great tonight defensively. None of us were. We didn’t guard like we are accustomed to, but that’s a credit to them, too. They drive the ball at you every single possession; it’s hard to guard. Credit to them. We definitely gotta be better, I gotta be better on that front. Taking pride on that end of the floor, shots aren’t always gonna go in, can’t control that all the time. So we gotta be a team that’s gonna win games defensively… so, that’s gotta be the constant.”

On the MSG crowd:
“These fans know I love them. I’ll say that till I’m blue in the face, love it. Love the energy every night. Cup game on a Friday, it’s as good as it gets. It was very fun.”

Josh Hart was asked about his “Rondo” shot to end the first half:

“I traveled crazy. Slid the hell off that pivot foot” 😅😂 https://t.co/B9Ml6XZYej pic.twitter.com/nvYYg6Y3nH

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

Josh Hart​


On Shamet’s breakout performance:
“It was huge, him coming out, being aggressive, knocking down shots, playing off the dribble. He was amazing for us today. That’s something that was big for us. We need him to keep that confidence and continue to be rolling.”

Karl-Anthony Towns on Jordan Clarkson & Landry Shamet off the bench:

"Those are 2 guys that could be starters on any other team, they just so happen to be on the Knicks who are super talented. This should be nothing new to true NBA fans who watched their careers develop" pic.twitter.com/AYWU7B6VbN

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 15, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On stepping up with Brunson out:
“JB was missing the game today and we all had to step up and contribute to our team, so I wanted to do my best to pick up the offense that he gives our team. And in the first half, I did a good job of that. In the second half, I wasn’t trying to force it. I’ve had those days, so I was just letting the game come to me and Landry Shamet is a big reason [for that].”

“Him being out actually kind of makes them a little bit more dangerous too, just because they move the ball more — they’re not really stagnant.”

– Davion Mitchell on Jalen Brunson

(h/t @HeatCulture13 )

pic.twitter.com/XRMSSjCtwp

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2025

Davion Mitchell​


On the Knicks being more dangerous without Brunson:
“Him being out actually kind of makes them a little bit more dangerous, too, just because they move the ball more. They’re not really stagnant, they’ve got guys, defensively, who can really guard. Like Miles McBride, he can really guard.”


Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ulletin-ill-say-that-till-im-blue-in-the-face
 
Knicks’ OG Anunoby Ruled Out Through November

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The New York Knicks will be without OG Anunoby for an extended stretch after he suffered a left hamstring strain during the 140-132 win over the Miami Heat on Friday.

Anunoby, according to league sources via The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, will be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to league sources, and will not travel on the team’s upcoming five-game road trip.

Assuming the two weeks is the absolute minimum span of time OG misses, that’d already bring us to Nov. 30 and the game against the Toronto Raptors scheduled for that Sunday. The Knicks will then face the Boston Celtics on the road on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Per league sources, OG Anunoby (left hamstring strain) will be reevaluated in two weeks. OG won’t travel with the team on the upcoming roadtrip.

— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) November 16, 2025

Anunoby was injured with 6:52 remaining in the first quarter as he attempted a layup and came down, grabbing his hamstring. He headed to the bench in discomfort and was ruled out shortly after reaching the locker room.

As is always the case with reevaluations, it’s fair to assume that the Knicks will only provide an update in two weeks, not bring him back immediately after that timeline is completed.

OG’s injury history only adds to the concern. During the 2024 playoffs, Anunoby injured the same left hamstring in the second round against the Indiana Pacers, and the shorthanded Knicks went on to lose the series. Last season, Anunoby played more than 70 games for the first time since his rookie year in 2017-18, seemingly moving past his earlier durability issues—not so fast, pals!

Truth be told and in all seriousness, this is awful news for the Knicks and, more than anyone, to Anunoby. OG had been playing at an All-Star level through New York’s first 12 games, averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 dimes, and a career-best 1.9 steals while shooting 39.2 percent from three and 47.6 percent from the field.

Anunoby’s absence comes just one game after Jalen Brunson suffered a grade-1 right ankle sprain late in a loss to the Orlando Magic, making it two out of five starters getting sidelined in back-to-back games.

The Knicks begin their road trip on Monday with a rematch against Miami, followed by games against the Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic, the Brooklyn Nets, and finally an NBA Cup matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 26.

New York is sitting second in the Eastern Conference with an 8-4 record and trailing only the Detroit Pistons (11-2) entering Sunday.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/75453/knicks-og-anunoby-ruled-out-through-november
 
Game Thread: Knicks vs. Heat, Nov. 14, 2025

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The Knicks (7-4) host the Heat (7-5) tonight at MSG in an East Group C NBA Cup matchup. This time, in the final of a seven-game homestead, our heroes will seek to avenge October’s 115-107 loss in Miami. Both teams score a lot of points; both will be without key players (Brunson, NY; Adebayo, MIA). Expect a tight, high-scoring contest with both clubs trying to keep their NBA Cup hopes alive.

Tip off is 7:00 p.m. EST on Amazon. This is your game thread. This is Hot Hot Hoops. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Enjoy yourselves in peace and harmony. And go Knicks!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-game-threads/75409/game-thread-knicks-vs-heat-nov-14-2025
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I don’t think so, but I’m sure it helps’

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No, you’ve not clicked on the wrong link. It’s the third Knicks vs. Heat game in 13 dates.

New York gets its first long road trip of the season going with another matchup against the Miamiamenses, this time in Florida.

Here’s a bunch of stuff we’ve heard in the past few hours.

.@JordanClarksons comin in clutch before Thanksgiving 🦃 pic.twitter.com/zxJdyzPruT

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 15, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Landry Shamet’s fit and impact:

“He plays with really good pace. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands, so he’s a connector. He plays with pace. He’s got to be guarded. And not just pace in the full court, getting to the corners or getting to the wing, but even in the half court, we try to cut and move a lot. When you cut, when you make Canada cuts, he gets from point A to point B really fast. So if you kind of lag or something like that, our guys know where guys should be in different concepts or actions. So you lag and he gets from point A to point B, he’s going to get a wide-open 3 and most times, it’s going to go in. Good dude, too. He’s just a good dude.”

On Shamet’s skill set beyond shooting:

“People can sleep on him if they want, but if you think about him at Wichita State, he was a point guard then, and he was extremely athletic. He’ll dunk on you in a heartbeat, so it’s not just about his shooting. He’ll snap drives because you’re closing out to him, because he can shoot the ball unbelievable, and he’s making great decisions. Is he shooting the pull-up, which he can make, or is he getting to the rim and dunking on you? You could see that on film last year, and so I was definitely a fan of his.”

On the team’s next-man-up mentality:

“It’s about the next man up. Who that next man is going to be — I don’t know. I just know we all know how to play the right way. We have a standard we’re all bought into. We have a way we play offensively and defensively, and if we stay within that, good things will happen most times.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding:

“I am getting a little jaded. I’m a long-winded guy, as you guys all know, and I felt like I was going too long, so I didn’t want to rehash or revisit.”

“Freaking Mitch Robinson, oh my God. Eight freaking offensive rebounds! Way to go Mitch!”

On the Knicks’ bench readiness and versatility:

“The biggest thing for us is to always be present. If you are present when your number is called, it’s easier to step in and just do what your job calls you to do. I love the versatility that we have. I love the experience we have coming off the bench. And the scoring . . . A lot of different pieces that we have.”

On Rick Brunson’s message about Karl-Anthony Towns:

“We wanted to play through him. It was great. Rick Brunson was the first one to say it. He was like, ‘Hey, keep playing through KAT. Keep playing through KAT. Keep playing through KAT.’”

gonna build on this 🔋 pic.twitter.com/vBjexzSJdE

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 16, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On Landry Shamet’s value:

“Landry is one of my close friends, and I’ve known Landry since — we were [in] the same draft. I know how talented Landry is, I know what he is capable of. If I’m a GM and I’m building a team or I’m a coach, he’s obviously always gonna be in my rotation. He’s just a smart basketball player that works really hard. You see him in the offseason, he bulks up like 10 pounds, freakin’ running around the court shooting sprint-3s at full speed. Just a hard worker and just a great dude, too. His humility and his character shows as well.”

😂 pic.twitter.com/QGShMYOKe6

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 17, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On adjusting to Jalen Brunson’s absence vs. Miami:

“I don’t want to force trying to get 60 and lose the game. That’s the most important thing: to win the game, so I’m happy that experience has taught me a lot, and I just didn’t force the game. Just being aggressive, being aggressive with the playmaking and getting my teammates open for the betterment of our team.”

On the challenge of playing without OG Anunoby:

“We’re excited to figure this out. When I say excited, it’s not excited that he’s hurt. It’s that we’re excited for the challenge we have to overcome. A lot of guys are going to get an opportunity to show Knicks fans what they can do. Our bench is full of talent. This team is full of talent.”

On the Knicks’ bench strength and sacrificing for each other:

“It shows this team’s depth — and shows we’ve got guys who could start anywhere. They just happen to be on the Knicks. We’re asking them to sacrifice what they could give any other team. Josh has shown that. Landry has shown that. This shouldn’t be surprising to NBA fans who’ve watched their careers.”

On taking advantage of playing the Heat multiple times early in the season:

“It’s a good playoff warmup, practice, playing the same team over two days or three days. You gotta be ready for them to adjust, ready for them to do what they gotta do as a coaching staff to counteract what we do and what we showed them last game. It’s gonna be good for us to have sort of a playoff series style of play where we played them two days ago and now we’re about to play them again and at their house. It’s kind of those momentum shifts you see in Game 2 or 3 or 4 and 5. It’s gonna be good for us to have practice with that.”

Guerschon Yabusele boards Knicks plane to Miami pic.twitter.com/EMaRUudSRt

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 17, 2025

Josh Hart​


On the familiarity with Miami, with three games against the Heat in the first month of play:

“Obviously, we’ve played two games already, we’re already a little familiar with it. You gotta make adjustments. Obviously, [Heat coach Erik Spoelstra] is gonna watch the game and he’s gonna have them ready to go. It was a very high-scoring game, so we expect the defense to pick up, the physicality to pick up a little bit. It’s kind of like a playoff series, in a sense. We’ve played them three times in three weeks, so you’re familiar with them. Now, you try to do a couple of adjustments, a couple of counters.”

On the Knicks’ resilience:

“We always preach it — next man up — and games like Friday show we’re not just saying it. Everybody in this locker room is capable of big nights, capable of contributing. When guys go out, obviously we don’t want that — but the next one’s ready to step up and hoop.”

On balancing caffeine, fatherhood, and his NBA schedule:

“It really started when I had kids. I have to try and function. I wake up at 7:30 every morning. The (boys) are in a little school. … If I don’t see them in the morning, I might not see them all day.”

On his love for caffeine and candy:

“I’ve been eating these candies since I was a kid, and I still keep boxes stashed everywhere — at home, in my locker, on the plane.”

On whether he now needs caffeine to play at a high level:

“I don’t think so, but I’m sure it helps.”

Spike Lee just gave the Pope a Knicks jersey at the Vatican pic.twitter.com/kjse2k4fB2

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 15, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...bulletin-i-dont-think-so-but-im-sure-it-helps
 
Game Thread: Knicks at Heat, Nov. 17, 2025

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The Knicks (8-4) square off with the Heat (7-5) for the third time in this young NBA campaign. New York won against them on Friday to even the season series. Tonight, in the first of a five-game road swing, our heroes will be without the services of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. On Friday, Karl-Anthony Towns and Landry Shamet posted big numbers to secure a big, short-handed win. Whatever Landry was drinking on Friday night, we’re hoping he packed a case for this trip. Two cases!

Tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Hot Hot Hoops. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Mind yer manners. And go Knicks!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-game-threads/75467/game-thread-knicks-at-heat-nov-17-2025
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘It’s unfortunate. I can only speak for myself’

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The Knicks can’t earn a win outside of MSG to save their collective life.

New York is nearly impeccable at home (8-1) but atrocious on the road (0-4) as we near completion of the first month of play. Something has to change.

Here’s a bunch of staff said by the protagonist of yesterday’s affair before and after the game.

"I was back in the back…You tell me: He look good? OK, I'll take your word for it"

–– Mike Brown to @StevePopper on Jalen Brunson's workout today and possibility of returning from sprained ankle Wednesday in Dallas pic.twitter.com/6Mz6SmaARW

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 18, 2025

Mike Brown


On not calling a timeout during the final possession vs. Miami:

“We had a timeout, but most times, in that situation, it’s almost like a defensive rebound. Like most teams, [the Heat] were confused. Tough shot probably by Deuce initially, but he got it up on the glass, and we had a numbers advantage because they weren’t matched up. So that situation, I would do all over again. Just go play. [We’ll] go back and see if anyone was open, but I’ll take that again and put the defense in scramble mode before calling a timeout, letting them get set and letting them talk about what we’re gonna do.”

On installing his system with limited practice time:

“It’s hard. Really hard. You have to have trust in your team, and you have to have a pretty good feel of at what stage your team is. When I was at Golden State as an assistant, we didn’t need a lot of reps. It was a veteran team that knew what they were doing. When I was in Sacramento, initially it was a younger team and not many of those guys had been to the playoffs. They needed a few more reps. This is similar to the Golden State situation where it was a veteran team so you watch and you give them an opportunity to teach you at times but you also have to utilize your coaching staff, and that’s part of the reason why we have a big staff.”

On the many missed threes vs. Miami:

“Most of the looks from the three-point line, I’ll take any day of the week. They were good looks by a couple of our guys and we usually knock those down. They didn’t go in today.

“A couple of them were rushed and contested. But we had some in the second half that I thought were wide-open that normally go down. They just didn’t.”

On challenging a call early costing him later:

“It was a bad challenge that I did. I gotta be better. As much as I’m telling those guys to be better, I’ve got to be better.

“It was a bad challenge just from the simple fact that I couldn’t use it in the second half because I blew it in the first half. I have to be better in that area. … At the end of the day, we have to leave the officials alone.”

On the importance of point differential in the NBA Cup:

“[Steve] used to preach to our guys, ‘Nah, we’re not holding the ball. Finish the game. If they don’t wanna play defense, screw ’em.’ We’re gonna finish the game. We’re gonna keep getting better.

“In this situation, it’s natural because of the point differential. And I think at the end of games, it should be the way Steve says: just freakin’ play. The guys on the floor need reps. You want execution, not turnovers. Keep playing. That’s what competition is about. I like it. I hope others do, too.”

Mikal Bridges in Miami:

23 points
9-14 FG

0 shots in the 4th quarter pic.twitter.com/PKZhnAxyZX

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 18, 2025

Mikal Bridges


On adjusting to playing without Brunson:

“Not too many people in the league can do what Jalen does so you can’t really just mimic what he does by subbing somebody else in. But I think just playing within our game. Jalen is a great iso player, and not many guys can score like him. So that’s a part of his game. Other guys got their games where it might be a little different. I think we just plug in new guys and do what you do. Play to your strengths.”

On the team’s awful three-point defense:

“Too many times we give up a lot of [threes to] guys we don’t want shooting them. So that’s why their percentage is a little bit higher. So just doing a better job with personnel and knowing who we want taking a shot more than other guys. So I think that would help the percentages.”

On being ready for top wing assignments with OG out:

“Whatever coach got, whatever coach game plans for. I’ll be ready, and they’ll be ready to guard whoever we gotta guard.”

On Landry Shamet’s role in the rotation:

“I’ve been around Landry, and I know if I was ever building a team, or if I’m coaching a team, I’ll always have Landry in my lineup or our rotation. We know what he’s capable of, how hard he works on both ends. Don’t leave him open. I’ve played with him so much, he makes a couple and he don’t see anybody after that. That ball going to go in.”

On Brunson’s toughness:

“Just mental toughness. Just going through pain — I know a lot of guys be in pain and some guys sit out longer than usual. But I think it’s just mental toughness to get through it. You ain’t gotta be 100 percent out there. He’s got that.”

On the culture of winning teams:

“I think it’s just demanding from the coaches, too. You can be more demanding on a winning team than a losing team. And be focused on what you’re trying to get towards. Usually on winning teams, you’re dialed in even more, just knowing you’re trying to go as far as you can.”

On OG Anunoby’s absence:

“OG impacts on both ends, but he’s one of our leaders — especially on the defensive end. It’s just next guy step up and be there and help each other.”

"I don't think we played bad…good looks…didn't fall…[they] had tough shots…

"Give a lot of credit to Spo…15-20 years in this league…this year he reinvented himself & their offense…Those guys are bought in…"

–– Josh Hart on 115-113 loss in Miami pic.twitter.com/pbNj69dYV5

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 18, 2025

Josh Hart


On his early-game foul call leading to Brown’s lost challenge:

“I don’t know. They called a foul, so yeah. It is what it is.”

On the final minutes against the Heat:

“I don’t think we played bad [late]. Deuce had an open look at the top. [Jordan Clarkson] had an open look in the corner. They just didn’t fall. I think [Miami] made a couple tough shots. Dru Smith made like three or four threes today. In that stretch, we didn’t play bad basketball. Sometimes, plus minuses are a little misleading. We had good shots that didn’t fall and they had some tough shots that fell.”

BANG pic.twitter.com/lsxaNsdjs9

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 18, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns


On enduring a fourth straight road loss:

“I’m going to keep shooting, keep being aggressive. Keep finding ways to impact winning and hopefully help us win games.”

On his three-point struggles:

“I thought I took some shots that were good, that felt good. It just didn’t go in. The numbers will always number out, the averages average out. I’m confident in my shot.

“I thought we took some good shots. We just didn’t make them. It’s unfortunate. I can only speak for myself.”

Davion Mitchell spoke about the matchup against “Deuce” McBride and how they used to go against each other in college while he was in Baylor and the Knicks player went to West Virginia. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/4xk5lJFqaj

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 18, 2025

Miles McBride


On his dunk vs. Miami:

“I needed it. It would have been a lot better with a win though.

“I like that y’all remember [my dunks]. I’m racking ’em up. It feels good, though. I’ve gotta continue to attack the basket with force.”

Jordan Clarkson


On how to replace Anunoby’s defense:

“[OG’s absence is] big time. He’s a big part of what we do especially on that end. With him being out, we’ve all gotta lock in on that end.”

On adapting the defensive scheme with OG out:

“Last game we threw in the 2–3 [zone] and we all had to kinda figure it out on the fly. So I think you’ll be seeing new actions and different things we’re gonna try to put in while he’s out to help our defense.”

On staying locked in:

“It’s a level of focus. I’m glad to be back in this and part of this and back contending, be in the playoffs and know that we’re playing for something. That changes a player’s mindset. It’s just a bunch of focus that goes into it and I’m locked in.”

On the Knicks’ shot quality and system fit:

“I just think it’s our system. I think we generate a lot of good shots. They’re not good — they’re great shots. I don’t really have to force as much and I’m not in that position to do that on this squad. I don’t get as many grenades, whereas I used to take four or five of those with under five on the clock. But when those opportunities come I’ll try to make the best of those as well. We just have a good system and I’m trying to take advantage every time I’ve got it.”

On reaching his peak at the right time:

“That’s when you want that thing flowing, getting ready for the playoffs, knowing what you’re doing. In the playoffs you have to make adjustments, but I think we’re starting to get a good feel of our offense and our defensive concepts. I know [coach Mike Brown] has a bunch of stuff that he still wants to throw in. We’re just getting to the foundation of what we’re doing. There’s definitely a lot more basketball to play.”

Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat Coach)


On Jalen Brunson and his USA Basketball future:

“We have plenty of time for that. And I’ll defer to Grant and those guys.”

On working with Brunson during the World Cup:

“What I can say is I really enjoyed working with him. I really dislike myself — I can’t look in the mirror — because of how much I grew to like him. He texted me the other day, just checking in on me and the family. He has such a great heart. My two sons are Jalen Brunson fans, but I told them it’s not allowed in my house.”

Jalen Brunson warming up in Miami 5 days after spraining his right ankle

Missing his 2nd game tonight pic.twitter.com/Wyil5WZ8ji

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 18, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...n-its-unfortunate-i-can-only-speak-for-myself
 
Game Preview: Knicks @ Heat, Nov. 17, 2025

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An NBA schedule is complex. Trying to fit 82 games for 30 teams in a schedule while being fair to all of them in terms of travel, rest, and balance is hard. There are going to be irregularities.

Those irregularities have shown up in the early going for the Knicks. For one, they just finished a seven-game homestand, their longest since January 2014. In response, the team is immediately going on a five-game road trip, tied for their longest of the season with the yearly West Coast swing in March.

But the other oddity is that, just 13 games into the season, they’ll be playing the Miami Heat (7-5) for the third time. By the end of Monday night, two of the team’s four road games in the first four weeks of the season will have been in Miami. After tonight, these two teams will only meet one more time: December 21 at MSG.

So, it’s fair to say these two teams will be quite familiar with each other despite the massive injuries on both sides. Norman Powell has deep-fried the Knicks in both meetings, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Landry Shamet eviscerated the Miami defense on Friday.

We know Miami can score, we know they want to push the pace, and we know they can shoot. It’s certainly been a sharp reversal of how they’ve played under Erik Spoelstra the last few years. One thing the Knicks can lean on? They have 36 offensive rebounds in two games against the Heatles, and that’s with Mitchell Robinson playing 14 total minutes due to load management and foul trouble. With no Bam Adebayo, this could be key to keeping up with a Heat offense that has scored less than 110 points just once (101 against San Antonio on 10/30).

Projected Starters


Davion Mitchell shot only 32.7% from three in 227 career games with the Sacramento Kings, including two years under Mike Brown, but he’s massively improved since leaving. Since joining the Heat in a midseason trade from Toronto last season, Mitchell is shooting 42.9% from distance over 48 games and has established himself as a young dynamo starting guard. In two games against the Knicks, he’s scored 20 total points on 6-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from deep.

Norman Powell is doing what he always does, and with Tyler Herro continuing to be out, could absolutely get his long-overdue first all-star nod this year. He’s missed a few games, but he’s averaging 26 a night thus far. In two games against the Knicks this year, he’s scored 67 total points on a blistering 11-for-21 from deep. He scored 38 in the losing effort on Friday.

Pelle Larsson stepped into the starting lineup with Adebayo sidelined and is a solid player for his draft slot. You don’t expect much from the No. 44 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but the Swedish wing can shoot it and hold his own defensively. He nailed three triples on Friday and is sure to be a headache if he’s left open.

Andrew Wiggins has settled into being a reliable starter a decade into his NBA career. When you think of all the generational talents drafted at No. 1 overall, you might consider Wiggins a disappointment, but when you consider that he’s a reliable starter in Year 11, that’s pretty good. He had an uneventful game in the win over the Knicks in October, but he was rough in a larger role on Friday, going 6-for-18 from the field and 1-for-6 from three with three turnovers and four fouls.

Kel’el Ware has been unable to stop the offensive rebounding barrage in the middle, to the point that he needs help from Udonis Haslem. He was better on Friday than he was in the first meeting, posting a 15-10 double-double, and has continued to improve from the perimeter, but he’ll have his hands full with Big Mitch.

Shorthanded Knicks


No Jalen Brunson, no OG Anunoby, and potentially no Deuce McBride due to personal reasons. Mike Brown refused to dig deep in the bench after Anunoby’s departure in the first quarter last night, but he might need to do it tonight.

It was a very Thibs-ian game minutes-wise. Despite Mitchell Robinson’s foul trouble, you saw almost no Guerschon Yabusele or Ariel Hukporti. I’d assume Yabusele gets a bigger role now that Brown has had two full days off to evaluate the plan going forward, but could it also lead to minutes for, say, Pačome Dadiet?

And on the topic of the kids, what happens if Deuce can’t go? With no Brunson, it would make sense to start Jordan Clarkson, but it would likely allow Tyler Kolek to re-enter the rotation either way. Could we see Josh Hart start for the first time this season with no Anunoby?

Deuce McBride/Jordan ClarksonMikal BridgesJosh HartKarl-Anthony TownsMitchell Robinson

I’d assume Brown plays a full nine tonight, so the Knicks are going to need more of what they got from Shamet and Clarkson on Friday to win this one.

Prediction


This one is tough. Both teams are missing critical players, and the Knicks are not only going to struggle with shot creation without Brunson but also on defense without Anunoby. While they scored 140 without Brunson on Friday, I’m not quite sure how much they can weather the loss of OG’s defense.

Still, the Heat have no answers for KAT with Adebayo out. If not for Shamet’s explosion being the catalyst in the second half on Friday, he could’ve easily dropped 50. If he’s on his game, the Knicks can win this. If he has an off night? It’ll be a loooong night.

Knicks by 4.

Injury Report


Knicks:

OUT – Jalen Brunson (ankle), OG Anunoby (hamstring)

Questionable – Deuce McBride (personal reasons)

Heat:

OUT – Terry Rozier (gambling), Tyler Herro (ankle), Bam Adebayo (toe)

Game Details


Date: Monday, November 17, 2025

Time: 7:30 PM ET

Place: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL

TV: MSG

Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...-brunson-anunoby-towns-bridges-adebayo-powell
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘Indiana. I hate Indiana’

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Isn’t it funny? The Knicks might earn their first road win against their once-would-be coach in Jason Kidd.

New York visits Dallas tonight in a matchup that will allow us to watch No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg go against the Knicks as the boys try to finally put a number in the win column of their stinky 0-4 record away from MSG.

Here’s the latest we’ve heard from the protagonists ahead of Wednesday’s outing.

Jalen Brunson has been upgraded to questionable for tomorrow night's game against the Mavericks 👀

Brunson has missed the Knicks' last two games with a grade 1 ankle sprain pic.twitter.com/JOKMYfdejG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 18, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Mitchell Robinson’s minute plan:

“It’s increased. It’s gone up three times. And again, it’s all part of the load management thing. So it’s not necessarily a [minutes] restriction.”

On Robinson’s availability:

“He could play 27 minutes. I threw [Guerschon Yabusele] in because [Karl-Anthony Towns] picked up early fouls and Yabu was playing well. I didn’t go back to Mitch because of that — but he’s definitely in the 20s.”

On resting Robinson in Memphis:

“I’m not sure about that. We’ve gotta take it one game at a time and follow what the medical people tell us.”

On Robinson’s conditioning:

“He can go longer with his stretches. He can go longer with his minutes now than before. It’s constantly on the rise, based on what Casey and his group tell us night in and night out.”

Joakim: “Are there any teams out there that you look at and say, ‘F*** those guys, those are our rivals?’” @BetMGM

Josh: “Indiana.” pic.twitter.com/I3TaloABXz

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) November 17, 2025

Josh Hart​


On his most-hated team:

“Indiana. I hate Indiana.”

On breaking the road slump:

“[We’ll get a road win] at some point — I don’t think we’re gonna go 0–41 on the road. At some point, it’ll bounce in our favor. We’ve just gotta make sure we’re fully locked in whenever we’re on the road… communicate at a high level, know the scout, know personnel, execute.”

On staying locked in away from home:

“I don’t think we’re going to go 0–41 on the road. At some point it’ll bounce in our favor. We just got make sure we’re fully locked in whenever we’re on the road. We’ve got to make sure we’re communicating at high level, that we know the scout, know personnel and we know how to execute.”

KAT's girlfriend Jordyn Woods located the car his late mom Jackie had when he was a kid and got it for his 30th birthday today pic.twitter.com/bOwd8q3WeU

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 16, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On enduring close road losses:

“They’re all different. [One time] we were up 20 and we lost. I know everyone in this locker room is tough. We want to win. Last year we were known for winning those games, so it’s a different feeling when you’re not doing that. Just stay confident. We’ve got a great group with great talent. Keep fighting.”

On the late goaltending review vs. Miami:

“Two of the three [refs] called goaltending. I was under the assumption it was goaltending. When I saw them go to the table I saw [referee] Ray [Acosta] tell them it’s goaltending, so I thought it was just looking at a clock situation, where the clock should stop, whatever the case may be. We were also under the impression, we got the rebound, so we had possession, so both ways we should be getting the ball back. When we heard it wasn’t goaltending or it was possession, it was a jump ball, we were kind of confused. At the end of the day though, we still found a way to win the tip, got a good look. Some days, I thought I shot a good one. I thought it was good. When I was on the floor I was in my mind already that they’re going to call timeout and advance the ball. I didn’t realize it didn’t go in. I thought it went in until I saw everyone jumping.”

DEUCE MCBRIDE GOES COAST TO COAST & THEN SLAMS IN THE POSTER DUNK!!! pic.twitter.com/sPTKSqQSJL

— Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) November 18, 2025

Miles McBride​


On the mindset needed for winning on the road:

“On the road, you can’t leave it up to chance. You’ve gotta come in anywhere and take the win. You’ve gotta not match their intensity but exceed it.”

Mikal Bridges​


On fixing road performance:

“We’ve just gotta play the whole 48. Stay with it. Sometimes you’ve gotta leave the officials alone, especially on the road, because they get out in transition and it’s gonna make it tough on us. But stay the course, weather the storm. We’re not gonna keep losing all these road games. It’s gonna happen eventually.”

“It’s a lot of pressure and responsibility that comes with being a point guard. I don’t know if I was ready for that right off the bat.”

Cooper Flagg speaks on his thoughts of the first few games starting in the PG position & now a few games into his natural role, a forward. pic.twitter.com/Mz3HHdgwgu

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) November 15, 2025

Cooper Flagg​


On handling point guard duties:

“It’s a lot of pressure and a lot of responsibility that comes with being a point guard. I don’t know if I was ready to handle that right off the bat. I tried my best and that’s not to say I can’t go back to it and I can’t work on it and get better. I think it’s just worked out lately where it’s been better to have somebody else help and relieve pressure. It doesn’t mean I can’t bring it up and initiate offense.”

Brian Scalabrine knew Cooper Flagg would be a pro when he was just 13 years old!@Edelman11 @Scalabrine pic.twitter.com/jpPIAF8SaI

— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) October 22, 2024

Brian Scalabrine​


On seeing Flagg play for the first time:

“He was the best player on the floor. It wasn’t even close. This is a kid who got out of a car after a four-hour drive to go play pickup. And he was unbeatable. I told him, you are making it to the NBA. I don’t know if you are playing 20 years or five years. I don’t know if you are a Hall of Famer or role player. But you are going to the NBA.”

On Flagg’s development curve:

“Cooper is exactly where he’s supposed to be. Everyone wants to know when he is going to be Cooper Flagg and all this stuff. His greatest strength is he’s a super computer. He learns at a rate that most people can’t. Whatever struggles he goes through now, wait until Jan. 1.”

On evaluating Flagg long-term:

“Judge Cooper Flagg in 2026. Call 2025 a learning experience. Jan. 1 to the end of the season, watch what he does. Watch his reads, watch his stats, watch his processing. It will be night and day. He’s an absolute super computer. He’s AI when it comes to basketball players. He learns so quickly. Picks things up really fast. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Jalen Brunson warming up in Miami 5 days after spraining his right ankle

Missing his 2nd game tonight pic.twitter.com/Wyil5WZ8ji

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 18, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/75524/knicks-bulletin-indiana-i-hate-indiana
 
Knicks 113, Mavericks 111: They practice free throws, right?

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The cool kids stayed up late to watch the Knicks (9-5) play in Dallas tonight. Through the first half, we had mixed feelings about sacrificing the sleep. Our heroes did manage to take a two-point lead into halftime, even though they shot atrociously from deep for the second straight game. If the Mavericks (4-12), playing without Cooper Flagg, offered anything better than the league’s worst offense, New York would have been in real trouble. Both teams scored 35 in the third, and although the Knicks missed almost all their free throws, they couldn’t give the game away. Final score of their first road win: Knicks 113, Mavs 111.

Overall, the Knicks shot 19-of-35 (54%) from the free-throw line and 12-of-42 (29%) from three-point range. And still they won, thanks to 16 offensive rebounds.

Once again, Landry Shamet came up huge for the Knicks late. He drilled two huge three pointers in the final two minutes, and his clean defense on Brandon Williams’ layup with .7 seconds left resulted in an offensive foul that undid the game tying basket. He finished with nine points tonight, but six of them were huge.

Jalen Brunson played despite spraining his ankle a week ago. He wasn’t missing a game against his former team and tallied 28 points and five assists in 35 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns (18-14) and Josh Hart (16-10) contributed double-doubles, and Mikal Bridges bailed out the team with great defense for most of the night (16 points, six assists, three steals, and two blocks).

For the Mavs, D’Angelo Russell and Naji Marshall scored 23 apiece.

First Half​


The Knicks played without OG Anunoby, while the Mavs were missing a number of players, including Anthony Davis and their prestigious rookie, Cooper Flagg—ironic, given that this was Flagg’s poster night at American Airlines Center.

The first quarter was a mixed bag. Neither squad shot well to start, but Dallas took an early lead, scoring eight fast-break points and capitalizing on Knicks turnovers. The visitors responded with seven straight, capped by a Guerschon Yabusele long-ball, to level the scoreboard.

Remember when Naji Marshall lit up the Knicks for a career-high 38 points back in March? He scored 11 first-quarter points to help preserve the home team’s advantage.

Naji Marshall pulls from downtown 🎯

He's got 11 PTS on 4-5 FGM! pic.twitter.com/dhTmdfFZ6H

— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2025

Against the Heat on Monday, New York connected on just 25% from yard. Tonight, their woes continued, making 3-of-11 three-point attempts in the first frame. Dallas, meanwhile, converted 50% of their 14, which helped them exit the quarter with a one-point lead.

The second quarter wasn’t much better. New York continued their trend of self-injury by whiffing from the arc, the free throw line, and various spots between. Fortunately for them, the ragtag Mavs field the league’s worst-rated offense and it doesn’t take much competence to get ahead of that turtle. Dropping eight straight, New York took a 52-50 lead into intermission.

KAT dunk
Mikal dunk
Knicks take lead pic.twitter.com/rScj7kyGCR

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Through 24 minutes, New York shot 40% from the field and won the glass by three. Although they made only 3-of-21 from deep, New York snatched 10 offensive rebounds and forced 10 turnovers, which saved their bacon. The spicy perimeter shooting that defined Dallas’ first quarter cooled in the second, when they made 2-of-9. For the Mavs, that damned Marshall had scored 19 points already. For the Knicks, Brunson and Bridges had combined for 26 points. Hurry up with this second half, I’m yawning.

Second Half​


The third quarter brought more back-and-forth scoring. Both teams gave mixed-effort on defense. The Knicks had some noteworthy efforts (Brunson, Bridges, Hart, and McBride all blocked shots), but they also surrendered too many second-chance opportunities, allowing multiple offensive rebounds to Lively and Gafford. Worse, Russell, that perennial pest, kept puncturing the defense with middies and floaters.

Just as Brunson, Towns, and Hart began to gel, DLo and Thompson gave it back to them. There were 15 lead changes in the game by the end of the quarter, a stalemate that saw both teams score 35. As far as highlights go, Deuce McBride connected from deep twice in the final minute or so. And Josh Hart did Josh Hart things:

Josh Hart dives into the stands & grabs a mid-game snack 😅

Knicks lead by 5 in the 3Q: https://t.co/MuvXQe0Jt3 pic.twitter.com/cU8GlzWD1M

— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2025

With an 87-85 lead heading into the final frame, the Knicks continued to tread water. Neither team played well enough to distance itself. Christie and D’Angelo Russell buried threes to nudge the Mavs in front as Dallas capitalized on more New York miscues (bad passes, more missed threes, more fouls).

Down by two with two minutes left, the Knicks teetered on the verge of losing another close road game. They needed a clutch play from someone—and rather than Brunson, here comes Shamet with a corner three.

LANDRY. LEAD. pic.twitter.com/wP57NmXXDp

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 20, 2025

Russell made one of two freebies on the other end to tie it up, but back came Shamet—again! Hart got stuffed by Gafford on a layup, but grabbed his own rebound and swung it out to Landry for a 26-footer.

🗣️🗣️ AND AGAIN

SHAMET‼️ pic.twitter.com/XVVKqegpqO

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 20, 2025

Following that, Jason Kidd called for time and drew up a play for Thompson, who airballed a pass to Mitchell Robinson. The basketball gods wanted New York to win after all!

With 22 seconds remaining, Shamet had the chance to ice the game at the free throw line. He missed both. The ball found its way to Brandon Williams, who clanged the rim on long brick. Another gift from the basketball gods! Robinson was promptly fouled—and missed both freebies, too. New York made 18 of their 33 free throw attempts tonight, and those last four blanks nearly sank them.

On Mitch’s miss, Hart fouled P.J. Washington, who converted on both of his free throws. Out of a timeout, down by one, Hart couldn’t inbound the ball and called for another timeout. Championship basketball, this did not look like. When the play finally resumed, Brunson got the ball and was fouled with 3.8 on the clock. He, too, missed a free throw. They practice them, right? He made the second.

Williams got the ball and tore-ass up the floor, racing step-for-step with Landry Shamet. Williams made the layup with .7 seconds on the clock and a foul was whistled—but it was on Williams, for wrapping an arm around Landry, which erased the game-tying shot. A fitting, bizarre ending to a confounding win.

The NBA has to be match fixing at this point.

The refs in the Knicks Mavs game need to be investigated for this horrible call pic.twitter.com/kuVPm7mYYZ

— CadeWrld 🇦🇺 (@WrldCade) November 20, 2025

Up Next​


The road trip continues on Saturday in Orlando. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...mavericks-111-they-practice-free-throws-right
 
P&T November mailbag

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The New York Knicks sit third in the Eastern conference, third in the league in offensive rating and third in offensive rebounds, having committed the third-fewest turnovers. Jalen Brunson just returned from a twisted ankle that made him the third Knick starter to miss a game already, joining OG Anunoby and Frankenstein fifth-starter Jotchell McHartinson.

The two teams ahead of New York in the East are Detroit and Toronto. I’m not worried about either. Ergo, the Knicks are in a good place in the conference — only with Cleveland off to a ho-hum 10-6, Boston a medically-induced morass of middling and Indiana riding their once-in-a-lifetime lottery luck like a beaming Mia Malkova riding . . . well, metaphor aside, the point is that the Knicks could be doing better. Should they, though?

How do you feel about their start?

Hey, you having a kid soon? Hoping to? Someday? If you love that kid, make sure their name is four syllables. That’s how many it takes to get chanted at Madison Square Garden. You’d think that kinda thing boils down to greatness, or maybe time. Nah. Think about it.

Patrick Ewing’s name got chanted. Jalen Brunson’s will, if it hasn’t already. Carmelo Anthony never did, though. Too many syllables, even if you cut “Carmelo” to “Melo.” KAT never will, either; same reason. Julius Randle, Amar’e Stoudemire, Charles Oakley? Nope. Jeff Van Gundy did. Not Pat Riley.

It’s not just the syllables. New Yorkers always add a little flavor to what they do. That’s how 19,763 strangers (that used to be the sellout number; dunno what it is now, after the sellouts sold out some more) are somehow, immediately, intrinsically aware that where the stress falls in those syllables matters! “Tom Thibodeau” had the right number of beats, but the stresses are all wrong. Where would you even hit the accent? TOM thi-BO-deau? Not merely off-key, but literally diabolical; like a waltz danced in 4/4.

Landry Shamet has now had his name chanted at the Garden twice in six months. Allan Houston? John Starks? Bernard King? Never! Sure, the Hall of Fame and All-NBA selections are fine, yeah, but have you ever considered the mouth-feel of a player’s name? Its play upon the ear?

I hated writing “Afflalo” when he was a Knick because my brain always wanted his first name to be “Aron,” not “Arron.” Strictly sonorously, “Afflalo” is a beautiful sound, if only for its strangeness, for the necessity of that strangeness. If Schoenberg were alive and heard the word “Afflalo,” he wouldn’t smile — he’s Schoenberg — but he’d recognize something of his twelve-tone music in that name, feel a ringing inside himself, an affirmation. That’s not nothing.

It’s November mailbag, babes. Whaddya wanna share? Ask. Seek. Knock. Come as you are.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-features-profiles/75614/pt-november-mailbag
 
Dissecting the Knicks’ road struggles

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Good news: the Knicks are no longer winless away from Madison Square Garden.

Bad news: they did it by narrowly surviving a severely shorthanded, mediocre Mavericks team with a horrendous shooting night, including 16 missed free throws, and on a controversial offensive foul.

Against anyone else, the Knicks lose that game. Aside from bursts by checks notes Naji Marshall and 2025 D’Angelo Russell, Dallas’ offense was stuck in neutral all night as they struggled from three after a hot first quarter.

So, while the Knicks are now on the board on the road, it’s been five disheartening performances to start the season. While the team looks nearly unstoppable at home, only dropping a singular game against the Magic in nine tries at the World’s Most Famous Arena, they’ve been uninspiring on the road for a variety of reasons. What’s going on with that?

The Knicks are one of the league’s best shooting teams. They make 36.7% of their triples and 79.8% of their free throws, ranking above average in both despite the horrific performance last night. If that were balanced, we wouldn’t have this kind of issue.

Except it isn’t.

Home: 39.9 3pt% (T-5th), 84.8 FT% (4th)

Road: 30.9 3pt% (26th), 71.4 FT% (27th)


Ouch. While a decrease in free-throw percentage is expected on the road (even if NBA players are usually good at blocking out the noise), a near-14-point drop is jarring. But the most glaring issue is that the Knicks, a team that has now made it part of their identity to shoot a high volume of threes, see their percentages drop by an entire nine points on the road.

What’s behind that? Are teams just playing better defense? Well, when dissecting that:

Open+ Wide Open 3s:

Home: 41.1% (37.9 att/g)

Road: 33.9% (35.4 att/g)


There’s not a big decrease in shot quality, but there is a massive decrease in efficiency. They are even statistically last in wide-open three-point shooting on the road. This rang especially true last night, when usual sharpshooters like Mikal Bridges and Deuce McBride clanked open shot after open shot.

The biggest individual culprit? Karl-Anthony Towns, the most gifted shooting big man in the history of the league. He goes from shooting 39.6% from downtown on almost six attempts per game at home to a putrid 17.2% on the same volume. This has dragged down his overall efficiency to the point that he’s in one of the worst shooting slumps of his career to start the season.

It’s not just KAT, though.

Jordan Clarkson:

Home: 42.1% (4.2 att/g)

Road: 18.8% (3.2 att/g)


Landry Shamet:

Home: 52.6% (4.2 att/g)

Road: 28.6% (5.6 att/g)


Josh Hart

Home: 40.7% (3.4 att/g)

Road: 28.6% (2.8 att/g)


Home cooking is certainly a thing, but it’s quite alarming that four of the team’s top-eight players are struggling mightily from distance on the road. Bridges, McBride, and OG Anunoby are the only players on the team whose shooting splits are even at home and on the road.

Aside from the three-point and free-throw shooting, is there anything else that changes in a big way on the road?

Well, the Knicks still grab a lot of offensive rebounds on the road and average the same amount of turnovers on the road, so the root of the offensive struggles is certainly based on the percentage dips. What about on defense?

Both at home and on the road, Knicks’ opponents are shooting the lights out from deep (38.9% home, 39.6% road) with more volume at home. The Knicks are forcing more turnovers at home (16.6 to 14.0) and getting luckier on the foul line (76.9% to 83.5%), while also allowing more free throws on the road.

They allow seven more points per game on the road, something you can chalk up to forcing fewer turnovers, committing more fouls, and not doing as well on the boards. The Knicks have a 32.2 OREB% on the road and still win the rebounding battle on average (50.7%), but they do much better on both ends at home (34.8%, 53.4%).

Could it also be strength-of-schedule-based? I’m not quite sure. If they blew out Dallas last night, then maybe, but they didn’t. While Milwaukee, Chicago, and Miami are all competent and stout opponents, they’re not worldbeaters. The Knicks have beaten the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Heat at home, even if they’ve also benefitted from feasting on bottom-feeders like the Wizards, Nets, and Grizzlies.

Ultimately, the Knicks are playing a world-beating brand of basketball at home, and playing extremely mediocre on the road. While they’re not as good defensively on the road and don’t dominate the boards like they should, it mostly lies in efficiency. They have many capable shooters and, on paper, only one guy who should struggle at the free-throw line. There’s no reason for a sizable drop-off away from MSG.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...rown-karl-anthony-towns-shamet-heat-mavericks
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I think I look good. I got beautiful skin’

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No Knicks game today as New York will take on Orlando hella early on Saturday.

The Magic will host the Knicks next as the Manhattanites try to extend their road-winning streak to 2-0 after legally and cleanly beating the Mavericks on Thursday.

Here’s some stuff for you to enjoy on this slow Friday.

Mike Brown​


On winning ugly:
“You have to win in different ways, and if we lost the game, I’ll tell you — it sounds crazy — but I thought we competed. I thought we tried to play the game the right way tonight, and when you do those things, then the confidence starts to build, and you can start stacking wins on the road because you’re about the right stuff. And tonight, we were about the right stuff even though the shots didn’t go in.”

On respecting opponents and winning despite injuries:“Everybody’s good. Miami’s missing Bam [Adebayo] and Tyler Herro and they’re finding ways to win games. I know we were missing Jalen, OG [Anunoby], two of our quote-unquote All-Stars against Miami at home, and we found a way to win. Anything can happen on any given night in this league. And you’ve gotta respect everybody, and however you can get a win, you go get that win and you feel good about it and you keep trying to get a little bit better. So I don’t care what spread is or what the thoughts should be on the spread. We competed, we tried to play the right way and we got a dub.”

On three-point shooting struggles and staying persistent:
“I thought we had some tremendous looks in the first half that could have opened up the game for us. We’ve gotta keep taking them.”

On paint-touch kickouts:
“The one thing that won us the game was paint-touch sprays. Jalen had a big one in transition. He touched the paint, he played off two, we spaced the floor the right way, he kicked that ball, he trusted his teammate… and Landry shot a wide-open corner 3 and made it. So the paint touch spray — something we preached about playing against this team — worked out well for us to help us create, get a lead and keep the lead down the stretch.”

On Mo Diawara’s playing time:
“I would have loved to try to throw Mo out there a little bit longer. I think Mo’s done a great job in the short minutes he’s played.”

On Diawara’s fit while OG Anunoby is out:
“[We’d like] to try to get him some minutes during this time of the year, especially while OG’s out, to keep us long and athletic would be ideal.”

On Josh Hart’s importance and missusage:
“You definitely want guys to feel good about how they’re being used. In the same breath, Josh has been fantastic. I think there were two games, maybe three, early on, that I kick myself for not throwing him back in the game late. They’re not the same player, but man, he’s just such a glue piece like Andre Iguodala was in Golden State. He just ties everything and everybody together. He does so many things out there that are just really simple that makes the game easier for everybody. He’s a two-way guy. His personality, his presence, is of a leadership quality. Those descriptions, that’s what reminds me of Andre. He can definitely do that for us and probably play more minutes.”

On Shamet’s role and versatility:
“I was a big fan of him, watching [him] play last year and even prior, and so it was, for me, having him a part of this team, completed the group. Now we have a lot of diverse guys. He’s just doing, in my opinion, what he’s capable of doing.”

On Shamet’s performance vs. Dallas:
“I think I look good. I got beautiful skin. I got a beautiful bald black head. I could lose a little weight, maybe. I think I look good regardless if Landry is making shots or not.”

On Shamet proving him right:
“My hat goes off to him.”

On his rotation decisions and keeping players fresh:
“It’s huge for a lot of reasons, but also it’s so early in the season and the reality of it is, I don’t want to gas my guys this early in the season. And if the minutes can be respectable across the board, especially at this time of the year, then we can increase the minutes come playoff time or come late in the season. In case we have to throw somebody in the game, there is a comfort level they have — not only what they have, but I have, the staff has, and everybody else has, with somebody new on the floor.”

We did indeed find the proof that Joakim blocked Jalen and was talking his talk 😂 @DoorDash

Every time a player drops 50 points, use promo code NBA50 the next day to get 50% off on DoorDash with DashPass. pic.twitter.com/0BqsBr4buQ

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) November 21, 2025

Jalen Brunson​


On confidence leading to opportunity in the NBA:
“It’s the NBA. A lot of guys are really gifted and talented. A lot of the NBA is confidence. So when you get opportunity and confidence mixed together, you can have a hell of game, a hell of a season. You can have a hell of a career. A lot of guys have the confidence. You just need the opportunity.”

Knicks-Mavs NBA Last 2-Minute Report says Brandon Williams “illegally hooks Landry Shamet” so the offensive foul on Williams game-tying attempt with less than a second left is correct pic.twitter.com/GljC9CRrhA

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Landry Shamet​


On the Knicks’ narrow win in Dallas:
“I think the biggest takeaway is we don’t even want to be in that position. There are so many things we could look at and point to… where it wouldn’t have to come down to us missing five out of six [free throws] and all the chaos down the stretch.”

“I’m a wealthy man today at 73, because of my players… I’m excited that they can get some wealth.” @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/6ifnecsWeP

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) November 20, 2025

Josh Hart​


On the Knicks’ ugly road win:
“We’re extremely encouraged. It was an ugly game. We didn’t play the best. We didn’t shoot the best. But we were able to tough it out and find a way to win.”

On his playing time before OG Anunoby’s injury:
“I hope. I think before that I was playing — before he went down, I think I was playing the least minutes of my career.”

On his reaction to his diminished role to start the season:
“When I’m mad, yeah. But I’m ready to always do what needs to be done to help the team get wins.”

On being a coach on the floor:
“I think it just shows the respect level that they have of myself and the input that I’m able to have. Every coach that I’ve played with — except for Stan Van Gundy — had an open line of communication. He lets me kind of go out there and play and read the game and call different plays if I see something, stuff like that. He gives me a lot of leeway and grace with it and obviously it’s appreciated. That’s kind of like my role on the team to make sure, to be that guy.”

On Shamet’s value and return-on-investment:
“Sometimes it’s tough. The first time (a player gets a non-guaranteed contract), it’s hard to get off of that — I don’t want to say label. Last year, he was in and out of the rotation. He’s a guy that can shoot the ball really well. He brings energy, toughness, physicality. And you know, luckily we were able to bring him back.”

On eating M&Ms after falling into the crowd:
“Nah, that probably wasn’t a great decision. It was in the moment. I saw all the M&Ms flying. Obviously, I’m still a Mike & Ike’s guy.”

Meet Kevin McCullar Jr., a San Antonio, Texas native who loves tacos and making winning plays 💪 pic.twitter.com/9080MrHT9J

— Westchester Knicks (@wcknicks) November 20, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On Shamet’s role and reliability:
“I’ve been knowing Landry, and I know, if I was ever building a team or if I’m coaching a team, I’ll always have Landry in my lineup or our rotation. We know what he’s capable of, how hard he works on both ends. And how he comes into work, how he comes into the game and prep and really locked in. So I’ve known Landry for so long and I know what he’s capable of and don’t leave him open. I’ve played with him so much, he makes a couple and he don’t see anybody after that. That ball going to go in.”

“I really think you guys have the potential to do great things this year. This is in my opinion, a much better team than last year.” pic.twitter.com/FDdrWL52b1

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) November 20, 2025

Rick Pitino​


On the 2025–26 Knicks:
“I really think that you guys have the potential to do great things this year. This is, in my opinion, a much better team than last year.”

On team strength regardless of coaching change:
“Nothing to do with coaching or anything like that, I think you’re a much better basketball team. I think you have all of the answers, if the big guy can stay healthy.”

"He does some really nice things. He throws the ball up ahead on the court…He follows directions…He's a good role player"

–– Knicks President Phil Jackson on why he picked Frank Ntilikina 8th in the 2017 Draft

5 days later Phil was gone pic.twitter.com/H4hg8uo0AY

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 21, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...etin-i-think-i-look-good-i-got-beautiful-skin
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘Right now, I think, I’m better than Russ’

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Believe it or not, the Knicks won one on the road.

New York visited Dallas and handed the Mavs a controversial L, earning their first win outside MSG.

Here’s what he heard before and after yesterday’s victory.

"Gotta string some stops together…Box out…Keep finding DLo"

–– Mike Brown in Knicks huddle pic.twitter.com/SHRayglJPx

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Mike Brown​


On managing minutes early in the season:
“It’s so early in the season, the reality of it is that I don’t want to gas my guys this early in the season. If the minutes can be respectable across the board, especially at this time of the year, then we can increase the minutes come playoff time or late in the season. Getting these guys reps in case someone gets hurt or in case we have to throw someone in the game. There is a comfort level that they have, and not only that they have, but I have, the staff has and everybody else has with someone new on the floor.”

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On player usage and Josh Hart’s role:
“You definitely want guys to feel good about how they’re being used as part of the group, but in the same breath, Josh has been fantastic. There’s been two, maybe three instances early on that I’ve kicked myself for not throwing him back in the game late.”

On Hart’s versatility:
“They’re not the same player, but he’s such a glue piece like Andre Iguodala was in Golden State. He just ties everything and anybody together. He does so many things out there that are just really simple that makes the game easier for everybody… And he can definitely do that for us and probably play more minutes, but at the end of the day, we have a good team, and I’m gonna try to spread [the minutes] around as best I can.”

On Landry Shamet’s defense:
“I give the referee credit. It was a hook. And a lot of people might not have called it down the stretch but it was the right call. And he definitely took Shamet’s left arm and I had a great view of it, and I’m glad the official did, and more importantly I’m glad he made the right call.”

On the defensive player of the game vs. Dallas:
“Shamet was the team’s defensive player of the game. Fantastic job on the ball all night.”

On deciding on Mitchell Robinson’s minutes:
“I’m not sure about that. We’ve gotta take it one game at a time and follow what the medical people tell us. He can go longer with his stretches. He can go longer with his minutes now than before. It’s constantly on the rise based on what Casey and his group tell us.”

On rebounding rules and Josh Hart:
“Josh is a special rebounder. And … we have crash zones where we want our guys to crash the glass from. But the reality of it is, as special as Josh is, when it comes to second opportunities, he’s going to have a lot of freedom, no matter where he is on the floor.”

On player freedom within his system:
“I’m a quick decision guy. Catch it, pass it, shoot it or snap drive. But if Jalen catches it, he dances with it a little bit, he’s got that leeway, that freedom. If he dances with it two or three times in a row and it’s not working, it’s my job to say, ‘Hey, let’s go quick decision and we’re moving on.’ But those types of guys have the freedom.”

On Steve Kerr’s competitive edge:
“Steve looks like this all-American dude, kid with blonde hair and blue eyes and everybody thinks he’s nice and sweet and all that. You know, he can be an a–hole. He’s competitive. He used to preach to our guys, ‘Nah, we’re not holding the ball. Finish the game. If they don’t wanna play defense, screw ’em. We’re gonna finish the game. We’re gonna keep getting better.’”

On running up the score in the NBA Cup:
“I don’t know if I have what it takes to do that all the time. I feel bad. I feel like I’m competitive, maybe not as much as Steve. I feel bad trying to run the score up. But in the Cup situation, it’s natural, because of the point differential. And I think at the end of games, it should be the way that Steve says. Just freakin’ play. Because the guys on the floor, they need to get better. You wanna execute. You don’t want a turnover. Just keep playing. That’s what competition is about. So, I like it. I hope others do, too, because that’s what true competition is about.”

On game pace and injuries around the league:
“I think if we did play less games, it would help because the game is faster and you’re putting a lot of pressure on everyone’s bodies playing three in four nights or 14–15 back-to-backs throughout the course of a year. So if you had a few more days in-between to recover, from a novice speaking, I think it would be better, but that’s just my two cents. Not every other day. That’s still a lot. But to space it out just a little bit more, have less back-to-backs so guys have a real opportunity to recover, I think could be beneficial just because of how fast the game is.”

"I mean, chaos"

–– Jalen Brunson on Knicks win in Dallas 113-111 pic.twitter.com/i0UpOW4ATm

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Jalen Brunson​


On his mindset during pressure situations:
“These are building blocks to the stuff we have to work on now. The quicker we get better at this, the better it’s going to be for us in the long run. These are not pressure situations. This is the stuff we work on. It’s what we do … let’s go out and do it.”

On the controversial ending and beating Dallas:
“Chaos. At the same time, found a way to win. It was ugly. When you win ugly, it’s a sign of a team learning, getting better. No matter what the situation is, we’ve got to find a way to win.”

On ending the losing streak on the road:
“Finally. Finally. We’re happy, but we got a lot of work to do.”

Good morning pic.twitter.com/exnWGe3Brl

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On Brunson’s toughness and return from injury after missing just two games:
“Just mental toughness. Just going through pain. I know a lot of guys be in pain, and some guys sit out longer than usual. But I think it’s just mental toughness to get through it and be alright playing through pain. You ain’t gotta be 100 percent out there. So I think that mental toughness he has.”

"Can I have one?"

–– Free candy for Josh Hart pic.twitter.com/HUv9cWf30S

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Josh Hart​


On knowing rebounding rules but enjoying some freedom:
“I know what the zones are supposed to be. But for me, it’s just across halfcourt. That’s my zone.

“Obviously, you’d like to crash corners and stuff like that. But for me, I have a good track on the ball, and if I’m able to make a break on it, I’m going to do that. [Brown’s] kind of given me the green light to do that and kind of bend the rules a little bit. He lets me kind of have free rein. Just roam and be myself.”

On overtaking Russell Westbrook as the best rebounding guard:
“Right now, I think, I’m better than Russ. But the history books — he’s the best rebounding guard to ever play the game. In that sense, it’s a fun kind of title or label to have.”

On his admiration for Westbrook:
“His competitiveness, his passion — he’s one of the guys I definitely admire.”

On Brown’s flexibility:
“It’s just of one those things — it’s coaches being able to adapt to their personnel. It’s: ‘This is the style that I normally do, that I’m comfortable with. But this person has this skill set, they’re very good at that, I don’t want to limit that. So let him be himself.’ Obviously, give him credit for that.”

On playing more with OG Anunoby out:
“I hope [I play more]. Before he went down, I think I was playing the least minutes of my career.”

On checking his minutes after games:
“When I’m mad, yeah. But I’m ready to have to always do what needs to be done to help the team get wins.”

On adapting to coaches:
“For players it takes a while to get used to a system, and with coaches it takes a while to get used to players.”

On the NBA schedule:
“Do I think there’s too many games? Yeah. Conversely, will governors and league and players take a pay cut to not do that? I don’t know.”

On soft-tissue injuries:
“The guys are faster, they’re stronger, they’re more athletic. And with that being said, you have to allow more time than normal of rest and recovery. But for me, I never really worry too much about the injury side of it. I pray before every game, and if something does happen, it’s part of my testimony.”

Landry Shamet on his clutch 3-pointers, missed free throws, and getting the call to end it in a wild finish for the Knicks.@LT__Murray | @NYKnicks | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/8yWDCkXatF

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) November 20, 2025

Landry Shamet​


On the controversial foul call:
“I knew if he was calling something, it was an offensive foul. Did I think he was going to? Down the stretch, you guys know how the whistle is and sometimes it’s play through it, sometimes you get the call.”

On the referee’s decision:
“That was a good call by the officials. Tough way to see the game end on a call like that, but I think they made the right call. I want that one, as a defender, I want that one.”

On the Knicks’ overall performance:
“We don’t want it to come down to that, though. We gotta do a better job of playing 48 minutes and find a way to create some more separation earlier in the game.”

On clutch shooting:
“The ball found me, I didn’t find any open looks early. Stayed composed, and knew, had a feeling some would come in the fourth and they did. Just step in, ready to shoot, good plays by my teammates, and I’ll take them.”

On his missed free throws and winning ugly:
“I gotta make two free throws. A wild finish down the stretch. It’s a road win, they’re not always gonna be pretty. That was not 48 minutes of basketball that we would like to play. But you’ll take the road win, and we can build on it.”

Knicks: DMX Where the Hood at

Mitchell Robinson: pic.twitter.com/mPt63FiwmP

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Mitchell Robinson​


On the mental side of his role:
“It was at first, but after thinking about it a lot, obviously I don’t want to miss the playoffs or later on in the future. Whatever’s best, just going to stick to it.”

On making the most of his short bursts of play:
“I feel like I adjusted pretty well, getting out there playing hard for my little short minutes bursts, whatever. Just taking it all in.”

On doing what’s asked:
“Doing what [Brown] asks, bro. Doing what he asks.”

On contributing in any role:
“I just continue to play hard. And if they need me out there longer, shorter, whatever, I’m just there.”

On playing time flexibility:
“I’m just doing what they ask, bro. [I can play] whatever they throw me out there for.”

On staying locked in:
“Just go out there and play hard, do the little things. Box-out, offensive rebounding. Everything else is gonna work itself out.”

On his health priorities:
“Just want to be healthy, ready to play. That’s the biggest goal. Keep doing everything right and keep hooping.”

"I never was thinking about leaving Dallas. I love Dallas, I love working for Patrick [Dumont]. … But I think it's safe to say we all enjoy being wanted. That was a nice touch."

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd on the Knicks' interest in him this past summer 🗣

(via… pic.twitter.com/jWU9Hf4grx

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 20, 2025

Jason Kidd​


On playing in New York for the Knicks late in his career:
“It’s the Mecca. It’s one of the most popular places to play. I enjoyed that one year. The car ran out of gas at the end. Had to park it.”

On the Knicks job and staying in Dallas:
“I think when you look at what the Knicks did this summer, understand it was denied, but I never was thinking about leaving. I love Dallas, I love working for Patrick. Understanding that we have a lot of work to be done to be a champion. I’m all-in to be able to do that. I was drafted here, I won here, I love the city, I love the fans, so it never crossed my mind to leave Dallas. I think it’s safe to say we all enjoy being wanted. So that was a nice touch.”

On his time with the Nets:
“But I really enjoyed that place when I played on the other side of the river in New Jersey, because we owned it. Wanted to see if I could make you guys laugh. I’ve been practicing that all day.”

The Mavericks lose in a heartbreaker to the Knicks as Brandon Williams scored on the layup but they called him an offensive foul.

The Mavericks didn’t have any timeouts left and were unable to call a challenge. pic.twitter.com/UFuT7ekT5m

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) November 20, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ulletin-right-now-i-think-im-better-than-russ
 
Game Preview: Knicks at Magic, Nov. 22, 2025

gettyimages-2246160860.jpg


After limping to a 113-111 win against the Mavericks late Wednesday night, the New York Knicks (9-5) are in line for an evening bash with the Orlando Magic (9-7), one of the most formidable opponents the Eastern Conference has to offer.

New York finally got off the schneid against Dallas, picking up their first road victory of the season. While it certainly wasn’t pretty at times, it was the heroics of Landry Shamet (and an extremely favorable offensive foul call at the end of regulation) that catapulted the Knicks to a W.

Mitchell Robinson on IG: pic.twitter.com/md87ddehpX

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

It was a much-needed win for New York, struggling to win away from home and in the middle of a five-game road trip. And there may not have been a more encouraging sign than Jalen Brunson taking the floor after missing a couple of games with (another) ankle sprain. Brunson, of course, did Brunson things in his first game back, scoring 28 points and dishing out 5 assists. How lucky are we?

Next up? The Magic, who have quietly been figuring things out down in Florida. Winners of 8 of their last 11 games, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the team heading into this season. After trading for Desmond Bane and strengthening the backend of their rotation, the hype is finally starting to come to fruition.

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have been a tad below their level of play from last season, and while they’ve picked it up lately, it hasn’t mattered because help has been right behind them. Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, and Wendell Carter Jr. have all been pulling their weight, providing a scoring punch behind their main guys, and early-season jumps from Tristan Da Silva and Anthony Black give Orlando a deep team that can beat you with a lot of different weapons.

We’ve already seen firsthand how tough this Orlando team can be. On November 12th, just 10 short days ago, the Magic walked into MSG and beat the Knicks, 124-107, giving them their first home loss of the year. Franz had 28. Bane had 22. New York got crushed on the glass. Not good.

We’ll see if they can right their wrongs this time around, this time down at the Kia Center. 5:00 PM tonight. Be there.

Prediction:

Tonight’s game will come down to whether or not the Knicks can outfight Orlando. No finesse needed.

This time around, OG Anunoby is sidelined, but the Magic are missing Paolo Banchero, sidelined with a groin injury. If the Knicks had looked stronger on the road, I’d go with them, but a toss-up with the Magic at home makes me lean in their favor, especially with the recent form they’ve been displaying. I’d say Magic by two possessions, when it’s all said and done.

I hope I’m wrong.

Game Details


Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Place: Kia Center, Orlando, FL
TV: MSG Network
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...5647/game-preview-knicks-at-magic-nov-22-2025
 
Magic 133, Knicks 121: Mauled by the Magic

imagn-27655107.jpg


Ten days ago, the Orlando Magic (10-7) snapped the Knicks’ (9-6) perfect home win streak. Tonight was supposed to be the get-even game. Not quite. The Knicks managed to take a 66-64 lead into intermission despite an underwhelming first-half performance. After the break, the home team got serious and even more physical (if you can believe it). They blew the lid off early in the fourth, answering every Knicks push and with an equal response and more. Garbage time came early. Final: Magic 133, Knicks 121.

Give credit to the Magic, whose 133 points were a season-high. Also recording a season high: Franz Wagner, with a final line of 37 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on 13-of-19 from the field. One turnover, too, in his 34 minutes. Overall, the Disneys had five players in double-digit points, with Desmond Bane dropping 27 and Jalen Suggs contributing 26.

For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson recorded a 33-point, 11-assist double-double. Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and eight rebounds. Mikal Bridges was a net positive, with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and two more steals. Consult the box score for the rest. And take note of Josh Hart’s -19 +/-. Rough game for him.

Worst news of the night: Not long into this game, Landry Shamet, the Knicks’ best sparkplug off the bench recently, collided with Wendell Carter, Jr. and appeared to dislocate again the shoulder he dislocated last year. He ran straight to the locker room and did not return to the court. Carter appears to lower his shoulder into Shamet on the play. What is it with these dirty Florida teams?

Landry Shamet looks like he just dislocated his shoulder.

Unreal. pic.twitter.com/f2csFptDX2

— KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) November 22, 2025

First Half​


The first quarter was a mess, with whistles and turnovers aplenty. Both teams struggled to find rhythm, committing 18 combined turnovers and shooting poorly from deep. Brunson paced the Knicks early, splashing a pair of threes on his way to 11 points, while Wagner repeatedly forced his way to the line for the Disneys.

New York fell behind, then briefly regained control behind an 11–2 run, courtesy of Brunson’s shotmaking and a pair of Mitchell Robinson alley-oops, but Orlando’s response (Wagner’s free throws, Bane’s late three-point play) swung the momentum back in their favor. By the buzzer, the home team escaped this debacle with a 31–29 edge thanks to Desmond Bane’s tip-in at the buzzer.

Here’s Mitch:

MITCHELL ROBINSON GOIN WAYYYY 🆙 pic.twitter.com/X5NLEwwSj0

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 22, 2025

In the second quarter, Jordan Clarkson gave New York a spark early. Towns added inside scoring, including a big dunk, but Orlando stayed close behind Wagner and Suggs. The former drilled a late three to trim the differential, but the Knicks controlled most of the final stretch (thanks to some Brunson heroics) and carried a two-point lead into the break.

Sometime during the quarter, my friend texted that Mohamed Diawara looks like an ‘uncoordinated gazelle.’ An accurate assessment of his eight first-half minutes, I’d say.

Through the half, the Knicks had shot efficiently, hitting 61% from the floor and 8-for-20 from deep. Orlando stayed within nipping distance by dominating the free-throw line (17-for-20) and the offensive glass (seven O-Boards to New York’s three). Our heroes had dished up 18 dimes and matched the Magic in steals and blocks, but both teams struggled with turnovers (NY 9, ORL 10).

Second Half​


The Magic continued to play NFL basketball through the second half. Not knocking it, we loved when the Knicks used to break heads, but it’s never pleasant to be on the receiving end.

The Knicks briefly stayed ahead behind a Clarkson triple, steady scoring from Towns, and a Hart and-one. For every punch, though, Orlando had an answer. They gradually exerted their dominance thanks to Wagner’s relentless drives, Bane’s perimeter shooting (3-of-7 tonight), and aggressive play by Suggs and Tristan da Silva. A flurry of late Magic tricks (Anthony Black’s steal, Bane’s step-back three) capitalized on two Brunson turnovers and closed the quarter on a run. Orlando won the period 34-27, and it sure didn’t seem like the Knicks would figure out how to flip the script.

Fourth quarter, more of the same. Suggs was obnoxious:

THIS is Jalen Suggs https://t.co/1lbAvBbW5W pic.twitter.com/I7x2f8JORj

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 23, 2025

And Wagner met little resistance:

35 now for Franz… 3 off his career high!

Magic lead Knicks in the 4Q on NBA TV.

Watch here: https://t.co/RJGJN8BDEJ https://t.co/TSA12Yyap7 pic.twitter.com/G9or3fhwCm

— NBA (@NBA) November 23, 2025

Yep, Orlando controlled the fourth quarter from the jump. New York scored first to cut the lead to three, but don’t believe your lyin’ eyes. Jonathan Isaac’s put-back dunks, Anthony Black’s corner three, and relentless scoring from Wagner, Bane, and Suggs pushed the lead into double digits and kept it there. The Knicks couldn’t get stops, and garbage time might have technically commenced with 2:30 remaining, but you could argue it started somewhere around the first quarter. On to the next one.

Up Next​


The road trip comes home, sorta, for a battle in Brooklyn on Monday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...5659/magic-133-knicks-121-mauled-by-the-magic
 
November P&T mailbag: the move to make, the Pistons & does more rest = more injuries?

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One of my two favorite holidays is four days away. For the past four months I’ve lived with a new gastrointestinal reality, one that strictly restricts the variety and volume of foods I can enjoy in my middle age. I don’t wanna think about that. I’d rather think about the many excellent questions raised by you lot in last week’s P&T mailbag invite. Ergo, here we go.

How are the vibes currently, on a scale of 1 (despicable) to 5 (immaculate)? What is the vibes projection for mid-year (January) and end-year (June)?

— FooBarChu

I’d rate the vibes an unstinting 3.

The Knicks are 9-6, tied with Philadelphia for the 12th-best record in the league. Nothing to write home about. Know what, though? Last year after 15 games they were 9-6 too. 2024? Same: 9-6. So, things could be better, but things could be worse, and lately things have been pretty much what they are now.

If homecourt advantage seemed essential for this team, or there were some Eastern behemoth off to a scalding start, a la the Celtics and Cavaliers last season, I’d care more about the Knicks’ early-season form. But in the Jalen Brunson era, this team has closed out three playoff series on the road and won late-and-close postseason games in Boston. They’re only a game and a half behind the first-place Raptors in their division — hey, divisions! Remember those? Long as the Knicks win the Atlantic, their seeding will be fine. I’d rather be them right now than the Cavs, already four back of the Pistons in the loss column.

So though the Knicks def aren’t setting the world on fire, neither are they getting punked. They’re just trying to make it happen, man, one day at a time, same as most of us. That’s as 3 as 3s get. I suspect by mid-January, health-permitting, the vibes will be a little better — 3.5ish. By June it’ll be 1 or 5, agony or ecstasy, no room for in-between.

Say we’re first in the East, fully healthy approaching the trade deadline, and you had to make one roster move. What move would you make to put us on par with Oklahoma City?

— Jslashnoel

If a credible big man were available then, someone improbably inexpensive whom the Knicks could land for Pacôme Dadiet and a second-rounder or two, that’s my move. Mind you, I don’t always ride the trade-Dadiet bus. But in Jslashnoel’s hypothetical, the Knicks are rolling along and only thinking title-or-bust. If that’s the goal, Dadiet’s $2.8 million slot might be better occupied by someone who fits a needier position of need, though the Knicks are so claustrophobically close to the second apron they’re limited to players who make Dadiet money.

With Derik Queen’s ascent in New Orleans, would the Pelicans consider moving on from 2025 All-Rookie Second Team center Yves Missi? Does that sound crazy? Have you met the Pelicans? Is Drew Eubanks a difference-maker over seven games with the Thunder? The Kings have completely melted down into madness again, inexplicably playing Keon Ellis 25% fewer minutes a game in his walk year; could the Knicks take advantage of this latest self-induced Viveksection and add another quality wing, a position where the Thunder enjoy an embarrassment of riches? Know who else is a King?

Update: Precious Achiuwa signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Sacramento Kings, league sources said.

Michael Scotto (@mikeascotto.bsky.social) 2025-11-07T17:59:27.851Z

If bigs are your thing, Marvin Bagley III has shown some bounce back after last season, and puts up big-time rebounding numbers. Especially on the offensive glass. Call me crazy, but there’s a multiverse where the Knicks get oddly terrific production (in limited minutes) from Bagley III in a Finals against the Thunder. Otherwise . . . Tony Bradley? Mason Plumlee? Those doing anything for you?

I don’t think the Knicks have a championship-caliber set of bigs, particularly given one of their 7-footers’ injury history and how specialized both their 7-footers are. If Mitch goes down, there goes their rim protection; if Towns does, the offense levels down considerably. Maybe the Ellis route is the better way to add meaningful depth, keeping OKC in mind. Lotta trade rumors the last few years about Isaiah Stewart coming this way. That would’ve hit the spot niiiiiicely, as the Knicks appear one big short. Relatedly:

How worried are you about Guerschon Yabusele’s poor play?

— Bargzzz

I wouldn’t say “worried,” though he’s struggling. That’s to be expected: dude’s gone from 27 a minutes a night for Philadelphia to 10 minutes per with a new team. The only other Knick dealing with that much of a minutes shift is Josh Hart, who at least enjoys the benefit of roster continuity. Yabusele’s life is nothing but adjustments these days. So I’m not “worried” as much as “yet to be impressed.”

I have wondered if/how Yabusele’s transition may have been impacted by him gaining 25 pounds last offseason, weighing in as the league’s fifth-heaviest player behind only Zach Edey, Jusuf Nurkić, Nikola Jokić and Zion Williamson. That massification must align with the Knicks’ vision for Yabusele, else they wouldn’t have signed him, right?

Keep in mind: Isaiah Hartenstein struggled a TON his first few months here after his time as a Clipper, where they had him shooting 3s. He had to make some big adjustments, too. Give Yabusele some time. Also worth keeping in mind: Yabusele’s replacing Precious Achiuwa. To be a success, he really just needs to be better than Achiuwa. Plenty of time to get there — or get someone else who is.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Also, this team as of now seems to be not ready for prime time. Do you think that’ll change when the playoffs come around?

— Unmitigated Gall

I’m struck by UG’s first verb being “could” and not “would.” It eliminates the alliterative play of “wood would a woodchuck,” and it’s redundant, as there’s another “could” seven words later. But I can’t make too much of it, since UG didn’t get much runway to elaborate. Maybe they would have shown me something I’m not seeing, never would have imagined. Same with these Knickerbockers.

It’s not a sexy hot-take answer, but I am not as of yet concerned, nor do I consider them not ready for primetime. Their early road form is uneven, at times uninspiring, but I know trust they can win there when the chips are down. True, the only really good team they’ve beaten was Cleveland on opening night; then again, they haven’t played any other really good teams. Unless you consider Minnesota a contender, the only one the Knicks have faced all year are the Cavs; they don’t see another until hosting those same Cavs Christmas Day. After that, you gotta wait till February for Denver and Houston. The Thunder games come early and late in March.

The 2025-26 Knicks have yet to paint a masterpiece. They’re also mostly yet to work on any kind of canvas.

17% of the season in, what do you make of Mike Brown?

— JorgiePorgie

I’m very nearly 17% of the way to forming an opinion.

I don’t mean that flippantly; I’m really, consciously trying to let more of the season unfold before forming an opinion. Once when I was still professoring, a month into a semester, I took over a research writing course after the original professor had to deal with a family emergency. I’ve designed and taught a dozen courses over the years, but I’d never had the experience of stepping in for someone else, someone who’d established a much more detailed and different approach than my own. I struggled with it. All my usual measures and metrics were meaningless; I was working as much just to grasp what I’d inherited as I was trying to teach it.

Mike Brown is probably the first Knick coach since Mike Woodson whose job description is more editor than writer. That’s a credit to Thibs, who created enough of something worthwhile for editing to be possible. More than any Knick coach I can think of since Jeff Van Gundy, any evaluation of Brown cannot commence, much less conclude, before their first season ends. My students were kind to me, both with their patience and their post-semester reviews. I assume the Knick players are similarly extending Brown both time and space to make changes they probably support — otherwise the old ways and old boss would still be in place.

Why aren’t you worried about Detroit? Knick fan here, saw both ‘chips and watch all their games. Detroit gave New York all it could handle in [the] playoffs last year, are better this year and very physical. [The Orlando] Magic showed how to take Knicks out of Brown’s style and New York reverted to iso-ball at a slower pace.

— rf5

Not worried about the Pistons? That is foolish. They are a year more experienced, and Jalen Duren is terrific, more focused and his temper seems under control. They could win it all, they are not going away for years.

— hockeybeaverton

Shortly before Thanksgiving 2002, Yao Ming’s rookie year, he went on a hot streak that saw him drill 31 of 35 shot attempts. Imagine telling someone back then not only would the Rockets never win a championship with Yao, they’d only win one playoff series with him, period.

I like Jalen Duren’s game. I’m not picking Detroit to buck history because he’s had a nice month.

I can only think of two teams this century to win a title without winning a single playoff series the year before. Ironically, they’re the league’s bluebloods, proving the notion of prestige really is a classist shell game meant to keep the masses down: in 2020 the Lakers won the Bubble ‘chip after missing six straight postseasons and not winning a round for seven; the 2008 Celtics won it all after missing the prior two postseasons and going five years without a series victory. Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and Daniss Jenkins have all been positive additions to the Pistons, but LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen they ain’t.

Franchises just don’t go 17 years without a single series win and then suddenly rip off four straight. Even the 2007 Cavaliers, a team that had no business in the Finals that LeBron carried there, had the experience of besting the Wizards in the opening round the year prior. Maybe in retrospect topping a Gilbert Arenas-led outfit isn’t that big of a deal, but LeBron let it marinate.

Going back further, the 2004 Pistons were pretty new in a lotta ways — that was Larry Brown and Rasheed Wallace’s first year there — but they’d made the ECF the year before under Rick Carlisle, and won a combined three series the previous two years. Before that, the last surprise champ is a team well-known in these parts, the 1994 Rockets. Houston had only won one series the six years prior to winning the first of their consecutive championships, when they defeated . . . well, now how about that. I can’t place it. I plum forgot. Allergies? El Niño? Who can say?

P.S. That Yao field-goal percentage stat has been seared into my brain for 23 years. I’ve been waiting literally DECADES for a reason to bust it out! You got any weird sports stats like that? Let ‘em out in the comments.

Why does it feel like there have been 5 games over 2 months this season? Feels like too many non-game days to possibly cram 82 in by season’s end.

— JalenBrunsavior.

I’m writing about the Knicks less than I have since I first started in 2014. My sense of time is completely untethered now that I’m not recapping 60-70 games a year. They feel like an NFL team to me; every game is an event unto itself. Given the Association continues to try and pass off the heresy that a greater workload doesn’t result in bodies breaking down more, I’m very cool with this timeless, protoplasmic early-season state of being.

A well-respected Knicks writer published this line recently:

Mike Brown is, 10% into the season, consistently asking less of everybody now, ostensibly so there’s more in the tank should the Knicks be playing in Oklahoma City come June

Tom Thibodeau famously believed that logging a large volume of regular-season minutes meant the starters were in superb shape by the end of the season and therefore less likely to get injured or fatigued in the postseason. Given that two of our playoff opponents last year saw their best player suffer a season-cancelling injury, and given that the Knicks have had more injuries to their starters than they did at this point last season, do the facts in any way vindicate Thibodeau’s approach?

— PolyphonicSpreewell

I say nay. For a few reasons.

Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton’s injuries don’t really fit the under-utilized profile. Tatum was seventh in regular-season minutes per game last year and fifth in the playoffs at 40+. If playing more meant greater protection from injury, Tatum would be a walking prophylactic. He’s not.

Haliburton’s injury requires an asterisk. There are any number of nights in any season —95-99% of nights — when neither Haliburton nor the Pacers would risk him trying to push through a calf injury knowing it could become an Achilles tear. Game 7 of the Finals is one of the few nights when the reward may seem worth the risk. More than any team, the Pacers are famous (infamous in New York) for playing their stars lighter minutes than most, a strategy that paid off handsomely the past two years against the Knicks. I can’t credit the cornerstone of that success for getting them to the finish line, then condemn it because they won silver instead of gold.

If Tom Thibodeau were still coaching the Knicks, they could/would be dealing with the same injury situation they are now. In that reality, I’ve already written multiple pieces about 2025’s heavy-workload “Thibs tax” reaching through time to exact its toll on the 2026 team. Brown’s new approach is specifically aimed at impacting the team’s play come springtime, so where they stand 20% of the way there means bupkis. If no starter had missed a game yet, that wouldn’t vindicate Brown; on the other hand, Brunson’s ankle injury was very much a this-is-the-business-we’ve-chosen thing, while OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson were never mistaken for ironmen, even before Brown’s arrival.

As there’s no way for me to know how my stomach will respond to the Thanksgiving feast until that day arrives, there’s no way to compare Brown’s methodology to Thibodeau’s when we’re still waiting on the bulk of the data. We won’t know till we get there. When we do, will the Knicks be seated truimphant upon the throne? Will their fans, sickened by some late-season shock, hunch metaphorically over the porcelain throne that is the offseason?

We’ll find out together. Merry week to you all.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...make-the-pistons-does-more-rest-more-injuries
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I wasn’t even looking at him’

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Are the Knicks contenders or a bunch of pretenders? Is New York a legitimate threat to any of the Western Conference favorites?

Judging by Saturday’s outing, winning the chip is still a no-no thing.

Here’s what we’ve heard of late.

"Tough game…next man up next man up next man up

"We have to have guys ready to play…hard

"I think we can be really good defensive team

"We got a little deflated…Orlando pounced

"We're gonna be fine

"We're gonna go thru this

– Mike Brown as Knicks lose 133-121 in Orlando pic.twitter.com/L283blvBR8

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 23, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Franz Wagner’s skillset:

“He’s big first of all, he’s long, strong. He’s a three level scorer. He’s got a great pace and confidence about his game. He’s got great footwork. He likes to go right, but he can go left, cut left…he’s crafty enough and skilled enough where he can come back to it with all sorts of things, whether it’s the euro or the spin dribble.

“Offensively, he can score at all three levels, he’s a pretty good athlete. That footwork when he’s attacking — he can stop and spin, fade away, which makes him real tough to guard.”

On the Knicks’ struggles against Orlando:

“They were physical with us [in the first game]. They’re really good in that regard. They did a great job attacking the rim, whether it was in transition or in the front court.

“We didn’t do a great job guarding the basketball. Our shifts weren’t quite there. And then they rebounded pretty good, especially in that first half. So we have to do a better job in those area.

“And then offensively try to play the pick and roll two on two. We turned the ball over a few times early in the game. So we have to do a better job with our decision making when we get in the paint and trying to be the aggressors, try to get them on their heels because they definitely had us on our heels that night.”

On enduring another injury following Landry Shamet’s on Saturday:

“I’m gonna keep preaching: it’s about next-man up. In our case it’s next-man up, next-man up, next-man up or something like that. We have to have guys ready to play especially some guys that hadn’t played minutes. They don’t have to come in and do a lot. They just have to come in and play hard and continue trying to play the way that we play on both ends of the floor.”

On advancing the offense and starting to call plays:

“We have a couple in. We’re not quite there where we can call them on the fly all the time, but yes. We have a few of them in that we lean on, try to lean on.”

On players executing transition actions not yet taught:

“Seeing stuff like that tells me, ‘OK, they’re starting to get it.’ We could still be better, but we’re starting to get it a little bit. Therefore we can start implementing a couple of calls.

“We started trying to figure out how to balance the floor, which is the big thing. In our league, teams are so good with everything, if your spacing is not right, the first thing is to play with pace but your spacing has to be right. So we started to get the spacing right, even though the initial action to start the dominos wasn’t quite right.

“We spaced it right and we fell into that.”

On Rodney Rogers’ passing:

“It was amazing what [Rogers] did. We were a young team, and after he hit that third [3-pointer], we were celebrating like we won.

“I was with him in Denver back in the day, and he obviously was a really good basketball player but a good human being, too.”

welp pic.twitter.com/mT0oSFSkyO

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 23, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On his fourth-quarter usage:

“I just think just where the balls find me. In the Miami game I’m coming in, I got the ball a couple times and drove. And they helped, I think we got two good looks. Missed them both.

“But I think it’s just the opportunity that comes. It’s usually what it is — the ball finds me. I think if you watch, if it doesn’t find me, it’s just in the offense and trying to figure it out. And sometimes it happens like that. The game does that.”

On defensive lapses in the Magic loss:

“[Defending] on ball, we got to be better. But also there was no secondary help, no second effort. That’s the biggest thing.

“There are going to be blow-bys. There’s going to be stuff that happens, miscommunications. But we weren’t connected. We weren’t on our toes and ready to make a play. I think we were on our heels a little bit and reacting late, which I think is unacceptable.”

On Shamet’s comments after leaving Saturday’s game:

“He said he was OK… As long as he’s OK, his mental is OK. Just praying for the best and hoping everything is okay. Definitely going to need him out there.

“Wouldn’t want that for anybody, to go down and get hurt in the game, especially Landry I’m close with and dealing with probably the same shoulder thing. Just praying for the best and hoping everything is okay, Definitely going to need him out there.”

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On Landry Shamet’s injury:

“It was tough, man. He’s been playing his ass off. He’s been such a big contributor to our team and these last couple weeks he’s been able to show the NBA and fans of New York why he’s so valuable. It sucks that that happened [when] he’s right now rolling and has good momentum in his game.”

"Hope he's good…physically…moreso mentally…Lan, someone who's been battling…it's tough…But now it's next man up; we gotta figure it out"

–– Josh Hart on Landry Shamet injuring shoulder again pic.twitter.com/qXxLzSnytt

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 23, 2025

Josh Hart​


On the Knicks’ poor defense against Orlando:

“That’s just a bad job on us. Obviously, there are guys who are out there that we could have played off of a little bit, and we didn’t do that.

“We let guys drive across the paint and do all that kind of stuff with no help, no resistance, so we’ve got to watch the film and get better.”

On grabbing Jalen Suggs by the neck during a loose ball:

“It was a loose ball. Obviously, we’re jockeying for the ball. I wasn’t even looking at him. I was looking at the basketball, and I didn’t realize I hit him in the neck until they slowed it down second by second. A play where bodies are flying and hands are flying. Unfortunately, I got him there. But it was nothing purposeful. That stuff’s happening like this. I don’t think I had enough time to process on a loose ball grabbing him by the neck.”

On losing Shamet to injury:

“First and foremost we hope he’s good. More so mentally… someone like Lan, someone who’d been battling and feel like it’s just a freak accident here and there. So it’s tough. Now it’s like they say, next man up, and we’ve got to figure out.”

Jalen Brunson​


On Shamet’s injury:

“[He’s a] guy who worked so hard to get back and has been playing great. It’s just tough, but knowing him he’s going to be back better than ever.”

Jalen Suggs on dapping up fans after forcing Josh Hart turnover & tech: "It was huge"

Hart: "It was a loose ball. I wasn't even looking at him" pic.twitter.com/slGNvd74MD

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 23, 2025

Jamahl Mosley​


On missing the second half due to illness:

“I’m better now. I was lightheaded, almost dizzy on the sideline; it kicked in. I probably shouldn’t have been yelling at [the referee] like that. That started it, but much better now. … It was scary.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this happen in my entire life and it’s the most cathartic experience ever pic.twitter.com/RcKYnu7I7g

— ᴀʀᴅᴀ Öᴄᴀʟ (@Arda) November 22, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/75652/knicks-bulletin-i-wasnt-even-looking-at-him
 
Knicks Bulletin: ‘Definitely on my part. I could do a better job hitting shots’

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Wake up, get up, rinse up, dress up, eat up, and by the time you’re done, there’s a great chance it’s already tip-off time.

New York and Orlando will face each other early today, so reserve your place at the couch and enjoy the game, cause it’s revenge time.

Here’s the lastest from your Knickerbockers.

Good morning. Your Knicks play 8 games next 2 weeks. Prediction? pic.twitter.com/dUNLGa2F65

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 21, 2025

Mike Brown​


On Karl-Anthony Towns’ progress in his system:

“I am, and he’s getting better with it. Sometimes he takes a couple steps backwards on [his process], but I thought against Dallas he was pretty good.”

On Towns’ shot selection: vs. Dallas

“He mixed it up quite a bit. Sometimes he caught it at the elbow. He caught it at the post a couple times. Caught it at the top of the floor a couple times.”

On Towns’ three-point attempts:

“The one thing I want him to consistently do — he’s got a beautiful stroke, but until he finds that, I want him to keep finding the [three-point] line a little bit more. He can stop [closer to the line] because of the pressure that we’re trying to put on the defense early in the clock.”

On staggering minutes between Towns and Brunson:

“I think they’re just playing and taking the best possible shot. Obviously when Jalen’s off the floor, it’d be great to have KAT on the floor. They’ve each gotta rest. So when we have KAT off the floor, vice versa, and so that’s what we try to do. And obviously they both start together and end the game together, but now during the substitution time, we like to have one of the two on the floor at all times.”

On the Knicks’ loss to Magic two weeks ago:

“The Magic were physical, they were the more physical team that night and I like the fact that our team took ownership of it and didn’t use excuses because there could have been a million excuses that night that we could have used. But we’re a no-excuse team. It doesn’t matter what our schedule is, it doesn’t matter about the officials. It doesn’t matter about any of that. We’ve gotta go play the right way when our number is called and we didn’t do a good job of it that game, and it started with how physical they were coming in and punching us in the mouth first.”

Bill Simmons “What's Knicks-Nets ratio in New York?

Zach Lowe “Meeting a Nets fan in NY only slightly more common than a Magic fan…

"Nets fans hate when you say how dead Barclays is

BS “Not for Liberty…It's Nets…thinking they could come in NY…

"NBA at its worst…disgrace" pic.twitter.com/8O54DDcvIP

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 22, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​


On the uniqueness of Mike Brown’s offensive system:

“It’s different. I haven’t seen it in my 11 years [in the league]. But I’m having fun with it. I’m just continuing to get better and impact the game, and impact winning and continue to help our team any way possible.”

On his shooting struggles and staying confident:

“I want to find different ways to impact this team winning, and just continue to figure everything out. We all are. So definitely on my part, I could do a better job hitting some shots. But I’ll get to that. Numbers will always number out. So I’m just staying confident.”

On adjustmenting his offense to Brown’s system:

“Like I say after almost every game, I want to find different ways to impact this team winning. And just continue to figure everything out. We all are. So definitely on my part I could do a better job hitting some shots. But I’ll get to that. Numbers will always number out. So I’m just staying confident. It’s great to get our first road win. That’s what it’s about. It’s about the wins. So it’s a good start to what we’re trying to accomplish.”

On the Magic rematch and the need for greater intensity:

“We got to match just their intensity in general. So they did a good job last game of finding a way to win and we got to match their intensity, especially tomorrow.

“We just got to match their intensity in general.”

"He does some really nice things. He throws the ball up ahead on the court…He follows directions…He's a good role player"

–– Knicks President Phil Jackson on why he picked Frank Ntilikina 8th in the 2017 Draft

5 days later Phil was gone pic.twitter.com/H4hg8uo0AY

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 21, 2025

Mikal Bridges​


On Towns’ play:

“[He’s] doing good. Just playing the right way, I think that’s the biggest thing. Just being aggressive and reading defenses and playing basketball.”

Knicks: DMX Where the Hood at

Mitchell Robinson: pic.twitter.com/mPt63FiwmP

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 20, 2025

Mitchell Robinson​


On maximizing his limited minutes:

“Just go out there and play hard. Like, do the little things, box out, offensive rebounding, everything else is going to work itself out.”

On adapting to his diminished role:

“I feel like I adjusted pretty well, getting out there playing hard for my little short minutes bursts, whatever. Just taking it all in. Just continue to play hard, and if they need me out there longer, shorter, whatever, I’m just there.”

On his long-term goals:

“Just healthy, ready to play, that’s the biggest goal. Continue to do everything right and just keep hooping. It was [mentally tough] at first, but after thinking about it a lot, obviously, I don’t want to miss no playoffs or later on in the future. Whatever’s best, just going to stick to it.”

"International Hoops Terms With Cleanthony Early" has to be the wildest sports category in Jeopardy! history. pic.twitter.com/ZysdXM070k

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 21, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...my-part-i-could-do-a-better-job-hitting-shots
 
Knicks 113, Nets 100: Slow start, big finish at Barclays

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When New York (10-6) and Brooklyn (3-14) squared off earlier this month, the Knicks roasted their little borough brothers by 36 in a wire-to-wire win. Tonight’s rematch, this time at Barclays, had a less auspicious start. The short-handed Knicks played from behind through most of the first two periods, but managed to take a 51-48 advantage into intermission. After the breather, New York built up a 17-point lead in the third, ratcheted up their defense, and coasted to a 113-100 win.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored his second-highest total of the season, finishing with 37 points, 12 boards, two blocks, and a steal in 33 minutes. Jalen Brunson recorded 27 points on 10-of-19 from the field, and Mikal Bridges posted 16 points and two more steals. The Knicks were down three rotational players, so Josh Hart was in the starting lineup and finished with 12 boards, seven points and assists, two steals and blocks, and a +17 plus/minus.

Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson contributed 12 points in 20 minutes, and Tyler Kolek had a nice showing—just two points, but five shiny dimes.

Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney came into tonight shooting 30% from three and averaging 11 points per game. Of course, he scored a career-high 31 points and made 7-of-13 from downtown. . . Players get up for Knicks games, man.

Michael Porter, Jr. also wore a Brooklyn jersey tonight.

First Half​


The Knicks opened the quarter with Towns scoring inside, which softened the blow of Brunson missing four of his first five shots.

Brooklyn quickly answered with contributions from Porter and Claxton. Mann and Clowney hit early threes, too, helping to undue New York’s early lead. Midway through the quarter, Brunson heated up with a pair of deep threes, and Josh Hart added one, but Brooklyn stayed ahead thanks to Porter and Clowney’s shooting, and Tyrese Martin’s providing energy off the bench.

With New York missing three rotation players (OG Anunoby, ankle; Landry Shamet, shoulder; Mitchell Robinson, illness), Mike Brown dusted off Ariel Hukporti and gave Guerschon Yabusele extended minutes. Don’t get excited, neither did anything of note. Also quiet: Miles McBride, starting at shooting guard and still recovering from an illness. This was tasty, though.

Damn, I didn't know Deuce McBride had that in his game

CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) 2025-11-25T01:43:56.722Z

The Knicks shot efficiently (48% from the field, 43% from three) and held an edge in the paint, but the Nets controlled the glass and the quarter, 26-24.

To start Q2, New York missed opportunities to capitalize on Brooklyn’s misses. The Knicks shook off their lethargy, thanks to a nice Tyler Kolek drive, a Josh Hart midrange bucket, and a steady stream of inside scoring from KAT. The big fella piled up points at the rim and went 3-for-3 at the line to build up a 12-point lead. Brooklyn answered with Porter’s three, Egor Demin’s pull-up from deep, and a Claxton jumper. The Knicks escaped the half with a 51–48 lead.

the float show from the big man 🙌

17 PTS | 6 REB at the half pic.twitter.com/BPsChPwl8C

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 25, 2025

Through the first half, the Knicks shot 49% from the field and dominated the paint 28–8, while also winning the assist, block, and turnover stats. Brooklyn stayed close, despite making 7-of-26 from deep. They generated extra chances on the glass with eight offensive rebounds, and they took 17 free throws to New York’s six. This writer’s mood: unenthused.

Second Half​


Coming out of intermission, Brooklyn briefly went ahead by one, but New York was off and running. Our heroes ripped off a 12–2 stretch, then kept building behind solid bench minutes and a burst of perimeter offense from McBride, Yabusele, and Bridges. Brooklyn got scattered scores from Porter and Powell, but the Knicks consistently beat them to the cup, the glass, and the three-point arc. By quarter’s end, a Powell triple trimmed the Knicks’ lead to 89–75.

Enjoy this Kolek-KAT konnection:

ty dishin dimes and KAT is cookin

28 PTS | 10 REB | 3 AST | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/QeoAOXHcEs

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 25, 2025

Midway through the fourth quarter, KAT flew to the rim and came down painfully on his hip. He writhed around, but managed to power through, shooting a free throw and following that with another triple. Soon after, with the Knicks’ lead reaching 19, he retired to the locker room.

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS FROM 3 AGAIN‼️ pic.twitter.com/mNGSbjhyGY

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 25, 2025

New York’s defense tightened up in the second half, turning deflections and steals into points on the other end. Clowney kept scoring, but found little support among his teammates. At the two-and-a-half-minute mark, Brunson was able to sub out, and gah-bahge commenced.

Up Next​


New York travels to Charlotte to face the Hornets on Wednesday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...13-nets-100-slow-start-big-finish-at-barclays
 
An NBA Cup update: What the Knicks need to make the knockout round

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It’s late November, which means it’s time for everyone’s favorite sporting event.

No, it’s not the Thanksgiving Day Parade or Turkey Day football. It’s the NBA Cup, silly.

The final two days of group play are upon us, and the Knicks are once again in the mix to advance in the relatively meaningless in-season tournament. Now, while winning this tournament itself is extremely useless (ask the 2024 Bucks and 2023 Lakers), these are real games aside from the eventual championship game. It’s real salary bonuses for the players, something especially valuable for rookies.

As of Tuesday, the Knicks are 1-1 in group play with a win against the Miami Heat and a loss against the Chicago Bulls. They also hold a negative point differential. In most other years, the Knicks would need a Herculean effort over their final two games to even squeak into a wild-card spot due to point differential, but that’s not the case this time.

👀 the @emirates NBA Cup standings ahead of THREE Group Play nights this week!

With one Knockout Rounds spot clinched (TOR) and seven still up for grabs, the chase for the NBA Cup continues TONIGHT on NBC, Peacock and NBA League Pass 🍿

🏆 LAL (2-0) can clinch West Group B vs.… pic.twitter.com/enlCmPmVG2

— NBA (@NBA) November 25, 2025

The Milwaukee Bucks currently pace the group with a 2-0 record, and the Heat sit at 2-1 with an impressive plus-46 point differential, giving them a massive advantage if they were to be a wild card. The Bulls (who’ve lost eight of 12 overall) are all but buried, as are the winless Hornets.

What happens in other groups only matters if the Knicks are competing for a wild card (which is unlikely), but let’s recap them anyway:

East Group A​


The Raptors are suddenly red hot and have already clinched a spot in the knockout round; meanwhile, the lowly Indiana Pacers are already eliminated. It’s also safe to say that the Wizards are done too, barring two of the biggest blowouts ever by a team whose fanbase is posting AJ Dybantsa edits.

Competing for the wild card are the Cavaliers and Hawks in a sneakily strong group. The Cavs have the early advantage with two wins and a big point differential advantage due to a blowout win over the Wizards. Their lone game remaining? Atlanta, where a win could punch their ticket, especially if they win by double digits.

The Hawks still have two games left, but they’ll have to beat the Cavs on Friday to get a wild card and will have to run up the score tonight against the Wizards to get in position, with the Heat’s point differential standing out.

East Group B​


This group’s been a weird one. The Nets were perceived as the only weak link, but have turned out to be in third place. The Sixers and Celtics are already essentially dead and buried, needing a near-impossible level of chaos to drag themselves back into any race. Considering neither team has had a bad start to the year, it’s odd.

Only two teams have a chance of advancing to the knockout round: the Pistons and Magic. Detroit has not lost a game in about a month, so if that continues? They’re in. They still get the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday and the likely group-decider against Orlando on Black Friday.

The Magic, who’ve already beaten our Knicks twice, have scored wins over Brooklyn and Boston already. They get the Sixers tonight in Philly, and if they win that, they’d be win-and-in on Friday. If the loser of this series goes 3-1, they’ll need a close loss on Friday and a blowout win tonight or tomorrow to move on.

The West​


West Group A is likely going to be won by the Thunder unless they lose for just the second time this season in their next two games. If they beat the Timberwolves and the Suns beat the Kings on Wednesday, it sets up a winner-take-all finale on Friday between the two teams. If Minnesota manages to beat the Thunder, though, they’ll be in a prime position for at least a wild card with their impressive point differential (plus-53).

West Group B doesn’t seem to have the point differentials to get two teams in, so the Lakers and Clippers are battling for first. They play tonight, whaddya know? The Grizzlies are also in it and play the Clippers on Friday, so if the Clippers beat the Lakers, there’s a chance that the drama-laden Grizzlies take the group.

West Group C is up in the air. Portland finishes up tonight against the Spurs, where a win clinches the group. If they lose? It’ll come down to the winner of the Spurs-Nuggets game on Friday.

East Group C​


Back to the Knicks, where do we sit?

While normal NBA Cup gymnastics require help and point differential tiebreakers, things are incredibly simple for the Knicks to advance to the knockout round: win-and-in.

Because their lone loss is to the all-but-eliminated Bulls, the Knicks just need to beat the Hornets and Bucks in their next two games to win the group. They’d win any tiebreaker with the Bucks and Heat at 3-1 due to their head-to-head record.

The Hornets are frisky despite their 5-12 record. They recently took the Hawks and Raptors to the brink, but have also suffered bad losses to the Clippers and Pacers. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are back and healthy, but both are being partially load-managed, so it remains to be seen if they’ll be full go on Wednesday. No OG Anunoby will be crucial if Miller plays.

The Bucks beat the Knicks in a non-cup game earlier this year, but how this game will go will likely be influenced by the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s out with a quad strain. If he’s back, he’ll be nearly impossible to stop with the Knicks’ injuries. If he sits? The Bucks suddenly look a lot weaker.

It’s simple enough, especially considering a loss would eliminate the Knicks from all chances to advance to the knockout round. Their substandard point differential would kill any chance of advancing as a wild card, especially considering the unlikelihood of there being no 3-1 non-group winners.

Win-and-in, that’s about it. It can be by 2, it can be by 40. Just need two dubs.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...hornets-bucks-heat-bulls-in-season-tournament
 
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