RSS Knicks Team Notes

[New York Knicks]

Game Preview: Knicks at Hawks, December 27, 2025

The Atlanta Hawks (15-17) have problems and I love it.

The birds lost at home to Miami last night, 126-111. Tonight, in the second of a back-to-back, they’ll welcome the New York Knicks (21*-9). This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams. They’ll square up again on January 2, in NYC.

The Knicks’ last game against the Hawks was a 121-105 win in Atlanta on April 5, 2025. The Knicks took command in the second quarter with a 40-22 run, which they maintained for the rest of the game. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for New York with 30-11 double-double, while OG Anunoby chipped in 24 points. Trae Young had 16 points and nine assists for the Hawks, but their defense struggled to contain the Knicks, who were playing without an injured Jalen Brunson.

The Hawks were a sub-.500 team last season, and it appears they’ll end up that way again.

They have lost eight of their last ten tries and 10 of their previous 15. Four of those losses were decided by double-digits. Their star guard Young sprained his right MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) on October 29, 2025, causing him to miss 22 games. In the nine games he has played, Trae averaged 20.4 points and 8.8 assists and shot a career-worst 33% from deep. The knee must be feeling better; he hadn’t topped 30 points this season until two recent games. Last night against Miami, he recorded 30 points on 5-of-8 from deep.

The issue for Atlanta isn’t that Young has missed time; it’s that they function better when he’s gone. With him playing, the Hawks own a 121.5 defensive rating (third-worst in the league), but that figure improves to 115.3 when he sits (which would rank 12th). Their record tells the tale in simplest terms: Atlanta is just 2–7 with Young and 13–10 without him. Since his return from the MCL injury, the Hawks are 0–4, including losses to Chicago and Charlotte, and scored 120.5 points per game through those games.

Offense hasn’t been the problem; the defense craters with Trae on the floor, allowing 126.56 points per game compared to 117.17 without. Trade season is open, and he sure smells like a dead man walking. But which team would take him? He’s playing in the final guaranteed year of his 5-year, $215.16 million rookie extension, earning about $46 million for the 2025-26 season, and holds a $49 million player option for the next.

Enough about that bum. Jalen Johnson (SF) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are Atlanta’s top scorers. Both are shooting about 37% from deep, combining for about 12 attempts per game. Johnson is playing a superb campaign, averaging 23.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 29 games this season. Walker logs 20.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.

Atlanta plays fast and scores enough, but the results are middling. The Hawks average 118.6 points per game (12th) at the league’s third-fastest pace, yet they surrender 119.8 points per night (24th). Their 115.2 offensive rating (16th) pairs with a 116.4 defensive rating (17th) to place them squarely in the middle-of-the-pack.

They shoot 48.3% from the field (7th) and 37% from three-point range (6th), and lead the league in assists at 31 per game. Quin Snyder’s crew also forces turnovers (7th in steals), but rebounding remains a glaring weakness, ranking 25th overall (41.6 rebounds per game) with particularly poor offensive rebounding (27th).

Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Dyson Daniels are the team’s leading defenders. Daniels averages 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and two steals, and his reputation as one of the league’s top perimeter defenders (The Great Barrier Thief!) is well-deserved. In December, Daniels had scoring bursts (e.g., 27 points in a game) and near triple-doubles, suggesting more to come from him offensively.

Tonight Atlanta will be without N’Faly Dante and Eli John Ndiaye out for the season, while illness has Kristaps Porziņģis as a game-time decision.

OAKAAKUYOAK Porziņģis has had a mixed bag of a season with the Hawks, due to battling Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Look it up. My wife has it. It’s a bastard. When the unicorn–or unisnake, which I believe AllZingers prefers–has played, the big Latvian averaged 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting about 50%, but he’s only been able to suit up 13 times. That’s not ideal for what should be a cornerstone player who is earning $30,731,707 in the final year of a two-year, $60 million deal. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, when he’ll likely mosey on to his sixth NBA team.

The top pick in last year’s draft is having a so-so season in Atlanta. Forward Zaccharie Risacher has averaged 10.9 points and 2.9 rebounds, which are dips from his rookie year. But on the bright side, fellow frontcourt player Okongwu is having a career year, averaging 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31 games this season.

Big picture: our Eastern Conference foe, who’s beaten New York 203 out of 396 times, is struggling this season, their pricey veteran center can’t stay on the floor, and Trae Young is a cancer, rotting their team from the inside out. Meanwhile, the Knicks are the talk of the town and hard-charging their way toward the top of the standings. Ahhh. Repeat that back to me slowly, please, so I can really savor it.

Prediction​

ESPN.com favors the Knicks at 65%. As they should. The Knicks, coming off a thrilling two-point win over the Cavs on Christmas, beat these Hawks on paper easily. Add the fact that the home team could be tired after losing to the Heat last night, and the odds of success inch even higher for our heroes. The visitors might be without both Josh Hart (gtd, ankle) and Miles McBride (ankle, still), but sophomore Tyler Kolek has stepped into the void to kick major keister alongside Brunson in the backcourt. Tonight’s game should be New York’s for the taking, provided they don’t play down to their opponent. Never fear: Despite allowing a few runs and a couple of maddening Trae Young threes, expect New York to coast through the fourth quarter to a nice, juicy, Georgia peach of a win.

Game Details​

Teams: New York Knicks (21*-9) vs Atlanta Hawks (15-17)
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...game-preview-knicks-at-hawks-december-27-2025

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks 128, Hawks 125: But if Thibs was coaching….

Tonight’s game in Atlanta between the New York Knicks (22*-9) and the Hawks (15-18) had it all: playoff atmosphere; a 36-16 double-double by Karl-Anthony Towns; Trae Young threatening to steal another win from the Knicks down the stretch; Captain Clutch heroics; and yet another Knicks youngster making the most of an opportunity. What a time to be a Knicks fan.

The Birds, winners of just five home games, came into the game having lost five straight. They lost last night to the Heat on this court, too, but there were no signs of fatigue early on. New York weathered a cold start, traded the lead 10 times, and closed the period up 33-27 behind Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby three-pointers. In the second, New York tightened their defense, dominated the glass, and pulled away with a balanced attack—highlighted by a ton of free throws by Towns and strong bench minutes from Kevin McCullar, Jr.—to take a 68–55 advantage into halftime. Brunson and Towns powered New York’s offense as the lead grew to 18, but Atlanta chipped away, cutting the margin to 98–89. And in the fourth, after Atlanta snatched the lead, Brunson and Anunoby delivered in the final minutes to seal the Knicks’ win, 128-125.

Towns had a big night, recording 36 points on 8-15 shooting (3-6 from three) and a near-perfect 17-18 from the free throw line. He dominated the boards with 16 rebounds in his 30 minutes. Fellow All-Star Brunson finished with 34 points on 15-29 shooting (4-11 from three), plus five assists in 38 minutes. His buckets down the stretch were huge.

Anunoby finished with 15 points on 3-10 shooting (2-5 from three, 7-7 from the line). He collected 10 rebounds, dished five assists, and recorded three steals and a block in 38 minutes. He’s gotta be a front-runner for DPOY. Fellow wing Mikal Bridges tallied 14 points on 6-13 shooting (2-6 from three), and eight assists with just one turnover. And Mohamed Diawara, starting with Josh Hart injured, recorded five points on 2-7 shooting (1-3 from three) with five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 16 minutes.

But the guy the podcasts will be discussing tomorrow? Kevin McCullar, Jr. Drafted late in 2024, the talented forward from Kansas has been hampered by a knee injury for much of his short NBA career. Tonight was the first significant opportunity and he squeezed it for all the juice. Off the bench, he finished with 13 points on 4-7 shooting (3-6 from three, 2-5 from the line), added eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 23 minutes. More than that, Mike Brown trusted the youngster in pivotal moments tonight. One game does not a rotation player make, but isn’t it great to have a coach who seems genuinely curious about exploring the talent on his bench?

As for the Hawks, Onyeka Okongwu led the team with 31 points on 10-16 shooting (6-10 from three) and grabbed 14 rebounds in 36 minutes. Despite the fantastic statline, he fouled out when the Hawks needed him the most. Jalen Johnson, who’s having a tremendous season, posted 20 points on 7-16 shooting (1-3 from three) and 12 assists, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 37 minutes. Dyson Daniels scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting, plus nine assists, eight rebounds, and two steals. And the villainous Trae Young recorded just nine points on 2-10 shooting (0-4 from three). He had 10 assists, five turnovers, and two steals.

First Half​

Adjusting for the absence of Josh Hart, coach Mike Brown inserted rookie Mohamed Diawara into the starting lineup. The youngster blocked Trae Young’s first drive, but missed three field goals in his five minutes on the floor. So, a mixed bag but not necessarily a disaster.

For Atlanta, Onyeka Okongwu hit a pair of triples and Jalen Johnson blocked a Karl-Anthony Towns layup attempt to help Atlanta take a 10-7 lead by the eight-minute mark. The lead would not stand. New York missed five of their first seven shots but warmed up after that chucky start. OG Anunoby connected on two from deep, and Brunson, Towns, and Bridges would all hit from yard, too. The teams traded punches and there were ten lead changes before the quarter was done.

Clearly, Brown wants to see what his young players have to offer. He’s given more minutes to Diawara recently, and his first substitution tonight was sophomore Kevin McCullar, Jr., for Diawara, at 6:40. Soon after, McCullar grabbed a Clarkson miss, was fouled, missed two free throws, and grabbed his own miss, but dribbled into a steal by Daniels. In five minutes, McCullar grabbed four boards (three offensive) and was a +5.

Thanks to a 25-footer by Brunson at the end of the frame, the Knicks took a 33-27 lead into the second quarter.

The Hawks scored six points quickly in the second. Their defense tightened up, and great switching by Bridges and Kolek forced the Hawks into a shot clock violation. Better D and more offensive rebounds sparked a 12-4 run by the Knicks, who would go up by as many as 14 in the quarter.

Towns feasted in the paint, not necessarily getting buckets but drawing fouls. He’d already been to the free-throw line nine times with seven minutes left to halftime. Around then, McCullar checked back in, hit his first shot of the night (a corner three), grabbed two more rebounds, and tossed a nice pass that Bridges shot for three. Then with two minutes to go, Robinson tossed a rebound to McCullar, who raced the rock up the floor, pulled up to the arc, and let it fly with the confidence of Steph Curry. And it went in. Here’s where someone observes, “If Thibs was coaching. . . . ”

When Bridges picked off a Daniels pass and then alley-ooped a Clarkson pass, State Farm Arena rumbled with cheers. Knicks fans travel! The place was packed with orange and blue jerseys.

The hapless home team missed seven of nine shots to finish the quarter, while Brown opted to close the quarter with a lineup of four starters plus McCullar. Bold move, Mike! The youngster rewarded his coach’s confidence by stealing the ball from Daniels and then altering a layup by Alexander-Walker to preserve a 68-55 lead at intermission. And someone quips, “If this were Thibs. . . . ”

The Knicks outshot the Hawks from the field (49% vs. 42%) and from three-point range (38% vs 33%). Both teams tried 21 threes. New York dominated the glass, 31-21, including an 11-6 edge on offensive rebounds, and they won the paint 34-24. KAT and Okongwu had 16 points apiece to lead all scorers.

Second Half​

Atlanta showed some fight out of halftime, with contributions from Johnson, Daniels and Alexander-Walker. Turnovers and tepid play by Trae Young squashed any meaningful attempts at a rally.

New York continued to score at will, with Brunson dropping two more treys and racking up 15 points in the quarter; and Towns added 11 points, thanks to six more freebies, and a few more boards. Diawara added a three-pointer of his own, which gave the rookie four straight games with a longball. Another stint from McCullar brought more tantalizing play: seven points on a driving layup, a triple, two made free throws, plus two defensive rebounds and a steal.

Their lead reached 18 before the Knicks started to rest on their laurels. Atlanta’s Johnson scored 13 points, with buckets from all over the floor, and dished out dimes. Okongwu and Alexander-Walker chipped in, too, and their efforts trimmed the score to 98-89 at the break.

To start Q4, the Knicks got silly with the fouls, allowing the Hawks to creep back within five. Around the eight-minute mark, Towns—who was already cooking a 30-point burger—played excellent defense on an Okongwu drive, disrupting the layup and coming away with a defensive rebound. Given how frequently we’ve knocked his D, we’ve gotta highlight his positive efforts. This was a big play, too, because it dampened the momentum that Atlanta was building. Hat’s off to KAT for that.

With six minutes to go and the score separated by six, Brunson, Clarkson, Bridges, McCullar, and Robinson were on the floor for New York. McCullar’s three-point attempt rattled around inside the rim before winging off, almost giving the youngster 16 points. After that, Kolek relieved him but missed on a drive, and Alexander-Walker scored from deep. Three-point game.

Young, who had been on the bench while Atlanta did their damage, returned to pick Brunson’s pocket. He made two free throws to make this a one-point game with four minutes left. Needing a score, Anunoby took the ball straight at Okongwu for a bucket and a three-point play.

Okongwu responded with two longballs. Atlanta went ahead by two with two to go. Captain Clutch evened the score with a floater, and following a Young miss, he drilled a triple. New York up by three. The Knicks fans in Atlanta were raucous. Then Kolek put Young on the line for two, then Walker stripped Brunson for a pick-six. Hawks by one, 48 seconds left. Now the Hawks fans were raucous. The fight wasn’t just on the floor, it was in the stands, too!

Brunson missed on a 16-footer, but Anunoby grabbed the Knicks’ 19th offensive board and was fouled by Okongwu, his sixth. Anunoby drained both freebies and Brown sent in Robinson and McCullar for rebounding. McCullar again!

Bridges deflected a Young pass out of bounds. 15 seconds to go. The birds inbounded the ball, and Anunoby plucked the ball right out of Johnson’s hands. OG was fouled and made two from the stripe to secure Atlanta’s sixth straight loss. What a game.

OG ANUNOBY IS THE DPOY pic.twitter.com/okFEmWNkzn

— Fireside Knicks (@FiresideKnicks) December 28, 2025

Up Next​

Our heroes travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Monday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...nicks-128-hawks-125-but-if-thibs-was-coaching

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘Who cares what people say?’

Trae Young better keep gambling, cause dubs haven’t arrived at his shores yet.

The Hawks believed they’d defeat the Knicks, only to eat a sour L inside their own arena. Cold world.

Here’s a bunch of stuff from the protagonists, including unexpected hero Kevin Mac.

Brown: "OG's an All-Star, if he wants to be. His size, length, strength, athleticism, his feel–he can do so much, he just has to impose his will every play. When he does…didn't shoot ball well, still 15&10. That's more than attainable by him nightly…was awesome in the clutch" pic.twitter.com/bbx3YaLthT

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 28, 2025

Mike Brown​

On Kevin McCullar Jr.’s opportunity:

“I just wanted to give him a chance. Threw him out there for a few minutes and he was fantastic, he earned even more minutes — I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned them.”

On managing minutes while navigating the current injuries:

“I hope I don’t have to increase guys’ minutes.”

On rotation players stepping up amid the injury crisis:

“That’s what having a team is about. I feel confident in all our guys. Deuce has been out, Landry has been out, Josh is out now, we’ve got to go to the next man. Just want guys to give us what they’re capable of. Don’t want them to go outside their box. Give us hard minutes.”

On OG Anunoby’s ceiling and clutch play:

“I’ve said this to him. OG’s an All-Star if he wants to be. He, at his size, his length, his strength, his athleticism, his feel, he can do so much out there. He just has to impose his will on the game every single play. He was fabulous. In the clutch, he was awesome. Awesome.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance vs. Atlanta:

“I loved his aggressiveness. I talked to him in front of the team. When he screens and he rolls, we’re a different team because the pressure he puts on the defense on his roll is unbelievable. Because if he catches in the pocket — it’s a wrap. He’s getting fouled or he’s getting fouled and he’s scoring because his momentum is going that way and he’s so quick. He’s a monster when he rolls.”

Mike Brown on going deep in bench with injuries: "That's what having a team's about. I feel confident in all of our guys. Deuce & Landry out, gotta go next man. Josh out, gotta go next man. We just want guys to give us what they're capable of…hard minutes. All of our guys did" pic.twitter.com/Hz9NZNCNm3

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 28, 2025

Jalen Brunson​

On his approach against Atlanta:

“I just focus on whatever I can do to help my team win. I try not to make it like a me-versus-him type of thing. I just want to help my team win and do whatever I can. So that’s how I approach it.”

On officials’ calls on him and Towns and adjusting to them:

“Well, refs have meetings, refs watch film and they do their homework as well. And I think they go into games figuring out what they need to watch for. And KAT just has to do a better job of not using his off arm. And we tried to explain that to him. And he’s getting better at it. I think even the minor contact stuff that he does gets called for offensive fouls. So it’s all about an adjustment period. And then figuring out how to be effective without doing that. And control what you can control.”

On ignoring foul-baiting narratives:

“Who gives a (expletive) about what people say about you, what the narrative is. Help your team win. Do that and move on. Who cares what people say?”

"It's no surprise to us. We see him every day in practice…He's a great player. He's gonna keep doing this"

–– OG Anunoby on Kevin McCullar Jr (13pt 8rb 2st) pic.twitter.com/aUU9Y2Zbp1

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 28, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On adjusting to offensive foul calls:

“I’m going to keep doing my thing. Maybe I’ll have to change my game up a little bit, if that’s what they’re trying to tell me I need to do. They didn’t tell anyone else that, but they’re telling me that. Maybe I have to do that.

“I get the hook part. But you know, there’s a lot of other things that I think they have conversations and do studies on. I’m going to keep lifting. I’m going to keep lifting.”

On focusing on winning despite the fouling issues:

“I’m just trying to put W’s on the board. As long as I keep impacting winning and doing what I’m supposed to do to help this team win is fine. We’ll figure out the other part. I still have my own personal questions about it.”

On the officiating explanations he’s getting from refs:

“You won’t like the explanations. You didn’t like them last year and they’re not getting better this year.”

On Tyler Kolek’s confidence growth:

“With Tyler, I think it’s one of those things where you either have confidence or you don’t. I think with all the work that he has put in, his confidence has grown in the league. You see people’s confidence in this league get stripped. With Tyler, his confidence is growing. It’s a test to his mental strength, his mental fortitude and the work he puts in.”

Kevin McCullar Jr. on learning from Josh Hart and it fueling his career-high performance in tonight's Knicks win over the Hawks. @LT__Murray | @alanhahn | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/YfAOa7rsaA

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 28, 2025

Kevin McCullar Jr.​

On staying ready:

“You just have to stay ready at all times. Coach Brown trusts in one through 17 on the bench, and you just have to try to be ready when your number is called.”

On his mindset as a deep-bench player and comparisons to Josh Hart:

“Just staying ready until my number’s called, and happy we got the W. (Josh Hart) is my big bro on the team for sure. His energy is contagious. I learned a lot from him last year. And I went out there trying to make plays, winning plays.”

On the veteran leadership around the Knicks:

“We’ve got great veterans in the locker room. They always stay on us to be ready when our number’s called, and take advantage of it. Tonight I did.”

JOSE ALVARADO VS MARK WILLIAMS

FEATHER WEIGHT VS HEAVY WEIGHT BOUT pic.twitter.com/2H80S9mB42

— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) December 28, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/77103/knicks-bulletin-ccc

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks at Hawks, December 27, 2025

Atlanta enters Saturday night on the second night of a back-to-back after a home loss to Miami, having dropped eight of its last ten and continued to struggle defensively. The Hawks still play fast and score enough to be dangerous, but poor rebounding, and defense — especially with Trae Young on the floor — have kept them below .500, even as Jalen Johnson breaks out and Onyeka Okongwu posts career numbers. New York arrives as the deeper, more consistent team, well-positioned to take advantage of Atlanta’s fatigue and defensive vulnerabilities.

Tip-off is 8:00pm EST on MSG Network. This is your game thread. This is Peachtree Hoops. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Imagine yourself as a well-mannered individual and proceed accordingly. And go Knicks!

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/.../game-thread-knicks-at-hawks-december-27-2025

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Week Preview: Dec. 28 – Jan. 3

This is a little late, folks. If the delay has caused you to not properly plan your Knicks-related TV-watching time, forgive me. I can relate to the struggle for the living room’s boob tube. ESPN.com sets the odds of me watching an entire day’s worth of the Twilight Zone marathon at 26%.

Monday, Dec 29 @ New Orleans Pelicans – 8:00 PM (MSG)​

The Knicks (22-9) look to stay hot on the road as they visit a struggling Pelicans squad (8-25) at the Smoothie King Center. What do you think: is that the worst name for an arena? I smell a poll (…not a pole, wiseass).

New York has won eight of their last ten games and ranks third in the league in scoring at 120.5 PPG. The Pelicans? Woof. New head coach James Borrego hasn’t turned things around since replacing Willie Green, who was fired after a dismal 2-10 start. The last-place Pels struggle across the board—they rank 28th for defense despite rating sixth in the league for steals—and two of their leading scorers, Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole, now come off the bench. This should be an excellent opportunity for the Knicks to take a huge lead early and then let the youngsters get in some reps. Watch it tonight on MSG.

Wednesday, Dec 31 @ San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 PM (MSG)​

Much to the chagrin of Mrs. Richardson and her New Year’s plans, the Knicks close out 2025 in San Antonio against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. In this rematch of the Emirates NBA Cup game—which New York won, by the way—the Thunder Killers will be looking for revenge. Powered by Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Devin Vassell, these post-Popovich Spurs sit second in the west, trailing the team they’ve beaten thrice. Fun fact: the Timberwolves and Sixers are the only other teams to defeat OKC this season.

Playing the third game of a short road trip, the Knicks will need major effort across the board to beat these dudes a second time. Game’s on MSG.

Friday, Jan 2 vs Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 PM (MSG)​

The Knicks return home to MSG for their first game of 2026 against Trae Young and the Hawks. Get your boos ready. New York already beat Atlanta once this week (128-125) in a thriller, so the Hawks will be looking for revenge. The Knicks are nearly unbeatable at home (15-2), and we’re not counting on Onyeka Okongwu hitting 6-of-10 from deep again. Watch this on MSG.

Saturday, Jan 3 vs Philadelphia 76ers – 7:30 PM (MSG)​

An Atlantic Division showdown to cap the week. The 76ers have been inconsistent despite Tyrese Maxey making all All-Star bid, VJ Edgecombe vying for Rookie of the Year, and Joel Embiid actually playing 13 games. When they squared off on December 19, Philly outscored the Knicks 28-20 in the fourth quarter to win 116-107. That was the second loss of the season at MSG. Expect New York to right that wrong on Saturday. My schedule says it will be on MSG.

Enjoy the week and Happy New Year’s, Knicks fans.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-game-previews/77145/knicks-week-preview-dec-28-jan-3

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks 130, Pelicans 125: Cap and OG outlast Zion and that fool Poole

The New York Knicks (23*-9) refuse to quit. On Saturday, they had to work hard in the fourth quarter to withstand a strong push from the Hawks. Tonight, facing the New Orleans Pelicans (8-25) at the Smoothie King Arena, the Knicks were the team mounting the second half rally. And once again, they came away victorious.

The Pels set the tone early with Saddiq Bey’s 23 points and front court dominance. Despite Mohamed Diawara’s surprising shooting, New York lost the first quarter 41-37 (the most they’ve surrendered this season). The visitors went toe-to-toe with Zion Williamson in Q2 and trailed 75-72 at the break. After halftime, the Birds kept control by repeatedly getting downhill through Williamson, but the Knicks fought back to finally take a lead midway through the fourth. Down the stretch, Captain Clutch and OG Anunoby put the hammer down, Deuce McBride hit a clutch bucket and free throws, Jordan Poole did his usual dumb things, and New York won, 130-125.

The Knicks prevailed with by making shots, swinging the rock, and minimizing their mistakes. They hit 46-of-95 (48%) overall, bombed away from deep (20-of-44, 45%), and were nearly perfect at the line (18-of-19). They limited their turnovers (eight) while piling up 35 assists.

Jalen Brunson led the scoring with 28 points on 10-of-23 and 5-of-10 from deep, plus a 10:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Anunoby had 23 points and 11 rebounds, made his six freebies, and posted a team-best +16 despite shooting 1-of-8 from deep.

Rookie Mohamed Diawara started again and had a first-half heater. He finished with a career-high 18 points in 18 minutes on 7-of-9 and a perfect 4-of-4 from three. Karl-Anthony Towns was the third Knick to log a double-double (12 points, 12 boards, four assists, two blocks, no TOs), while Mikal Bridges played more facilitator and defender than scorer (six points on five shots, 10 assists, plus two steals).

New York got 43 bench points, led by Miles McBride’s 14 and solid two-way minutes from Jordan Clarkson (nine points, +9) and Tyler Kolek (seven points, five assists, +4). In total, Brown played 12 guys and all of them, save Hukporti, scored. It was a smorgasbord of Knickerbockers!

For the losers, Bey used up all his juice in the first half, finishing the game with 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting. Poole added 26 points (7-of-14, 4-of-10, 2 blunders), and Zion led the way with 32, making all those points within a few feet of the rim or at the free throw line (10-of-12).

First Half​

Some weird Louisiana voodoo was afoot at the start of this one. Rookie Mohamed Diawara scored the first two buckets of the game for the Knicks, then added a steal that he couldn’t quite put into the cup on the breakaway. The 20-year-old Frenchman’s game could fry an egg, with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and two steals in his first nine minutes of play. His impact was felt on both ends of the court.

Jalen Brunson missed five of his first seven shots, and OG Anunoby whiffed on all four of his. Voodoo, I tell ya. Guerschon Yabusele and Ariel Hukporti subbed in for Towns and Anunoby at the 5:20 mark. The Yabu ride continues, with little peaks and disappointing dips. He made a pair of triples (great) and turned the ball over twice (bad).

After falling behind by five, the Pels went on a 13-4 run to regain the lead. They controlled the glass, outscored New York in the paint, and shot 6-of-10 from deep in the quarter.

Without fail, somebody on the other team cranks it to eleven for a Knicks game. Tonight, Saddiq Bey stepped into that spotlight. The small forward, now playing for his third ballclub, averages 15 points per game. This evening in NOLA, he menaced the Knicks with multiple three-pointers, scoring 23 on 8-of-11 shooting in the first period.

21 points on 7-8 shooting for Saddiq Bey.

It's still the 1st quarter pic.twitter.com/hXuNroqsbG

— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2025

By the buzzer, Diawara was the top Knicks’ scorer and the Pels were ahead 41-37. That’s the most first-quarter points surrendered by New York this season. Some witch was cutting heads off chickens in the Pelicans’ locker room, ah gah-run-tee.

In Q2, Mike Brown was fed up with more of the same ho-hum defensive effort and called an early timeout. His bench players didn’t fare much better than the starters. Miles McBride returned after missing eight games with an ankle sprain and scored a quiet two points in the quarter. The star of Saturday’s game in Atlanta, Kevin McCullar, Jr., contributed zeroes across the board in his four minutes. Tyler Kolek, who had rocketed out of the Cup tournament to be dubbed the second–coming, did little in Atlanta and roughly the same in his seven second-quarter minutes.

This was nice play by Kolek, though:

During one stretch, Coach Brown had Deuce, Kolek, McCullar, Yabusele, and Diawara on the floor. Wisely, the subbed in Brunson and Bridges soon after. For the other team, Zion Williamson had returned to the starting lineup after coming off the bench for the last seven contests. His first-quarter play was inconsequential, but he hammered the paint in the second.

After a back-and-forth stretch of runs from both sides, the Knicks closed the quarter with aplomb. Anunoby, who logged a goose egg in the first period, roared to life in the second. He recorded six points in the final minute to trim what had been a nine-point deficit to three.

The Knicks entered intermission trailing 75-72. They matched New Orleans in shooting (51% to 50%) and held an edge from downtown (48% on 10-of-21 vs. 42%), but the birds owned the interior. Thanks to the efforts of Williamson, Queen, and Murphy (which sounds like an outtake from Blood on the Tracks), the Big Easies had out-rebounded our heroes 26–18 and outscored them 32–20 in the lane.

Diawara (having made all of his four longballs) and Anunoby scored 16 apiece to lead the Knicks. For the Pelicans, Bey had 26 after a much more pedestrian second quarter, and Williamson had bullied his way to 18 points. We assume Mitchell Robinson was watching the game at home with his family. New York could have used him tonight.

Second Half​

In Q3, the Pelicans kept their edge by repeatedly getting downhill, scoring through Zion at the rim, and cashing in on threes from Trey Murphy III. New York stayed competitive with ball movement (Brunson set the table for Bridges, Towns, Anunoby, and McCullar), and a timely Brunson three helped the hole from getting deeper than 10, but defensive breakdowns and transition lapses kept diffusing any attempts to catch fire.

That pest Jordan Poole had scored 10 points in the first half off the bench; post-intermission, he added seven in the third period. On the Knicks’ side, Mike Brown continued to experiment. Trey Jemison III stopped in for a few minutes, scoring two points and grabbing an offensive board, and Yabusele hit another triple to bring his total to nine.

Defensively, the Pelicans made big plays at the rim, including blocks from Williamson and Kevon Looney. Some of us watching at home began to doubt that the orange and blue crew would come back. Late in the quarter, Brunson and Bridges combined for a brief scoring burst and a couple of steals to stay within striking distance, but New Orleans closed the period up 103–96.

The crowd grew more vociferous in the fourth, with fans of both teams trying to outcheer each other. As Shakespeare wrote, Wherever the Knicks go, there be fans.

Through the final frame, momentum swung between the teams. New York chipped away, thanks to solid bench play (much improved from the first half!). By the eight-minute mark, Deuce tied the game at 106, and then Karl seized the lead with a triple. The score went back and forth from there. Brunson hit a triple to tie the game again at 3:36, and Murphy plowed the lane (again) to reclaim the advantage for the hosts.

Nice stuff from Kolek here:

TYLER. KOLEK. ️ pic.twitter.com/BOuqwszw7v

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 30, 2025

Brown kept Yabusele in late (a surprising vote of confidence), but ultimately rolled with Brunson, McBride, Bridges, Anunoby, and Towns down the stretch. Wise man, that Mike. From the corner, Deuce hit a triple, and then Zion climbed Towns to score at the other rim. Tired of Williamson’s antics, Anunoby drove through traffic to rattle the rack with a monster jam. After that, that fool Poole bricked on a 31-foot shot—is there a lower IQ in the NBA?—after which McBride corralled a Brunson miss, kicked it back, and Cap connected on a floater. 124-121, 1:06 left.

Zion’s layup with 35 seconds left cut the differential to one again. With ice water in his arteries, McBride made two free throws. It’s so nice to have him back. With time to salvage victory, New Orleans got possession and Poole—we feel for you, Pelican fans—tried to foul-bait from beyond the arc instead of putting up a good shot. He failed to get a call, bounced the ball off the top of the backboard, and New York regained possession. Ballgame.

THE KNICKS 6TH BOROUGH IS BACK AT IT AGAIN pic.twitter.com/TKshNlNQHS

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 30, 2025

Up Next​

The Knicks celebrate New Year’s Eve in San Antonio for a replay of the NBA Cup Finals. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

OG Anunoby on guarding Zion Williamson and finding a way to win New Orleans.@BillPidto | @nyknicks | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/1NJG61DycI

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 30, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...5-cap-and-og-outlast-zion-and-that-fool-poole

 

[New York Knicks]

The Knicks’ most impressive trait this season? Depth

Having the same coach for a long time means you take the good and the bad for granted. In the case of Tom Thibodeau, it meant two things in particular.

First, the Knicks would come out playing their hardest every single night. No question. The guys out there on the floor would give it their all.

Second, you’d have eight guys getting real minutes. Maaaybe nine if you’re lucky. But no more. And if you weren’t in the ‘in’ group, it wasn’t going to be you.

While this formula ultimately ended up with a conference finals appearance, the lack of flexibility down the stretch of the regular season resulted in some spur-of-the-moment coaching decisions as the playoff run went along. Delon Wright and Landry Shamet both were thrust into bigger roles than anticipated off the bench. Coach Thibs didn’t have a sense of who played well as part of certain units, and there were certainly times when that lack of knowledge hurt the Knicks down the stretch.

That certainly won’t be an issue this season, and last night was a prime example why.

Twelve Knicks played in last night’s win over the Pelicans, and we were getting contributions from everyone on the floor.

Brunson, Anunoby, Bridges, and KAT were the four guys leading the charge, but the cast of characters goes on.

Miles McBride returned from three weeks on the sideline to hit some clutch free throws down the stretch. Jordan Clarkson poured in nine points of his own. Tyler Kolek had a cool seven points and five assists after bursting onto the national scene in the NBA Cup Finals and on Christmas Day. Guerschon Yabusele, who’s been having a disappointing season overall, tried to right the ship, knocking down three triples.

From there, the names get less familiar… but the production doesn’t slow down one bit.

Mo Diawara had 18 points in 18 minutes, shooting a perfect 4-4 from three. He’s been starting games lately and showing real improvement as the season continues. Cue the tape!

Mohamed Diawara career high 18 points on 7/9 shooting and 4/4 from threepic.twitter.com/sWfdWzepVm

— Teg (@IQfor3) December 30, 2025

Do you think Thibs would be running this year’s 51st overall pick out there game after game, prioritizing both development and winning? Me neither.

Ariel Hukporti didn’t make much of an impact last night, but Trey Jemison stepped in with some solid defensive play in just his fifth appearance of the year. Both have proved

And who could forget Kevin McCullar Jr.? The second-year player looked alright last night, but Kev had the game of his young career just this past Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, with 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Kevin McCullar Jr with the best game of his NBA career:

23 minutes
13 points
8 rebounds (4 offensive)
2 assists
2 steals
3-6 3P

Next man up

pic.twitter.com/ipV3dHORFQ

— Teg (@IQfor3) December 28, 2025

This was all done without the help of Josh Hart, sidelined with an ankle injury. And for those keeping track, Pacome Dadiet picked up a DNP-CD last night.

Heading into the season, the biggest question about the Knicks’ roster was their depth, and rightfully so. It wasn’t that guys like Kolek, Hukporti and McCullar weren’t good enough to contribute – they were just unproven, and never truly given a fair shot.

Now, it’s fair to say that the Knicks have guys up and down their roster they could trust to play spot playoff minutes.

Coach Mike Brown deserves all the credit in the world for rewriting the narrative. While the goal has always been to win games, Brown is righting his predecessor’s wrongs, opting to also invest in the younger players’ development and opportunity as he mixes and matches with the pieces on his roster. He’s giving everyone a shot, which is all you could hope for as a fan.

And it doesn’t end there – the players are stepping up and delivering. Sure, you could hand out opportunities, but the cherry on top here is that the players are responding. Every single guy, one through fifteen, is contributing to winning basketball this season.

Is there any better metric by which to define a championship-ready team?

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...nicks-most-impressive-trait-this-season-depth

 

[New York Knicks]

Is Jalen Brunson really a flopper?

Foul baiter, flopper, not ethical, unwatchable, disgusting. Jalen Brunson and his game have been called all of these things. But these opinions are voiced rarely, if ever, by people who actually watch and know basketball. These lazy and statistically false narratives are often perpetuated by those who are either salty after losing to Brunson and the Knicks or are a part of the growing problem that is the unintelligent basketball community on social media platforms, incapable of having nuanced conversations centered around statistics, context, and eye tests.

Now, does Brunson sell calls? Absolutely. I am a Knicks fan who has seen and experienced the dark and painful times of believing in Mardy Collins, calling Toney Douglas my starting point guard, and watching the corpses of Larry Hughes, Antonio McDyess, and Steve Francis. But I am also not blind.

When Brunson gets bumped, hit, or fouled, he may make said contact more obvious by embellishing his movements. But that is not flopping. That is a player, a very short one at that, getting fouled, and said player making sure that he gets the calls that he deserves. And does he flop from time to time? Yes. Is it the ideal way to play basketball? As a self-proclaimed old school basketball purist, I’d argue no. But with so many other players doing the same, and much worse, I really don’t have a problem with what Brunson is doing. And neither should the hundreds of fans who cry and complain about Brunson’s game.

Because Brunson’s game, when you actually watch it, is a thing of beauty. It is among the most aesthetically pleasing games in the game, comprised of elite footwork, impeccable balance, and an almost unmatched level of fundamentals, all mixed into a bag that is then capped off by a barrage of baskets at all three levels. He can get into the paint against almost any defender. He has one of the prettiest floaters in the game. He can kill you from the midrange. And he’s an adept three-point shooter that is almost as efficient off the dribble as he is off the catch.

Pound for pound, Brunson is the MVP pic.twitter.com/OwYx6Vwg49

— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) December 25, 2025

The fact that Jalen Brunson is able to operate so well in the paint at 6’2 is WILD

Young guards who don’t have elite size or athleticism, study this man’s game

Play on two feet, understand angles, add every shot to your bag

(Via @NBAclipwork )

pic.twitter.com/OKvgtay1kc

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) November 26, 2025

Dis Brunson dude sure is nice huh? pic.twitter.com/jduVJP2NPb

— Cades Attorney (@CadesAttorney) December 14, 2025

Kinda crazy how Brunson is barely 6 ft and he’s one of the most skilled out there in the league. You don’t see players of that stature anymore

— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜 (@BronGotGame) December 17, 2025

Thankfully, as you can see above, there are still plenty of content creators and reasonable basketball fans, even those of other teams, who appreciate Brunson and his game. But since there are still so many people who refuse to take a few minutes to simply look at the stats, let’s dive into the numbers to dissect if Brunson is really as bad a foul-baiter as social media so often claims he is.

Heading into Tuesday, Brunson ranks seventh in the league in points per game at 27.9PPG. Yet he ranks 26th in the league in free throw attempts per game at just 6.5 FTA per game. That is notably behind names like Deni Avdija, Zion Williamson, James Harden, Austin Reaves, Devin Booker, Paolo Banchero, Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards, Keyonte George, Trae Young, Cade Cunningham, Julius Randle, Lauri Markkanen, Franz Wagner, Victor Wembanyama, Cam Thomas, and Pascal Siakam. All of them average fewer points per game than Brunson. And most of them play much less physically than Brunson does. And that isn’t even the craziest part.

As of now, Brunson ranks 78th in the league out of 242 qualifying players who average more than 20MPG in the percentage of points that come from free throws. The 18.8% of his points that come from free throws ranks lower than obscure guys like Tre Jones, Isaiah Collier, Bilal Coulibaly, Kevin Porter Jr., Andrew Nembhard, Ajay Mitchell, Dennis Schroder, and Ron Holland, all of whom, again, play less physically than Brunson does. And for reference, the league leaders in this category belong to the aforementioned Butler, Young, Williamson, Banchero, and Avdija, who are all above 30%.

Sure, Butler, Williamson, and Banchero at times play a physical brand of basketball. But over 30%? Oh, and Harden, Embiid, Reaves, Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, often referred to as some of the worst floppers, are all in the 25-30% range as well. And if those numbers somehow weren’t enough, Brunson is currently on a two-game stretch where he has scored 62 points on just three free throw attempts. How many guys in the league can do that?

Jalen Brunson over his last two games:

62 PTS
15 AST
2-0 W/L

3 attempted free-throws. pic.twitter.com/Xcil4EO0O6

— BrunsonMuse (@BrunsonMuse) December 30, 2025

Again, I know well enough not to deny that Brunson sells contact. Because he does, and he should. And outside of the occasional flopping that he does, his game is both a pleasure to watch and much more ethical than he gets credited for. Unfortunately, fans, most often those of the Sixers, Cavaliers, and Pacers, use clips like the one above to complain about flopping when they are fouls by definition. Now, is it marginal contact? Maybe. But it’s contact nonetheless.

Jalen Brunson is easily the biggest victim of Twitter clips in the league. It’s so easy to tell when someone doesn’t actually watch him play outside of clips missing context pic.twitter.com/cnCDC7pt6P https://t.co/IdL99OPAB7

— KATWrld (@kat_wrld) December 19, 2025

Like the clip above, and the video below clearly show and explain, respectively, there is a clear difference between flopping and what Brunson is doing. Many of the so-called “flops” that fans complain about are a result of Brunson being crafty, putting defenders in bad positions, and then taking advantage of their mistakes. Like Brunson recently said in an interview, maybe defenders should be disciplined and not reach.

Ultimately, if people don’t like Brunson, his game, or some of the contact selling he does, fine. But calling him a flopper, or unethical, or the worst watch in basketball, exposes you as someone who either just hates him, doesn’t watch, or doesn’t actually understand basketball.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-analysis/77216/is-jalen-brunson-really-a-flopper

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘You’ve got to have a guy’

Against all odds and a horn “malfunction,” the Knicks still got a road dub on Monday.

New York visited New Orleans and dropped the Pelicans further down their tank, beating them in a close affair.

Here’s the latest from your superheroes—no, really, five of them ranked inside the Eastern Conference Top 16 in votes for the ASG!

Brown: "What a game…Better job D 2d half…we can score w anybody, just gotta lock in defensively…We found a way to get a win…Played 12 guys & every one contributed…Mikal & Jalen 10 asts…KAT another double-double…that's what All-Stars do…Mo kept us in game early…OG DPOG" pic.twitter.com/wu8VLBpbjM

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Mike Brown​

On the suspicious late-game delay giving the Pelicans a challenge advantage:

“I don’t know this rule, they said that because the horn all of the sudden didn’t work that it was a stop in play and because it was a stop in play that doesn’t count for the 30 seconds or whatever you get for challenging. That horn malfunction happened at the right time for them. Suspicious? Very, very, very suspicious. I hope I don’t get fined for that.”

On the value of having an MVP-caliber player:

“You’ve got to have a guy. And when I’m talking about a guy, I’m talking about a league MVP and we have a guy. He definitely makes the game easier for everybody.”

On Mohamed Diawara’s development and impact after starting on Monday:

“The more he’s on the floor, the more he’s comfortable. Mo kept us in that game knocking down some big shots.”

On team standards, sacrifice, and connectivity:

“We’re really comfortable. I mean, at the end of the day it’s all of our standards. Sacrifice. When you play 12 guys and guys don’t care when they come in and out, you’ve seen that. People are sacrificing for their teammates. You play 12 guys and guys just keep plugging away, there’s a connectivity. It doesn’t matter if we’re up 10, down 10, our guys just keep staying with it. That shows the competitive spirit. More importantly it’s the belief in the process.”

On Kevin McCullar Jr. earning extended minutes:

“Kev’s a young, really good defender, has a great feel on both ends of the floor, but especially that end of the floor. I wanted to give him a chance. I threw him out there a few minutes and he was fantastic. So, he just earned more minutes. I didn’t have him down for that many minutes, but he definitely earned those minutes as the game went along.”

"You gotta have A Guy…and we have A Guy"

–– Mike Brown on Jalen Brunson https://t.co/UsvgIY3396 pic.twitter.com/avot94Op41

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Jalen Brunson​

On the Knicks always finding ways to win:

“We find a way to win. I think we have a growing confidence as a team, not necessarily just in fourth quarters. We understand how we started was unacceptable. And we got to figure out how to win a game from where we were. So we got a lot of confidence in each other. But we got to start better. And we got to play better honestly throughout the whole game. But we found a way to win.”

Mike Brown: "Our Defensive Player of the Game, just put his footprint on both ends, another All-Star of ours, OG Anunoby. I don't know who can guard OG on a closeout…you can be big, small…offensively huge for us. Huge on glass. But just as importantly our DPOG" pic.twitter.com/4HTfmBCzo9

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Miles McBride​

On his mindset at the free-throw line against the Pelicans in his comeback game:

“Honestly, just my faith. I prepare for these moments. And I trust God and preparation and just go out there and give it my best.”

Jordan Clarkson​

On Jose Alvarado’s punching chops:

“I feel like that’s his MO. Small guy, guys try to do that since he’s been in the league and he’s always held his own, being aggressive. He’s made his mark in this league and I don’t think he would have reacted any other way. I think he did what was right.”

Mikal Bridges​

On the context behind the Suns–Pelicans altercation:

“I think it’s a lot of built-up tension. That’s what happens when you put those two games for like a mini playoff series. I know both of those guys. So it was crazy. They got a little couple-game rest. No Jose against us so that helps.”

OG Anunoby on guarding Zion Williamson and finding a way to win New Orleans.@BillPidto | @nyknicks | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/1NJG61DycI

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) December 30, 2025

OG Anunoby​

On Mohamed Diawara’s breakout performance vs. New Orleans:

“It was awesome to see from him tonight. He’s just an amazing player and he’s only going to keep getting better and better, so it was really cool to see.”

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On his hopes for the NBA All-Star Game(s):

“One, I hope I make it. And two, I hope I’m on the World Team.”

Tyler Kolek​

On the growing toughness of the Knicks:

“It kind of reminds me of before I was on the team. A lot of times, those fourth quarters, they were down. I was watching those games, and Jalen and Donte and all those guys, they just had that fight to them, that toughness to them. I think it’s showing up a little bit on this team.”

You're right they want 12pic.twitter.com/VC4pZtyghD https://t.co/Zcz5w0F6Il

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/77129/knicks-bulletin-youve-got-to-have-a-guy

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks at Spurs, Dec. 31, 2025

Happy New Year, fans. Tonight your New York Knicks (23*-9) travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs (23-9*) to ring in 2026. It’s a rematch of the NBA Cup final, which the Knicks won by being better down the stretch. They’ll be without Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart tonight, making this an even tougher test.

But we like their chances. Tip-off is 7 pm EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Pounding the Rock. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Celebrate safely tonight, don’t get confetti in your teeth, and go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-game-threads/77264/game-thread-knicks-at-spurs-dec-31-2025

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘That’s not the mentality to have’

The Knicks decided it was better to finish 2025 on a losing note, so karma balances out in 2026 and they can win the championship.

One step backwards, two steps forward.

Here’s some old stuff from last year.

Brown on Spurs: "Sh*t–scuse my French–they outworked us. Mitch kicked my a$$…we all got our a$$ kicked…Champagnie…at times didn't respect…look after look…disappointed…2x FTAs…why…huge…silly fouls early…Multiple effort bad…2d chance points 23-7…Give them lotta credit" pic.twitter.com/EWB15HuCFL

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 1, 2026

Mike Brown​

On Landry Shamet’s defensive value and skill set:

“Shamet and McBride are our best on-ball defenders. Now Kevin, I haven’t seen a ton of him, but he may be in that mix, too. But they’re our best on-ball defenders when it comes to ball screens. Their technique is extremely high level. Landry is tough, he’s smart. On the defensive end of the floor, he’s going to try to do every little detail at the highest level of efficiency he can. With a competitive spirit defensively. And then offensively, man he runs. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense. He’s shooting 42.4 percent from the 3-point line.”

On being outworked by the Spurs:

“They just, s–t, excuse my French, but they just outworked us in a lot of ways. Mitch Johnson kicked my ass. The rest of the team kicked our ass. We all got our ass kicked today.”

On the Knicks’ defensive issues and physicality:

“First of all, it’s our physicality wasn’t good. We haven’t figured out how to be physical for 48 minutes in the last I don’t know how many games. And doing it without fouling. We pick up some silly fouls that we have to do a better job of. I feel everybody understands that. But now we have to go do it. Our physicality isn’t good. I don’t know if we’re tired or what, but we haven’t been able to sustain anything defensively for 48 minutes. And we’ve won a lot of games, and you want to win games and feel good about it. But at the end of the day, if we don’t figure out how to sustain what we’re supposed to do on defense for 48 minutes, it’s going to be a long year for us and it’s going to catch up with us.”

On failing to defend Julian Champagnie:

“He shot the mess out the ball. I was a little disappointed in our guys because it was almost like we didn’t respect him. We didn’t pick him up in transition. He just kept getting look after look after look after look. Wide open. I was really disappointed in the way we defended him.”

On San Antonio’s motivation after the NBA Cup final:

“They know what happened in the cup, they’re going to play with a little extra edge. Especially they lost a couple here now lately.”

On free-throw disparity and fouling on Wednesday:

“40 free throw attempts, I know we fouled late in the game. They almost doubled us in free throw attempts the whole game. I don’t know, maybe we weren’t aggressive enough, I’m not sure. It’d be interesting to go back to look at the film to see why we couldn’t get to the free throw line but why they were getting to the free throw line. That’s a huge disadvantage if you’re talking about 20 to 40 from the free-throw line. It’s going to be tough if the free-throw disparity is that big.”

On having championship expectations with the Knicks:

“You come here you want to win. You look at a team on paper, you’re around the team a little bit. You’re like, ‘OK man, we legitimately have a chance to like win this whole thing.’ But in terms of my preparation with the team and all that, I mean, it’s all the same. We’re trying to friggin’ win and win at a high level. We have a chance here because of the roster, the guys on the roster and the coaches I have on my staff and Leon and Jim Dolan. We’ve got a chance.”

On the need for full-time defensive urgency:

“I think at times we think, ‘We’re good, we’re going to end up winning this, or we’re going to outscore them.’ And that’s not the mentality to have. There has to be a sense of urgency defensively for 48 minutes.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s absences and load management:

“It’s all load management. If you look at our schedule, it’s been hectic. We’re just trying to be smart with it.”

On Robinson’s upcoming availability:

“He’ll play one of those two games. I’m not sure which one yet.”

Brown on Knicks: "We haven't been able to sustain anything defensively 48 minutes…We've won a lot…but at end of day if we don't sustain…gonna be long year…We can score w best…we go up…then 3-4 bad D plays in row…Guys care… just haven't done it…physical…smarter…urgency" pic.twitter.com/e4lbQoffS2

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 1, 2026

Landry Shamet​

On how his shoulder injury felt compared to last time:

“Not quite like getting shot in the arm, a few steps down.”

On his rehab progress and avoiding surgery:

“We’re happy where things are at. You never really know. I had a lot of confidence in the rehab I did last year, and I was able to start doing things sooner in the rehab process than I kind of expected this time. So, if anything, that kind of just reassured the importance of rehabbing right and taking care of things. That’s really the biggest thing that gave me confidence. In the middle of it, though, there’s a lot of other stuff going on and you don’t really know until — you know, trust our doctors, talk to them and get all the information you need.”

On the Knicks’ support during his recovery:

“That’s great to know. No complaints with the organization, they’ve been great. The support staff and everybody involved, they’re committed, they’ve been great, and they’ve been working closely with me.”

On anticipating an adjustment period when he returns:

“Of course, even if you’re out for a week there’s some level of an adjustment period. You can’t replicate playing basketball. So even if it’s something as simple as your conditioning. However small or big of an adjustment there is, there will be some adjustments. It’s hard to tell right now what those will be. But I anticipate some. It would be naive to say there wouldn’t be any.”

On his current rehab status later in the week:

“Going well. Taking things a day at a time and getting better. Staying engaged here with the guys and trying to contribute as much as I can while still being out. And yeah, in a good spot, getting better. My intention was to rehab and get this thing right. And you make that decision, and there’s not a gray area or back-and-forth considerations beyond whatever you decide to do. So that was it, that’s where we’re at.”

“[Last year] Bridges advocated wider distribution minutes…Thibs interpreted as shot…Bridges Thibs private meeting

“[Later] down 0-2 to Pacers, began scramble thru [never used] lineups…some Thibs doubters front office pointed as justification for ouster, league sources said” https://t.co/5nQDKft8RA pic.twitter.com/syMQQjiihq

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 31, 2025

Deuce McBride​

On defensive pride:

“Sometimes it’s just about taking pride and getting stops. I feel like when the ball’s going in, even for me tonight, I’ve got to be better on the defensive end. I’ve got to get stops. I’m out there to get stops first, make shots, but I just think it’s about taking pride.”

On absorbing advice from Ray Allen early in his career:

“He probably didn’t realize I was going to lock in on whatever he was saying.”

On Allen’s guidance about shooting preparation and focus:

“Get more elevation. He said, ‘In the 15 minutes pregame, I work out hard. You can’t flip it on and off.’ Those type of things stick with me. Anytime he shoots the ball, whether it’s for fun, he was always locked in. And those were always the things I feel like help me more because I’m more locked in and focused on my jumper.”

On adjusting his shot mechanics from midrange to the three-point line:

“I always elevated really high on my midrange. So, I just felt like moving it back to the 3-point line, and it worked out. And I’m not worried about guys blocking my shot.”

On speaking with Ray Allen directly:

“It was a cool moment to talk to one of the greatest shooters to ever play.”

Spurs TV: "The Spurs are a little bit upset Jalen Brunson shot that"

Yeah they look heated pic.twitter.com/uFapfdHWfy

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 1, 2026

Jordan Clarkson​

On embracing his long-term role as a bench scorer:

“Yeah, that’s my job. That’s my role. I don’t expect nothing more, don’t expect nothing less. Just come out and try to impact whatever time I get.”

On accepting a reserve role throughout his career:

“I kind of knew that this is what I was going to do. Cleveland, came off the bench, same thing. It hasn’t changed since then. Just really embraced it and ran with it.”

"Release even too high for Wembanyama"

–– @alanhahn on Deuce McBride pic.twitter.com/3493TwlhCa

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 1, 2026

Victor Wembanyama​

On his knee injury and confidence after leaving the game:

“I was confident. I was this close to coming back in the game. They had to hold me back. It was just a hyperextension, so it should be minimal. We’ve got to do everything tomorrow still to check that everything’s OK.”

On how he felt postgame:

“I’m feeling good, just sore. I’m confident. I was close to coming back into the game. They had to hold me back. It was just a hyperextension. It should be a minimal.”

Contrary to reports MTV is not shutting down at midnight

Which means Patrick Ewing might yet VJ again pic.twitter.com/R0Pmoupdnr

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 1, 2026

Mitch Johnson (Spurs Head Coach)​

On seeing Victor Wembanyama finish the game on the bench:

“Have not been able to talk to the medical staff yet, but I think I saw what everybody else saw. Obviously, he finished the game on the bench with his teammates. So, I think that made me feel good.”

Paul Pierce: “I shouldn’t even be wearing this. I forgot this is Knicks colors”

KG: “You got on a whole orange outfit lord”

Paul: “I can’t stand New York”pic.twitter.com/BGuvRrD90K

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 31, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/77277/knicks-bulletin-xxx

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Preview: Knicks at Spurs, December 31, 2025

2025 has been a hectic year for the Knicks. It started in January with the rapid decline of what looked like one of the best starting lineups in the league. And as the team stumbled through much of February and March, it looked like one with little hope. But a memorable playoff run that included a tough first-round against the Pistons, a 4-1 beating of the defending champion Celtics, and a disappointing end to the season at the hands of the Pacers and their incredible game one comeback capped off the first half of the year. The second half of 2025? Well, it’s been a bit more stable.

With new head coach Mike Brown at the helm, the team, despite an up-and-down first couple of weeks, has looked more and more like the team we expected- the best team in the east. They are 15-3 in their last 18 games, Jalen Brunson looks like a legitimate MVP candidate once again, Mikal Bridges looks much better than he did last season, and the team is now getting contributions from its young core of Tyler Kolek, Mo Diawara, and Kevin McCullar Jr. on what seems like a nightly basis. So what better way to end the year than to cap off 2025 with a bang by beating the 23-9 Spurs on the road?

While that would be an amazing win to add to the Knicks’ resume, it won’t be an easy task. As we saw not too long ago in New York’s NBA Cup Championship win, San Antonio is a damn good team. They have the sixth-best offensive rating, the best defensive rating, and the seventh-best net rating in the league. They have the athleticism, length, size, and rim protection to slow down any offense in the league, and have an egalitarian offense that centers around generational big man Victor Wembanayama and speedy point guard De’Aaron Fox.

While they have dropped consecutive games against a bad Jazz team and an underachieving Cavaliers team, the Spurs are still a scary opponent. They are less than a week removed from defeating the Thunder, the consensus best team in the league, in back-to-back games, and enter tonight tied with the Knicks for the third-best record in the league.

New York, unlike San Antonio, enters tonight winning three straight games, but they haven’t necessarily been the most impressive. Now, a win is a win, and the Knicks have been without Josh Hart, Deuce McBride, and Landry Shamet for most of those games. And there’s reason to believe that they may have put their best foot forward against the Cavaliers, Hawks, and Pelicans- all of whom are either underperforming or have been outright bad. But beating those teams by just a combined 10 points, and needing late-game heroics from Brunson in all of those games, isn’t the most confidence-inducing.

The positive, if you are a “glass half full” kind of person, is that the Knicks have still managed to win close games against talented, albeit struggling, teams, despite missing key players, and have done so with some much-needed contributions from their bench and young players.

Prediction​

The Spurs enter tonight as favorites, but only by a slight margin. These two teams, which both enter tonight with an impressive record of 23-9, have been playing some very good basketball over December, and as we all saw in the NBA Cup championship game, these two teams match up very closely. While New York can still win this game, a few things are going against them.

First off is the fact that despite their recent hot streak, they are still just 7-7 on the road this season. Securing a road win against a Spurs team that enters tonight 11-4 on the road won’t be an easy task. And making things even more difficult is the fact that the Knicks’ list of injured players continues to grow. Landry Shamet, Josh Hart, and most importantly, Mitchell Robinson, who would’ve helped try to slow down Wembanyama, will all be out. Tyler Kolek is a game-time decision with an ankle injury, as is Ariel Hukporti, which leaves the big man rotation very thin.

The Spurs have a couple of injuries of their own as Devin Vassell is out with a groin injury, and Stephon Castle, who has had some big games against the Knicks, is a game-time decision with a thumb injury. Having McBride back will help the Knicks deal with Fox, Castle (if he plays), and Harper’s speed and athleticism on the defensive end. And Diawara and McCullar Jr. could provide the Knicks with some more athleticism and surprise shooting. But it’s hard to see the Spurs losing this one at home. They’ll likely play with an added level of motivation given their last two losses, and their NBA Cup Final loss, and will be at home against a team missing multiple key players.

That being said, I say screw it. Hopefully, the Knicks can get another jaw-dropping performance out of Brunson, squeeze out some more productive minutes out of Diawara, Kolek (if he plays), and McCullar Jr, and get a third straight game of OG Anunoby making game-winning plays down the stretch. Knicks close out 2025 with a gutsy win, showing their will to win, and improve to 24-9.

Prediction of the night: Trey Jemison III, after a solid showing against the Pelicans, steps up big time and becomes the latest bench player to play a big role in a Knicks win.

Game Details​

Teams: New York Knicks (23-9) vs San Antonio Spurs (23-9)

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX

TV: NBATV, MSG

Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...game-preview-knicks-at-spurs-december-31-2025

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘I’m human just like everybody else’

Do you know what a good plan is for New Year’s Eve?

Watching the Knicks, that’s it.

Here’s a bunch of words from your boys as they will try to get back to their homes with a dub against the Spurs in time for twelve o’clock.

The Knicks are now 5-2 vs coaches they tried to hire this summer pic.twitter.com/mLxwhOU5bL

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Mike Brown​

On Mohamed Diawara’s feel for the game and development:

“In the summertime you started to see his feel. Just his feel for the game is uncanny for a guy who is 6-8 or 6-9 and for how young he is. And then everything you try to talk about or teach him, he tries to observe and go do it. He works extremely hard. He’s long. He’s a pretty good defender. Getting better. Just a lot of little things that you kind of watch and go, ‘Oh my gosh, wow.’ And all those things when you add them up to a possible opportunity it gives you more confidence as a coaching staff to throw him out there and say, okay let’s see what’s going to happen.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s absence on Mon/Wed and load managing the country boy:

“It’s all load management. If you look at our schedule, it’s been hectic. We’re just trying to be smart with it.”

On communication and building trust with Mikal Bridges:

“I try to communicate with everybody. But I’m human just like everybody else. Sometimes I may not communicate enough. Sometimes I may try to over-communicate. It’s a fine line that you’ve got to try to figure out. Everybody is human, and everybody needs to be touched. That’s all I was trying to do with Mikal. I was just trying to touch him, to get his thoughts. Let him know my thoughts. Because you assume certain things. It makes an ass out of you and me. That’s all it was.”

On OG Anunoby’s two-way dominance in crunch time:

“Our defensive player of the game, just put his footprint on both ends, another All-Star is OG Anunoby. I don’t know who can guard OG on a close out. If you’re closing out on him, it’s a wrap if he wants it to be a wrap. You can be big, you can be small. You’ve got to get all the way to his body because he’ll knock down the three. If you don’t get back to his body, he’s so quick and so strong he’s going right through your inner thigh. Offensively he was huge for us. He was huge offensively, huge on the glass. But just as importantly he was our defensive player of the game.”

On team standards, sacrifice, and belief:

“At the end of the day it’s all of our standards. Sacrifice. When you play 12 guys and guys don’t care when they come in and out, you’ve seen that. People are sacrificing for their teammates. You play 12 guys and guys just keep plugging away, there’s a connectivity. It doesn’t matter if we’re up 10, down 10, our guys just keep staying with it. That shows the competitive spirit. More importantly, it’s the belief in the process. That belief not only in the process, but in each other, it helps out. And we’re all being held accountable on the sidelines. When you have that from a group, man, you can do a lot of things.”

Mo Diawara on Knicks "They help each other out…Like Deuce…really wanted to know how I'm doing…Mikal, I talk to him most…'

Q "Who's craziest?"

Mo "OG 1st. KAT…Mikal…even Jalen…everyone…laughs together…knows each other…You just feel it…family…beautiful…You feel home" pic.twitter.com/PJgEgYcDrv

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 31, 2025

Mohamed Diawara​

On the uncertainty of draft night and his preparation:

“I didn’t know at all. I was hoping to get drafted but I had no clue if I would at all. I worked out with 13 teams. The feedback was pretty good. I did a lot of good workouts. I feel like I showed a lot of stuff to other teams. I felt confident that I wouldn’t regret anything.”

“McBride would miss Poole completely if not for Poole's last-minute step forward”

NBA Last-2 Minute Report says non-call on Knicks Deuce McBride defending Pelicans Jordan Poole game-tying 3 attempt with 8.8 seconds left was correct pic.twitter.com/A6IQEEFnwE

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Miles McBride​

On Mohamed Diawara’s attacking mindset:

“He has this mindset of just attacking. It kinda reminds me of myself, just attacking. You trust your preparation and results will end up in your favor. Just reminded me of myself. You’re young and don’t know anything. You just go attack.”

On trusting faith after returning from injury:

“I’m always trusting in God and whatever he has planned for me. He said I needed a little bit of rest, but I just wanted to come out here, do what I need to do to get back right. And get a win with the team.”

On the NBA’s top 10 handles of 2025: pic.twitter.com/RAc3VIDEQa

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Jalen Brunson​

On his first impressions of Mohamed Diawara:

“Honestly, I didn’t know Mo when he was drafted. I’m not going to lie. When he came to summer league and I came to New York before preseason, I got to work with him and see him. He’s very confident, and the way we play, it’s great for the way we play. Did I do intel? No. But when I got to know him, I knew he’d be an asset for us.”

On the Knicks’ poor starts and finding ways to win:

“We understand how we started was unacceptable. And we got to figure out how to win a game from where we were. So we got a lot of confidence in each other. But we got to start better.”

The NBA has ranked the top 10 defensive plays of 2025

Here’s #1: pic.twitter.com/OccvywMzPb

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Mikal Bridges​

On the Knicks’ expanded rotations and the new bench energy:

“Yeah, for sure. Knowing that the work you put in, you might get your name called. And also like it builds more as a team. We love each other and are competitive at the same time. But knowing that you’re playing gives even more energy because you feel like you contribute, knowing you might get called. It’s just a different energy for the bench.”

On his growing relationship with Mike Brown:

“I think honestly right now is probably the most I’ve been close with Mike. Just have some good conversations, talk to each other. Picking his brain, hear what he’s thinking and me voicing some things. Getting that clarity from your coach. Our relationship was always fine, but I think it’s definitely going up.”

On adjusting to playing fewer minutes and communication:

“I’m so used to playing a lot. Sometimes I might get subbed out and I’m looking like, ‘What?’ But I know something’s right. Sometimes you need a break. That’s building your relationship with the coach and building that trust.”

On feeling better by playing fewer minutes this season:

“I definitely feel better. It’s definitely working.”

On entering the All-Star talk and his priorities:

“Me, personally, I can’t control All-Star selections. I do appreciate Mike voicing for me and OG. But I’m just trying to be the best version of myself for this team. There’s so much room for me to grow. Just get better game by game and develop more relationships. I got those mothaf–kas some watches, so I’m pretty sure I’m close with them.”

Shouts to @JLEdwardsIII for getting this tremendous quote from OG Anunoby: https://t.co/qZREgfrYIM pic.twitter.com/TQ0VJIynBb

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 30, 2025

OG Anunoby​

On defending Zion Williamson on Monday:

“He’s an amazing player, one of the toughest covers in the league, downhill. He’s really an incredible player. Just taking the challenge, being more physical.”

On his All-Star case:

“If fans watch the game beyond the boxscore and notice the little things, and the two-way impact.”

AJ at MSG

He might be a little better than Jimmer pic.twitter.com/EXniABvVfc https://t.co/uFjXRvGGsY

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 30, 2025

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ks-bulletin-im-human-just-like-everybody-else

 

[New York Knicks]

Hawks 111, Knicks 99: Missing players, missing shots

Tonight, a shorthanded New York Knicks (23*-11) squad hosted the Atlanta Hawks (17-19). The home team played without Karl-Anthony Towns (illness), Josh Hart (ankle), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle), which was to their detriment, while the visitors played without Trae Young, which was to Atlanta’s advantage. The score was close in the first quarter, but started slipping away in the second when New York managed just 17 points. In the third period, the Knicks trailed by 26, their biggest hole of the season; and despite a strong start to the fourth and cutting the deficit to nine late in the game, there was too much ground to cover for a comeback. Atlanta wins, 111-99.

Not only did the Knicks match their lowest point-total of the 2025-26 campaign, they also shot 9-of-44 (20%) from deep. Some of that was due to great defense by the Hawks. Some of it was purely stinky shooting. New York won the glass 53 to 49, but shot 36-for-99 overall (36%) and turned the ball over 14 times.

Jalen Brunson led New York with 24 points on 10-for-24 shooting, but had a horrible night from deep (1-for-10). OG Anunoby delivered 19 points and 10 rebounds, going 5-for-13 from the field and 1-of-6 from downtown (his slump continues…). Mikal Bridges chipped in 18 points on 7-for-19 shooting (3-for-11 from three). Rounding out the starters, Ariel Hukporti, filling in for KAT and Mitch, posted eight points, 17 rebounds (seven offensive), four assists, and four blocks in 28 minutes. And Miles McBride added 11 points on 4-for-14 shooting (3-for-10 from three).

A thin bench contributed thin production: Guerschon Yabusele scored eight, Tyler Kolek six, and Jordan Clarkson five. McCullar, Diawara, and Jemison combined for zero points on 0-of-6 shooting.

For the visitors, Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points apiece. Okongwu finished 9-for-16 from the field with 3-for-6 from three, nine rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Alexander-Walker made 9-of-20 overall and 3-of-10 from deep. Jalen Johnson posted a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, plus two steals in 38 minutes; Zaccharie Risacher added 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting; and Dyson Daniels rounded out their starters with 11 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

One for the wastebasket. Get ready for Philly tomorrow night.

First Half​

Jalen Brunson set the tempo for New York. The Eastern Conference’s Player of the Month for December organized the offense, created clean looks inside, and kept the Knicks chugging with drives, floaters, and assists to Yabusele, Kolek, and Anunoby. Bridges had a nice dish or two, too:

mikal delivers a perfect pass to ariel for the SLAM pic.twitter.com/wBokWwgP3T

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 3, 2026

For Atlanta, Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker provided timely scoring in the quarter. The Hawks held a narrow edge by shooting better from deep (42%). New York countered by scoring 18 points in the paint, dishing 10 dimes, and protecting the rock (just two turnovers). There were seven lead changes, before the Knicks went totally cold, lucky to escape the quarter down 33-30.

Across the end of the first quarter and into the second, our heroes missed 12 straight threes and fell behind by nine. The difference was pressure and execution. New York committed a string of turnovers, including bad passes and an eight-second violation, and Atlanta turned those mistakes into points. Alexander-Walker continued to provide a spark for the visitors, while Johnson was deployed as a cutter and secondary creator.

Phenomenal defense from Hukporti pic.twitter.com/mylL6Apgsp

— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) January 3, 2026

The Knicks had short scoring bursts, but few and far between. Their offense managed just 17 points in the quarter, and Atlanta closed the half in control, up 60–47.

Overall, the Hawks had outshot New York 51% to 41%, and outscored them in the paint (32–26) and in transition (18–14). New York’s inefficiency and nine turnovers offset a solid rebounding by a Knicks team with a very thin frontcourt. Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 15 points. Brunson had 11.

Coaching matters. McCullar Jr. is a learner. The kid has a bright future. pic.twitter.com/zkV3f1BHKm

— KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) January 3, 2026

Second Half​

The ugly got uglier. Atlanta blew the game open in the third quarter, going ahead by 26 points. That marked the Knicks largest deficit of the season.

New York still had no antidote for Johnson, Alexander-Walker, and Okongwu. On the occasions when the Knicks did get stops, they failed to capitalize. They continued to miss open looks, left points at the charity stripe, and wasted offensive rebounds. The visitors, meanwhile, punished those misses with quick answers—corner threes, rim runs, and short rolls—turning a manageable deficit into a commanding one by the end of the period.

Behind inspired play from Diawara and Anunoby, the Knicks kicked off the fourth with 11 unanswered points. With a little under nine minutes to play, they were down 94-81. Suddenly, a losing cause seemed perhaps less hopeless.

But not for long. Out of a timeout, Bridges missed a three-pointer that would have reduced the hole to 10; instead, Luke Kennard drained consecutive threes to make it 19.

New York had multiple offensive rebounds, intercepted passes, and drew a charge or two, but their endless barrage of bricks prevented them from gaining ground. At the five-minute mark, Brunson cashed in a McBride assist to make the differential 13. At four minutes, Bridges missed from long (again), but another Hukporti rebound let Mikal mit a middy, cutting the difference to 11. At the three, Hukporti hit two freebies to make it 12. At the two, Bridges hit a corner three (finally) to make it 10. At one-and-a-half minutes, Bridges convereted another bomb to make it nine.

Time and again, New York knocked on the door but lacked the personnel to kick it in. Okongwu made a layup, a foul called on a Brunson three-point attempt was overturned, and that was the ballgame.

CLUTCH TIME MIKAL

vote knicks for #NBAAllStar starters ️ https://t.co/Ov3esq1i8z pic.twitter.com/yApEmp4ZJa

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 3, 2026

Up Next​

The 76ers visit the Garden. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...s-111-knicks-99-missing-players-missing-shots

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Preview: Knicks vs. 76ers, January 3, 2026

After spinning their wheels in the mud against the Hawks last night, the New York Knicks (23*-11) are back in action tonight, taking on the Philadelphia 76ers (18-14).

The Knicks sit two games behind the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference, while the Sixers rank fifth. Last night’s effort at Madison Square Garden ended in 111-99 loss, despite New York cutting a 26-point deficit to nine in the fourth quarter. Missing three rotational players—Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson—left them too shorthanded against a respectable Quin Snyder squad. Meanwhile, Philly is coming off a 123-108 win in Dallas on New Year’s Day.

The Knicks and Cheesesteaks last squared off on December 19, when the Knicks ran out of gas late, scored just 20 points in the final period, and lost 116-107.

The Pennsylvanians profile as almost exactly league average on both ends. They score 116.6 points per game, ranking 15th, with an offensive rating of 115.2 that places them 18th. Defensively, they allow 116 points per game and post a 114.7 defensive rating (13th).

Their leader, Tyrese Maxey averages 30.9 points and 7.2 assists per game, and ranks third in the league in scoring. In the last game against New York, he posted 30 points, nine assists, and hit 6-of-10 from deep. Rookie-of-the-year candidate VJ Edgecombe logged 23 points, two steals, and a block, while also hitting 60% from beyond the arc. And Andre Drummond, filling in for Joel Embiid, recorded a 14-13 double-double. The big fella from Mount Vernon ALSO hit 3-of-4 from deep . . . the rim was ocean-sized for Philly that night.

On the injury report, Embiid is listed as a game-time decision with a knee issue, while Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and Trendon Watford (thigh) remain out. For the New York Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns (illness), Mitchell Robinson (ankle), and Landry Shamet (shoulder) are all game-time decisions, while Josh Hart (ankle) is not expected to return until January 11.

OG Anunoby started the season with beautiful three-point efficiency, hitting 41% from deep through his first 18 games. The game against the Sixers started a serious shooting slump for him, however. In his last seven games, he has made 7-of-38 from downtown, or 18%. During that stretch, he averaged 13.4 points, six rebounds, and two assists, and totaled 11 steals and seven blocks—all-in-all not terrible, but his total +/- was a -34. Tonight’s rematch would be a perfect time to bust outta that slump, Ogugua!

Prediction​

ESPN.com likes the Knicks at 65%. Maybe . . . depends on who plays. The undermanned team that lost to the Hawks tonight would have difficulty keeping up with Nick Nurse band of merry band of Ben Franklins. If Towns recovers from what ails him and Mitch’s ankle is good to go, pencil in the W. (We’d love to see the return of Shamet, too, for the bench production and the emotional uplift.) If the Knicks are understaffed in the frontcourt again, and shoot as badly as they did last night (9-of-42, 21%), this game could be a nauseating affair.

The Knicks have lost three consecutive games only once this season, and, presently, are on only their second two-game losing streak. Cap doesn’t like to lose. Look for Brunson to leave it all on the floor tonight and, with the MSG crowd at his back, pulling out a win in the clutch. It’s his sobriquet, after all. Knicks by 2.

Game Details​

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...2/game-preview-knicks-vs-76ers-january-3-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

76ers 130, Knicks 119: Pounded in the paint

For the second time this season, the New York Knicks (23*-12) have lost three straight games. It’s too early to panic, but measured concern is completely acceptable.

In tonight’s first quarter, the Knicks leaned on Jalen Brunson, while the Philadelphia 76ers (19-14) answered with Tyrese Maxey’s unfettered scoring and Joel Embiid’s interior play to take a 31–30 lead. As the second quarter rolled along, Philly gradually seized control and stretched their lead to 66–58 at intermission. Shades of yesterday’s loss to Atlanta? You betcha. In the third period, the deficit reached double-digits and stayed there, topping out at 19. The score was 99–87 after three. Similar to last night’s tilt, the Knicks kicked back around the middle of the fourth, but they had no answers to Maxey or Embiid. Final score, 130-119.

Brunson finished with 31 points in 34 minutes, shooting 10-of-21 from the floor, 2-of-4 from three, and 9-of-12 at the line. He had just four assists and, uncharacteristically, three turnovers. He, Mikal Bridges, and Mitchell Robinson all finished with -11’s.

Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 23-point, 14-board double-double in 34 minutes, going 6-of-16 from the field. He missed all five of his longball attempts, but made 11-of-12 on free throws. OG Anunoby logged 37 minutes and scored 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, hitting 3-of-5 from three and 4-of-4 at the charity stripe. He added six rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block.

Robinson played 19 minutes and finished with two points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and five fouls. Rounding out the starters, Bridges scored 12 points in his 37 minutes, shooting 5-of-14 from the field and 2-of-8 from deep, and contributed five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block.

The bench was uneven, with Miles McBride providing the clear spark: 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 5-of-7 from three, plus two steals in his 31 minutes. There wasn’t much production outside of that: Jordan Clarkson and Kevin McCullar, Jr. scored three points each, Tyler Kolek added six, and the rest of the bench combined for zilch. Once again, Coach Brown played 12 guys and thumbed his nose at Pacome Dadiet.

For the Cheesesteaks, Maxey led all scorers with 36 points, shooting 14-of-22 overall and 6-of-9 from three, plus eight rebounds and four assists. Embiid scored 26 points and 10 boards and took 12 free throws; Paul George scored 15 points and eight rebounds; and rookie VJ Edgecombe delivered 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 4-of-9 from three.

New York shot better from deep tonight, making 40%, but Philly bested them with 47% and won the game in the paint, outscoring the home team there, 54-32.

First Half​

The first quarter opened with a choppy stretch during which both teams struggled to find rhythm. Brunson led the scoring with an array of shots and shot all six of New York’s free throws, making five. Anunoby, who’s been in a shooting slump of late, missed another three, but impacted the quarter with effort, rebounding, and ball movement.

As usual, Maxey drove Philadelphia’s offense, repeatedly getting downhill for layups and short floaters while also creating shots for others. His running mate, Embiid, looked fresher than we’ve seen him in a while. The big Cameroonian bullied in the paint and hit some mid-rangers.

TYRESE MAXEY PUT ON A SHOW AT MSG.

36 PTS
8 REB
4 AST
2 BLK
6 3PM
PHI W

It's @TyreseMaxey's 75th career 30-PT game! pic.twitter.com/wMGMwfm9uu

— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2026

Neither side went ahead by more than five. Kevin McCullar Jr. added a timely corner three late in the period, but Maxey’s attacked at will and, after five lead changes, the Sixers brought a narrow 31–30 lead into the break.

The teams traded perimeter bombs to start the second quarter. Gradually, Philly gained momentum behind Edgecombe and OAKAAKUYOAK Quentin Grimes, with both hitting deep threes to goose the lead. New York countered with timely buckets by Anunoby and Jordan Clarkson, but the tide kept drawing in the wrong direction.

KOLEK FROM DISTANCE pic.twitter.com/pKfj7GJtZi

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 4, 2026

By the midway point, the ‘Bockers were still hanging within five, but Maxey checked back in and paired with Embiid for a run that put them ahead by 13. Brunson and Anunoby delivered triples to salvage some ground, and they entered halftime down 66-58.

Joel Embiid looking as physically comfortable as we've seen him in quite some time in his 3rd game in 5 nights — efficient shooting, some great passes, big screens, drawing fouls, moving well, etc.

26 PTS (9-15 FG), 10 REB (2 OFF), 5 AST vs Knicks

Highlights below! pic.twitter.com/x3dm5c6YVB

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) January 4, 2026

Second Half​

Late in the third quarter last night, the Knicks had surrendered 90 points to the Atlanta Hawks. They allowed the Sixers to reach that point by midway through the third quarter tonight. Maxey and Embiid dictated the pace and space, with the former hitting multiple triples while the latter hacked away in the paint, drew fouls, and grabbed rebounds. The lead quickly hit double-digits and stayed there for the rest of the period.

New York briefly responded through Miles McBride, who attacked the rim, forced turnovers, and knocked down a three, but the cheese stood alone. When Maxey rattled in back-to-back threes, and Embiid added more at the rim, this game took on the smell of old fish. Rookie Mohamed Diawara made a brief appearance to relieve Anunoby, but blink and you’d miss him. Brunson and Towns scored some points that felt like treading water, and after being outscored for the third straight quarter, they entered the fourth behind 99-87.

"Right now, we're not as physical as we should be at the point of attack. We're not navigating the ball screen like we should be at the point of attack, a lot of times."

Mike Brown talks about how the Knicks' physicality and defensive shifts can improve: pic.twitter.com/tvHj38sSTV

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026

The final frame opened with more Maxey, Edgecombe, and Grimes stuff to keep the lead in double digits. Our heroes briefly showed signs of life when Anunoby made free throws and Miles McBride drilled a three, but every meager endeavor was met by a response (George knocked down a three, Maxey kept scoring at will, etc.).

Midway through the quarter, the Knicks showed some spunk when Anunoby blocked a Jabari Walker attempt, Bridges rejected an Embiid layup, and McBride hit back-to-back threes. They cut the deficit to eight, but the vibe never really shifted in their favor. With under two minutes to go, George grabbed an offensive board that might have given the Knicks hope had it gone the other way; instead, Grimes made a layup, the differential was 10 again, and the life left the body in one extended exhale.

VJ Edgecombe BLOCK.
VJ Edgecombe SLAM.

The rookie is putting on a show at MSG! pic.twitter.com/9U7IBmAxrX

— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2026

Up Next​

The Knicks take to the road again with a trip to Detroit on Monday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...383/76ers-130-knicks-119-pounded-in-the-paint

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘Everyone has a lapse’

The Knicks let another one slip and they’re now navigating a three-game skid.

New York welcomed back the Twin towers but that could prevent the Sixers from snatching the win

Here’s what Coach Mike and a few of those involved said before and after yesterday’s game.

Mike Brown as Knicks lose 3rd straight: "We're in an area we're not used to…little bit of adversity. I've never been part of a team that hasn't gone thru adversity…Every team's gonna…It's about how we respond…how we get out of it…Great opportunity to see what we're made of" pic.twitter.com/HP8BWvl7OP

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 4, 2026

Mike Brown​

On the Knicks facing adversity:

“We are in an area we are not used to. We’ve hit a little bit of adversity. I’ve never been part of a team that has not gone through adversity throughout the course of the year, whether we won it at the end of the year and we were in the Finals or we had a halfway decent season. Every team is going to hit it. For us, it’s about how we respond and how we come out of it. This is a great opportunity for us to see what we’re made of while we are going through this stretch.”

On Tyrese Maxey and picking your poison:

“Obviously, we didn’t play our best basketball. Maxey was really on. He was a real handful for us. We tried to get the ball out of his hands, and then someone else made plays. If you try to take it out of someone’s hands, you are going to give someone else a chance.”

On Josh Hart’s absence impacting the offensive pace:

“At the end of the day, having Josh out there helps a ton. Right now, our pace is not good. We’re walking the ball up almost every time and then everything is just going to the front side. Our staples — our pace in the full court and the front court, spacing the floor correctly, making quick decisions, touching the paint and getting the ball reversed — we haven’t seen a lot of any of that.”

On defensive priorities after another loss:

“It starts with guarding the ball and guarding the ball without fouling. On top of that, obviously our transition defense — both of those areas haven’t been good. Those have been themes as of late for us and we’ve got to somehow, someway fix it.”

On confidence the issues and how to fix them:

“We’re going to fix it. We’ve done it before. Hopefully we’re not going backwards too many more steps. But it starts with guarding the ball and not giving up easy buckets in transition. From there, you can clean up the rest.”

On offensive stagnation hurting the team:

“Sometimes, if you play the right way, you’re going to take a loss and you’re OK with it. But offensively, we were pretty stagnant, and that plays right into their strength. If we don’t play with pace in the half court, if we don’t touch the paint, make quick decisions — our staples — it’s going to be hard for us to score.”

On urgency slipping:

“The sense of urgency has to be there for us for as close to 48 minutes as possible. It’s tough to do it for 48. Everyone has a lapse. But our sense of urgency has to be at a high level, especially when it comes to transition. Our sense of urgency wasn’t always there.”

On his coaching perspective regardless of the record at any particular point:

“I don’t even know what our record was in December. You win a lot of games and can feel it. As a coach, you just try to preach the right things to your team no matter what you are currently doing. If I don’t see something right, it’s my job to let them know.”

On the need for defensive accountability when shots aren’t falling:

“When the shot’s not falling, where else are we going to hang our hat? It has to be on the defensive end. And we didn’t do that tonight.”

"Objectively, we need to just be more sound and have each other's backs. Things are not going to be perfect, but we've got to be able to have each other's backs when things break down."

Jalen Brunson was asked what's not happening that should be happening recently for the… pic.twitter.com/PaWwCFKchG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026

Jalen Brunson​

On the much-needed defensive corrections:

“We just need to be better defensively. There are so many different things you can say. Keep your man in front. Have better rotations. Objectively, we need to be more sound and have each other’s backs. Things aren’t going to be perfect, but we have to have each other’s backs when things break down.”

On missing Josh Hart but rejecting excuses:

“We miss him, but it’s no excuse. He’s a big part of what we do, but we need to step up. The key is sticking together and not pointing fingers and not feeling sorry for ourselves. Just have each other’s backs. I think that’s the most important.”

On navigating the slump as a group:

“Sticking together. Not pointing fingers, not feeling sorry for ourselves or trying to find a quick solution instead of working through it for the long term. Just have each other’s backs, I think that’s most important.”

Mikal Bridges was asked about the Knicks' slower offensive pace:

"I think we're just not playing fast enough. That's on everybody. I think we've just got to know what we've got to do spacing-wise. We know we should, but I think we're just either not thinking or taking too long… pic.twitter.com/FmWAYi0m6O

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 4, 2026

Mikal Bridges​

On second-effort defense breaking down:

“Just the effort. The initial effort might be there, but just making plays after — the second effort is not there.”

On injuries and keeping internal trust:

“I mean, yeah, those guys are key pieces and I miss them. But I trust everybody in this locker room to come in and do what they have to do. We’ve got a lot of talent, a lot of guys that work hard. Everybody’s got to step up.”

On rejecting travel fatigue and the schedule as an excuse:

“I don’t want to blame traveling or anything like that. No excuse. We’ve just got to be better. You’ve got to learn from it and get ready for tomorrow.”

On missed shots not excusing bad defense:

“I know we weren’t making shots, but that doesn’t give us an excuse to not play defense and get back. We can’t let missed shots affect us on the other end.”

Fred Katz: "What was going on with KAT?"

Mike Brown: "He had stomach issues…PR might have more detail…"

Fred: "I don't need more detail"

Brown: "" pic.twitter.com/IFD7TuYE5z

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 3, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On hoping the Knicks respond to the three-game losing skid as they have before:

“I hope history repeats itself. For history to repeat itself, we gotta lock in and be ready for the next game. It’s not gonna get any easier for us.”

Joel Embiid was ELATED after his 1st dunk of the season @sixers defeat the Knicks and secure third straight W! pic.twitter.com/ivFQ0rfdsL

— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2026

Joel Embiid​

On his first dunk since forever:

“It was whatever. It was an easy one. I wish it would have been one off the backboard. That’s the next step.”

"Every time he gets a basket it's a facial expression, arm wave, leg kick, drama king…What is he doing? You got an and-1, you're big & strong, we know that. Here it's his 1st dunk of season & he's happy?…Knows how to bait officials…old man game now"

–– Wally on Joel Embiid pic.twitter.com/LUu2dmzJvj

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 4, 2026

Nick Nurse​

On Embiid’s first dunk of the season:

“You saw he wanted to get one. It was a pretty cheap way of getting it, I think. But at least we know he can still dunk, and he can check that off his list.”

https://t.co/olPDc5Mi9d pic.twitter.com/hNbzwALzDg

— THE GODMUTHA ✦ (@THEG0DMUTHA) January 4, 2026

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/77393/knicks-bulletin-xxx

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Week Preview: Jan. 4-10, 2026

The New York Knicks head into the week at a moment when things feel slightly unsettled. They’re still frontrunners for best of the conference, if not the league, but they’re searching for traction after a rough stretch. A tough road test, a brief return home, and a late-night stop out West will offer a clearer picture of where this group stands by the end of the week.

Monday, January 5: Knicks at Detroit Pistons (7:00 PM ET, Peacock)​

To start the week, the New York Knicks face a tough road test against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.

The Motor City club enters with a 25-9 record and a strong home advantage at Little Caesars Arena. The Detroit Pistons succeed with an elite defense (second in the NBA) and a top ten offense that scores almost 119 points per attempt. Despite losing four of their last 10, the Pistons remain the lead bunny that New York has chased all season. They’re led by Cade Cunningham (26.7 PPG, 9.6 APG, and 6.3 RPG) and fellow starters Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Duncan Robinson. In the small favors department, Duren and Harris are both sidelined for the next week or two with injuries, meaning they won’t suit up for the Knicks contest.

Our heroes have looked more mortal in their last three games, with increasingly deflating losses to the Spurs, Hawks, and Sixers. Without Josh Hart, they’re missing a connective tissue that fills the gaps on both ends; without him, it’s been bone-on-bone painful to watch. It doesn’t appear that he will be ready to take the floor on Monday, and a fourth-straight loss is highly probable. If so, be careful of Knicks fans jumping from high places Tuesday morning.

Watch this on Peacock.

Wednesday, January 7: Knicks vs Los Angeles Clippers (7:30 PM ET)​

The Knicks make a brief return to the Garden before a four-game West coast trip. On Wednesday, they will host the L.A. Clippers in an interconference battle that pits our beloved ‘Bockers against a Western play-in hopeful.

Kawhi Leonard is back to producing at a star level, leading the team in scoring and steals, while James Harden and Ivica Zubac pace them in playmaking and rebounding. Their top-end production did not translate into wins, however, and starting 5-16 seemed to be a death knell. It’s hard to focus on basketball when that pesky Pablo Torre constantly trails you with a magnifying glass!

The Clips started the season poorly but have found a groove of late. As of this writing, they have won six of their last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak over not awful teams. They shoot the three-ball fairly well, but not as often as most, and their defense is fairly terrible. Without too much effort, the Knicks should knock out a win and hit the road on a high note.

Watch this on MSG.

Friday, January 9: Knicks at Phoenix Suns (9:00 PM ET)​

The Knicks wrap up the work week with a stop at Mortgage Matchup Center (what a stupid name) in Arizona. They’ll face the Phoenix Suns (20-14) in a late-night (for me) Western Conference tilt.

Phoenix has been surprisingly competitive in a challenging conference. They currently sit seventh in the West and have outperformed modest preseason expectations behind a balanced attack, top-12 efficiency on both ends, and a positive net rating. They’re not Finals materials, but they’re a serious pain nonetheless. Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, and Grayson Allen are their scoring leaders while Mark Williams has held down the paint.

The good news for the Knickerbockers? There are reports that Dillon Brooks will be joining his sworn life enemy LeBron James in Los Angeles. Many have cited Brooks as the primary reason for Phoenix’s impressive run, which explains why J.J. Redick’s desperation to add him and his dastardly defense to the roster. We’ll see if the Suns are as tough without him.

Watch this one on MSG.

Enjoy the week, Knicks fans.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-game-previews/77411/knicks-week-preview-jan-4-10-2026

 

[JJ]

OH BOY HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH THE KNICKS BREAKING MY HEART

Look, I'm a Bills fan first and foremost, but watching this Knicks collapse is giving me serious "wide right" PTSD. Three straight losses?? To the HAWKS without Trae Young?? Come ON man.

Here's what's killing me about this stretch:

1. **The Josh Hart effect is REAL** - Everyone keeps saying "no excuses" but let's be honest, that dude is the glue guy. Without him pushing pace and doing all the dirty work, this offense looks like it's running through molasses. Mike Brown even admitted their pace is garbage right now.

2. **9-for-44 from three against Atlanta** - That's not a slump, that's a CATASTROPHE. OG shooting 18% from deep over his last seven games?? Mikal going 3-for-11?? Brunson 1-for-10?? At some point you gotta wonder if someone hexed the rim.

3. **Embiid getting his first dunk of the season against us** - That's just embarrassing. The man looked like he won the lottery. We made Joel Embiid look ATHLETIC again.

The Detroit game Monday is gonna be BRUTAL. Yeah Duren and Harris are out, but Cade Cunningham is a problem and the Knicks are clearly in their own heads right now. If they lose four straight I might need to take a mental health day.

At least the Clippers game should be a gimme... but honestly after watching them lose to a Trae-less Hawks team, I don't trust ANYTHING anymore.

Anyone else think they need to give Dadiet some actual minutes?? Brown played 12 guys and STILL won't give the kid a look. Make it make sense!!

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘The officials are the officials’

The Knicks and the Pistons are clashing tonight for the first time this season in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown.

Too bad the game is at Pizza Palace and not MSG.

Here’s some of what’s been said in the last few hours.

ESPN ranks categories including best & worst offense, defense & overall with new Net Points metric, an algorithm which divides credit & blame in context each play

Here's Jalen Brunson
-4th best offense
-4th worst defense (& trending down)
-14th overallhttps://t.co/kNfOgtrXQ3 pic.twitter.com/tae5WMVMcN

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 5, 2026

Mike Brown​

On the Knicks’ offensive identity breaking down:

“It’s been a while — at least these last two games — our staples, our pace in full court, the front court. We want to space the floor correctly. We want to make quick decisions. We want to touch the paint, and we want the ball to get reversed, and we haven’t seen a lot of any of that. It’s a lot of front-side actions that are happening, and if we don’t have anything on the front side, it’s almost like we’re in the water. We don’t know what’s next. We can’t get to the play after the play, and that’s something we have to figure out sooner than later.”

On lacking physicality at the point of attack:

“The biggest thing is right now, we want to be physical defensively. You can see guys are up in us… they’re getting in our bodies and blowing up any dribble hand-off, even pick-and-roll situations, and we’re not able to come off a pick-and-roll and turn the corner and get downhill. So, defensively, we want to do the same as them, but right now, we’re not as physical as we should be at the point of attack, we’re not navigating the ball screen like we should be at the point of attack a lot of times. And then when we do, we’re picking up a foul here, a foul there. And sending guys to the free throw line. So our physicality, as well as our shifts, have to be better so we can help protect that paint a little bit more.”

On the ongoing pace issues:

“Right now, our pace is not good. We’re walking the ball up almost every time, and then almost everything is on the front side.”

On the need for avoiding emotional reactions to officiating:

“The officials are human. They’re gonna make good calls. They’re gonna make bad calls. We can’t rely on the officials to win us the ball game. We have to go win it ourselves. The reality of it is even with us fouling late, they shot 23 free throws, we shot 32. We had 18 fouls called against us, and they had 23 called against them.”

On refocusing internally instead of blaming whistles:

“We have to do a better job of focusing on what our job is or what we can do to help the group get over the hump and win the ball game. Nobody has to do anything extraordinary. But we’ve gotta give a little bit more in a lot of areas to help us get over the top, but the officials are the officials; they’ve been fine. And now we’ve just gotta figure out a way to win and not focus on them at all.”

On going small late against Philadelphia:

“We needed to score, so we needed to spread the floor and see if we could touch the paint and spray it and knock down a couple threes, so that’s one of the reasons I went small. But I’ve said this before: Deuce is really good at the point of attack in terms of pick and roll defense when he’s on the ball, trying to get to a body and getting over the top of the ball. That’s why I threw him out there. A combination of those two things made me do that.”

On focusing only on the next opponent:

“For us it really doesn’t matter. It’s whoever’s in front of us. We need to figure out how to go play the right way on both ends of the floor and get a win. It’s as simple as that.”

On bringing more effort during the slump:

“Our mindset is everybody just trying to bring a little bit more. A little bit more defensively. A little bit more offensively, in order to get over the hump. There’s not anything tricky or magical that we’re going to come up with in a matter of two days. We just know we can bring a little bit more to the table.”

Knicks say Josh Hart still OUT Monday at Detroit (right ankle sprain)

Landry Shamet also still OUT (right shoulder sprain) pic.twitter.com/brbuAnS6Hq

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 4, 2026

Mikal Bridges​

On the lack of pace and offensive indecision:

“I think we’re not playing fast enough, and that’s on everybody. We’ve gotta know what we’ve gotta do spacing-wise. I think we know what we should do, but we’re either not thinking or taking too long to think about what we have to get into, and that’s been our problem.”

Karl-Anthony Towns just passed Walt Clyde Frazier (15,581 points) as 144th all-time leading scorer pic.twitter.com/Mfx9LYMfzR

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 5, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On increased aggression after halftime:

“I got more shots. So just trying to make shots. I’ll watch the tape. I know in the third, I got more aggressive on the offensive end and made the most of those opportunities. I just shot more shots. That’s the only way you can make more points.”

"I don't know how he's not dead tired, we just had a three hour practice." — Collin Gillespie talks about the incredible work ethic of Jalen Brunson pic.twitter.com/41xt2zUhud

— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) January 4, 2026

Jalen Brunson​

On responding to the slump as a group:

“Sticking together. Not pointing fingers, not feeling sorry for ourselves or trying to find a quick solution instead of working through it for the long term. Just have each other’s backs, I think that’s most important.”

On defensive accountability when things break down:

“Objectively, we need to just be more sound and have each other’s backs. Things are not going to be perfect, but we’ve got to be able to have each other’s backs when things break down.”

Appreciate the love everyone https://t.co/QtzWmPAiZc

— Nathaniel S. Butler (@natlyphoto) January 4, 2026

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/77417/knicks-bulletin-the-officials-are-the-officials