RSS Knicks Team Notes

[New York Knicks]

Kings 112, Knicks 101: Sucking in Sacramento

The Knicks of New York (25*-15) now have a road record of 8-11. On the bright side, there’s one game left on their current trip. Tonight, they took on the Sacramento Kings (11-30), cellar dwellers of the West. Although Sac Town came into the contest having won two straight, we expected this to be a walk for our heroes. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Golden 1 Center.

Precious Achiuwa and Sacramento seized control early and never let go. They shot well while the Knicks fired blanks (like, a ton of them). After New York scored a season-low 17 points in the first frame, they stumbled into intermission having scored their fewest first-half points of the season (42). Shooting 1-of-19 from deep will do that. On top of that, Jalen Brunson left the game with a re-injured ankle. This was pure misery. Post-halftime, the visitors fell behind by 25 in the third quarter, continued to stink in the fourth, and had the score narrowed to a more respectable 112-101 by the garbage time reserves.

New York shot 39-for-100 overall (39%) and 8-for-41 from three (20%). Individually, Mikal Bridges led the starters with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting, while OG Anunoby added 15 points but missed all six of his three-point attempts. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 13 points (all in the first half) on 5-of-14, grabbed four rebounds, and committed five fouls. Josh Hart logged 10 points, five boards, and five assists, and Jalen Brunson played just five minutes before his injury. I wouldn’t count on him being available tomorrow against Curry and the Warriors.

Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson provided 11 points on 5-for-11, and Mitchell Robinson was the team’s brightest spot with 11 rebounds (seven offensive) and eight points in 19 minutes. Miles McBride chipped in 10 points but shot 4-of-14.

Sacramento shot 35-for-74 from the field (47%), 10-for-27 from three (37%), and 32-for-38 at the line. Enjoying his revenge game, OAKAAKUYOAK Achiuwa delivered a monster two-way performance: 20 points, 14 rebounds (six offensive), two steals, and two blocks in 38 minutes. Guerschon Yabusele, his replacement, recorded two points and three boards in five minutes. Stings a little . . . yes, it does.

For the Kings, DeMar DeRozan logged 27 points on 7-for-16 shooting and passed Kevin Garnett (26,071) for 22nd place on the Career Points list. Zach LaVine added 25 points on 8-for-14 and 5-for-9 from three. And Russell Westbrook, playing his 1,278th regular-season game, delivered 19 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds.

First Half​

Sacramento put Achiuwa on Jalen Brunson to start the game, and you have to wonder if he requested it. The former Knick had something to prove, scoring nine points in the first frame on 4-of-5 shooting. DeRozan was rocking and rolling, too. He led the Kings on a 32-13 run to upend an early Knicks advantage and never looked back.

Everyone thought this would be Mike Brown's revenge game… but maybe we should've been preparing for the PRECIOUS ACHIUWA revenge game

He's got 9 pts (4-5 FG) to start the 1Q

Kings lead 24-15 with 3:26 left in the first@CBSSacramento pic.twitter.com/u2HwmKTUmS

— Brandon Benitez (@BranitezSports) January 15, 2026

Sacramento shot 63% from the floor, while New York’s offense found no quarter in the first quarter. Methinks the rims at Golden 1 might be made of cement. Our heroes shot 35% from the field and missed ALL NINE of their three-point attempts (0%). Then Brunson turned his ankle (the same one he sprained back in November) and limped to the locker room. This game stunk.

After falling behind by 15, New York closed the period down 32-17. For those of you keeping track, yes, that is their lowest first quarter of the season.

Nice sequence from KAT here. More of this would have been helpful:

impacting offense AND defense.

vote KAT for #NBAAllStar starter ️ https://t.co/Ov3esq1i8z pic.twitter.com/MOAIthOTNF

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 15, 2026

Coach Brown sent Tyler Kolek into the fray to start the second quarter. For the dazed and confused Knicks, however, the song remained the same. When Josh Hart connected from beyond the arc at the 8:40 mark, he finally broke their awful drought. It was cause for celebration, too, as it was the 700th three-pointer of Hart’s career. On the next possession, however, Josh passed the ball to the other team. Yessir, it was like that. In real life, I’m deep into Moby-Dick, which on past attempts I impatiently abandoned during the “Sermon” chapter. I’d be reading that—or sleeping . . . sigh—if not obliged to write about this miserable game.

Josh’s three ignited an 11-4 stretch for the visitors. That was encouraging. They were unable to reduce the deficit to single digits. That was disappointing. On the Sacramento side, old man Westbrook set the tempo with multiple threes, dimes, and boards; DeRozan continued to contribute; and LaVine chipped in key perimeter shot-making. By halftime, New York was on the wrong end of 56-42, their lowest scoring first half of the season.

Call me cranky, but the notion of KAT’s ‘leadership style’ is scoffable on a night when his team desperately needed some highly-compensated leadership.

Karl-Anthony Towns sheds light on his leadership style, the impact of his family, and working with his teammates on continuous improvement in an all-access conversation

Catch the full sit-down interview https://t.co/9eJTKFauKx pic.twitter.com/FKuOKSZZ57

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 14, 2026

Lowly Sacramento dominated the half. They made 54% from the field and 36% from three, while the Knicks struggled to make 34% overall and shot 1-of-19 from deep. Five percent. Good Lord, this was a tough watch. At least New York competed on the glass with 11 offensive rebounds and a 28-20 points-in-the-paint edge, but they managed just nine assists without their captain. Towns led them with 13 points, and Robinson logged seven rebounds in 10 minutes; for the Kings, DeRozan topped their scoresheet with 15.

I wonder what Queequeg is up to.

Second Half​

Hey, Bridges hit a three! In the coldness of this winter, let us seize upon any ember that gives us warmth. Outside of that, New York was outscored 15-3 to fall behind by 23 (and eventually 25). The Kings fans showered the home team with a whole lotta love. Meanwhile, I assume Guerschon Yabusele tried to hide every time Achiuwa did something noteworthy, which was not infrequent. Message received, Master P. Sometimes the replacement fails to live up to the original . . . these things are clear to all from time to time.

For New York, Robinson again supplied energy and offensive rebounds—and made two of his free throws—while Bridges was New York’s most consistent two-way presence, delivering buckets while also jumping passing lanes. McBride, who stunk like rotting whale blubber from deep so far, finally planted a three-pointer after six misses. Cement rims, I tells ya!

For the home squad, there was plenty of reason for bonhomie. Westbrook was everywhere, LaVine scored from multiple levels, and Raynaud quietly made his mark, cashing in on multiple Russ-assists. This team sure didn’t look like a 10-game winner as they decorated New York’s faces with sneaker-prints and scorched the nets. If not for a Jordan Clarkson triple as the quarter came to a close, the score would have been worse than 96-76. Your intrepid writer was jonesing to get back to the ocean with Ahab.

Through the first five minutes of the final frame, New York began to claw their way back. They outscored the Kings by five, reducing the differential to 15. Could this be a stairway to heaven? No, sir. The way these ‘Bockers were bricking, this game was over the hills and far away long before crunch time. McBride drilled his second from downtown to make the hole 14 points with four minutes to go, but New York failed to score over the next minute-and-a-half. Brown emptied his bench at 2:30.

Kolek hit a three, and Yabu made an uncontested layup to cut the difference to nine with 50 seconds left. Don’t get your hopes up. Westbrook made a three-pointer, and that was the killing harpoon. Light the beam, indeed.

Up Next​

The Knicks bounce over to San Fran to face the Warriors tomorrow. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

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

Precious Achiuwa is looking forward to facing his former Knicks team tonight, says he looks forward to battling his former friends on the team, who have been actively talking trash in the group chat, as well as his Kings playing their best ball of the season. pic.twitter.com/jicM0c9Opc

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) January 14, 2026

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...44/kings-112-knicks-101-sucking-in-sacramento

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks at Warriors, January 15, 2026

The New York Knicks (25*–15) limp into Chase Center tonight for a late tilt against a Warriors team that’s steadied itself at home, riding veteran leadership and solid recent play. New York has dropped six of eight and is on the second night of a back-to-back. They will likely play without Jalen Brunson, leaving Karl-Anthony Towns to shoulder the load against a Golden State squad that just demolished Portland.

Tonight’s tip off is 10 p.m. EST on Amazon Prime. This is your game thread. This is Golden State of Mind. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Treat each other respectfully. And go Knicks!

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...ame-thread-knicks-at-warriors-january-15-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Warriors 126, Knicks 113: On E in Cali.

TThe road trip is over, hallelujah, amen. Tonight, the New York Knicks (25*-16) were coming off a dismal loss in Sacramento yesterday. They would be playing without their injured leader, Jalen Brunson, and without Mitchell Robinson, load managing after last night’s game. Their opponent, the Golden State Warriors (23-19), had pulverized Portland on Tuesday and have looked good lately. The question was, could the Knicks roster hold its own against Steph Curry and the Dubs?

From the jump, it looked like maybe they could.

The Knicks burst out of the gate fleet of foot and shooting sharply. They rode Josh Hart’s all-around play to build a 17-point lead, but that energy proved hard to sustain as the fatigue set in. Golden State steadied itself behind Jimmy Butler and Curry, erasing the deficit by halftime and taking a 62-59 lead. In the second half, more buckets scored by Curry, Butler, and Moses Moody—seven three pointers for him—allowed the Warriors to pull away, as the graph below shows. Despite gritty efforts from OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, and even Karl-Anthony Towns, there was no gas left in the tank for a real rally. Final score, 126-113.

New York finished shot 42-of-91 (46%), hitting 14-of-38 from downtown (37%) and 15-of-19 at the line (79%). They outrebounded the Dubs by four and dished 28 dimes without their lead point guard. They just didn’t get enough support from their bench, which was outscored 35-20.

Anunoby and McBride carried the load with 25 points apiece: the former went 10-of-20 overall with five rebounds and two steals, while the latter shot 6-of-12 from deep and added six assists. Towns posted a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double on 6-of-14 shooting, including eight offensive boards. Mikal Bridges chipped in 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting. After his quick start, Josh Hart’s impact diminished steadily (five points on 1-of-7), but he added 10 assists. Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson scored 11 points and was a -18 plus/minus in his 18 minutes. Landry Shamet returned to the lineup (see below) but was rusty, shooting 2-of-7. And Tyler Kolek distributed five assists, but turned over the ball twice and took one shot in 11 minutes (-12).

Golden State shot 48-of-89 (54%) and 20-of-45 from deep (44%). Jimmy Butler topped the charts with 32 points on 14-of-22 shooting, adding eight rebounds and four assists. Curry chipped in 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three, with seven assists. Moses Moody provided a major perimeter lift with 21 points on 7-of-9 from three. Off the bench, Brandin Podziemski scored 19 on 8-of-9 shooting with five assists and a team-best +22.

First Half​

In the opening minutes, New York established control with uncommon energy. McBride was the nominal point guard, but Hart assumed the role of chief playmaker. Josh was everywhere, pushing the pace, scoring, rebounding, and passing with panache. Last night, the Knicks made 1-of-19 three-pointers in the first half. They sank 5-of-6 in the first six minutes tonight. Playing so efficiently, the Knicks gathered a 17-point lead.

Around the seven-minute mark, Landry Shamet checked in for the first time in 25 games. Shamwow commemorated the moment with a three-pointer. What a welcome return!

The thing about playing fast is that sometimes the team has the careening energy of a runaway train. On a timeout, Coach Brown was heard telling his group to keep pushing the pace. Without a doubt, they got their cardio in. Sometimes it was a thing of beauty, like when Deuce drove the lane at top speed, scored, and got the and-one. Other times, they lost the handle and looked like hyperventilating giraffes on roller skates. The pace began to take its toll. As the visitors slowed down, the home team gained ground.

After going up by a bunch, New York allowed the Dubs to go on a 16-4 run. Jimmy Butler turned the tide, generating points at the rim, drawing fouls, and snagging rebounds. New York, meanwhile, committed costly turnovers and saw several shots blocked. By the break, they were still ahead, 35-30, but had clearly lost momentum.

The refs must have agreed before the game not to call travels on the Warriors. That’s cool. With some help from the zebras, Golden State kept chipping at the deficit. When their run from the end of Q1 into Q2 reached 21-7, the score was tied at 40.

At the six-ish minute mark, Golden State had made six straight shots and took its first lead of the night. From there, the lead changed five times, never more than a few points in either direction. By the buzzer, the Golden bunch were up, 62-59.

Through the half, Golden State shot 60% from the field and 47% from three, compared to New York’s 46% and 39%,. The home team also held an edge in points in the paint (26–22) and four blocks. The Knicks had taken better care of the ball, committing fewer turnovers (6–8).

The Warriors gained the most ground when their bench was deployed. The bench boys made 4-of-6 from deep, grabbed nine rebounds, and out-scored the Knicks’ second unit 23-13. For New York, KAT already had an 11-10 double-double. For the Californians, Jimmy Butler had 15 points.

Second Half​

To start the third quarter, the Knicks took a small lead before allowing the Warriors to rip off on a 16-4, Steph Curry-fueled run. It’s like Groundhog Day out here.

Golden State leaned on timely scoring from Curry, Butler, and Moody (seven three-pointers for him and counting . . .). Second-chance opportunities—thanks to offensive boards from Butler and Green—helped the Dubs control pace and keep New York at arm’s length.

The Knicks received a boost from McBride and Towns. Both hit threes. The latter supplied interior finishes and rebounds. After briefly tying the score in the first few minutes, they watched the Warriors steamroll to a double-digit advantage. Heading into the fourth, the score was 99-87.

McBride kicked off the final period with a triple. Green did us a solid, tripping Towns on a drive for a flagrant foul, giving Towns two freebies (making one), and possession. Towns gave the ball away, inadvertently elbowing Brandin Podziemski in the face for a foul (purposefully would have been fine, too). Then, seconds later, KAT picked up his fifth foul on a driving Green. To the bench went Towns. After that, Anunoby cut the differential to eight, but Curry scored a few buckets and the lead was 14. Seven minutes to go.

The Knicks finally chased Curry off the line, but he swung it to Butler, who made the three instead. That put the homers up by 17. Anunoby was doing his best Captain Clutch impression. He scored ten points and counting, all within the arc, attacking like a bull. His efforts cut the deficit to nine with four minutes left.

These Knicks played last night, remember? They looked it. Those tired legs turned to jelly and the team that offered little resistence for the previous 44 minutes had absolutely nothing left to get game-saving stops. Podziemski and McBride traded triples. Towns and McBride both missed shots. Mike Brown used a Warriors timeout to empty his bench. Ballgame.

Up Next​

Homeward bound, our heroes are. Gotta get back to the Garden for a rematch with the Suns on Saturday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

[Shameless plug: Stop by Barnes & Noble in Vestal on Saturday where I’ll be signing my latest book from 12-3pm.]

Box Score

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-scores-results/78054/warriors-126-knicks-113-on-e-in-cali

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘I thought we played good in stretches’

Are you done with this team?

I’m halfway there.

Here’s a bunch of quotes, mostly from before Thursday’s game, because it’s the West Coast, so they still have to flip the calendar page to 2026.

"Anunoby playing great, McBride great, Hart, Towns––this is the problem with New York: the offense is good, still down double digits because they just. can't. stop. anybody."

–– Stan Van Gundy pic.twitter.com/O9FsYhaEIE

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 16, 2026

Mike Brown​

On the Knicks’ competitiveness against Golden State:

“I thought we played good in stretches. Our level, our competitiveness was there throughout the game. The biggest thing was I thought their level of physicality was there longer than ours was, and you could feel it throughout the course of the game.”

On the Knicks’ response without Jalen Brunson:

“I’d be disappointed in myself and the rest of the team. It was sad, but we didn’t play the way we were capable of playing. When you do that, you’re going to get your behinds kicked, and we got our behinds kicked.”

On Landry Shamet’s work ethic:

“Landry, he’s a worker, man. I wasn’t there the whole time watching him or getting reports on him, but when I did see him, he was getting after it. It means a lot for him to play.”

On patience with Shamet’s return:

“He was in a great rhythm before he got hurt, and he’s been out for a while, so it’s gonna take some time for him to get back and it’s exciting for him to be back. We’re gonna be patient with him while he’s fighting his way back to where he was before the injury.”

On rookie Mohamed Diawara:

“Any opportunity you get, you throw him out there, and sometimes you might throw him out there for 15 minutes and sometimes you might throw him out there for two minutes, and you just kinda watch and see how he responds to it. And there may be stretches where he doesn’t see the floor at all, and you see how present he stays with it, and then the times that you do throw him out there, does he get shook or is he rattled? Mo, for a young guy especially a second-round pick that probably wasn’t expecting to play at all this year, he passed a lot of tests. He’s gonna continue to be thrown into the fire from time to time. But he’s young, he’s growing, he’s learning, there’s no need to rush him, so he’s gotta stay patient while growing with every experience that he gets when he gets on the floor.”

On Draymond Green’s basketball IQ:

“One thing: He’s extremely intelligent. His feel for the game is second to none. I’ve been around a lot of players and he’s gotta be up there Top-3 in terms of basketball IQ because he’s been doing it at a high level, has got a great feel, and has had success at it. He’s won. It wouldn’t surprise me if he transitioned into coaching, front office, whatever, because I think he’d be able to impact the game in a positive way.”

On the Kings loss after Brunson’s injury:

“We didn’t respond. We didn’t respond at all. I got to give the Kings credit because they took it to us. And we didn’t respond in any way shape or form. But even before Jalen got hurt we weren’t following the game plan. And I’m not sure why. But we were kind of just out there just going through the motions. And if you go through the motions in this league, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to get your behind kicked. And we got our behind kicked.”

On isolation-heavy offense:

“I haven’t asked the guys about playing too much hero ball, but I kind of told them what I saw. But we had plenty of opportunities to play off of two feet and spray it. We just didn’t do it.”

Flagrant on Draymond pic.twitter.com/xY8RJhFWvd

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 16, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On adjusting to the new system:

“It’s a learning process for all of us and we’re just still adjusting and getting used to a new system. Especially me. Just trying to understand our new roles and what we can do to impact the game for winning. Different year, different scheme. So we’re all adjusting to help our team have a chance to win everyday.”

On Brunson’s injury in Sacramento:

“Honestly, we didn’t know what happened until halftime. We didn’t know what was happening. I feel like the first time we saw that it could be a little something was when the second quarter started and he wasn’t starting. So the game was playing itself out, and we didn’t get a chance to emotionally react. But we came in at halftime understanding, seeing him, we understood what needed to transpire and what we needed to do. It was a next man up situation.”

No foul pic.twitter.com/FjE0RdUEx4

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 16, 2026

Josh Hart​

On the defensive effort without Brunson:

“Our defense was embarrassing. Our effort was embarrassing. It didn’t matter who was out there.”

On challenging the team defensively:

“It’s going to be a good challenge for us in terms of how we respond to it. At some point we have to take responsibility and take the challenge on the defensive end. The last month we’ve been a terrible defensive team. At some point we’ve got to stop making excuses. We’ve got to wake up. We’ve got to make sure we’re locked in on the game plan and put effort in on that side of the ball. When we do that we’re going to flourish offensively, we’re going to get more possessions, we’re going to run faster, we’re going to play our kind of style, everyone’s going to get the ball, everyone’s going to score, everyone’s going to eat. And we need to do that. Guys do what they want individually but it has to be team first, it has to be the defensive side of the ball. And hopefully we take that challenge, so we’ll see what kind of character we have against the Warriors.”

Draymond: "It's an honor to play against a talent like Karl Towns…I know I talk my junk, stir the pot…I have to or he gonna drag me…We'll play them at the Garden March, I'll talk…but I got so much respect for him…Brings out best in me…I'm grateful" pic.twitter.com/4mbfAmfTp1

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 16, 2026

Draymond Green​

On competing against Karl-Anthony Towns:

“I don’t want to give my secrets away, but I do like the matchup. But I do like playing against all the perennial all-stars and stars in this league. I enjoy those matchups. Those are the matchups that really get me going. It’s an honor. It’s an honor to play against a guy like Karl Towns. Make no mistake, Karl Towns is one of the better big mans in this league. I cherish that. I know I go out there and talk my junk and I stir the pot a little bit, for sure. But the respect I have for talents like that, for guys who has done it, what, 10, 11 years at a very high level.”

On competition once the game starts:

“But when you step in between those lines there’s no time for that. It’s time to compete. It’s time for me to try to get the better of you because you’re going to try to get the better of me. And that is one guy in the league that brings out the best in me and I’m always grateful for the opportunity.”

Landryyyy
pic.twitter.com/GAgr79Y9s3

— Teg (@IQfor3) January 16, 2026

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-news/78037/knicks-bulletin-xxx

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Preview: Knicks vs. Suns, January 17, 2026

After a rocky road trip, the Knicks (25*-16) return to Madison Square Garden tonight for a rematch with the Phoenix Suns (24-17).

Not ten days ago, New York lost in Arizona, 112-107. The game was tight until Phoenix hit the gas, leaning on Devin Booker’s shot-making and a timely third-quarter surge to seize control. Jalen Brunson led New York with 27, and the Knicks got balanced support from Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride, and Mikal Bridges, but a 14–0 Suns run lopped off their heads.

New York’s offense runs through Brunson, whose sprained ankle makes him a game-time decision. When the Knicks stall, it’s usually because secondary creation dries up or the three-pointers aren’t falling. Or they turn over the ball too often. Or their defense degrades to one-ply. Or their bench players look like Encino Man discovering sports. Or their coach has a postgame, sideline rubdown with that night’s villain. For a team with championship aspirations (and Dolan’s expectations), the problems are manifold. When their troubles are all activated at once, as we saw on the recently completed road trip, the disappointment is spectacular.

Towns remains a confounding puzzle piece: his rebounding and interior scoring can fill up a scoresheet, but foul trouble, turnovers, and general aloofness are regular bugaboos. The eye test alone will tell you that something is off, and the numbers support it. Towns is shooting at, or almost at, career lows from the field and from deep. Furthermore, he is averaging below 21 points for just the third season of his career.

From our distance, we have no idea why the highly decorated big man is decomposing. He could be playing hurt, confused by the playbook, incompatible with his teammates, performing badly in Fortnite, getting old, annoyed by trade rumors, or anxious about his wedding engagement. Maybe he just wants a hug from Mike Brown, but instead watched the coach give that bully Draymond Green a full bear wraparound. Whatever it is must be addressed soon, for two reasons. First, the Knicks can’t win the Finals with their Number Two player underperforming like this. Second, he’s tanking his trade value. Has anyone else drawn a heart around February 5 on your calendar?

Sorry for all the list-making today. Just caught myself sounding like Rick Moody and shuddered.

Is KAT alone to blame? Of course not. OG Anunoby has played inconsistently for a month, with some nice quarters (he tried to spark a rally on Thursday) offset by stretches when he looks positively wiped out. That can happen when you defend the opponent’s best player nightly, and clean up the slop let through by the point guard and center. The reticent Ogugua never spills tea, but aren’t you dying to know his thoughts about his teammates?

While I’m piling it on: the bench usually fails to contribute meaningfully. You can blame injuries to an extent. It definitely hurt to have Landry Shamet miss twenty-some games and Deuce McBride eleven. Mitch, I wrote about here.

The healthy guys haven’t been much help, either. Veteran Jordan Clarkson has logged a zero or less in the plus-minus column twenty times this season. He has recorded double-digit plus-minus figures seven times, but only three of those games came against teams with winning records. Fellow guard Tyler Kolek has by turns glowed like a savior and looked as lost as a jay-vee high schooler. Mohamed Diawara and Kevin McCullar Jr. both had fleeting moments in the sun, followed by disappearances. Who knows what’s up with Trey Jemison III? And I’m blanking on someone. Wasn’t there another kid, way down there on the pine, partial to baguettes? Pac Man something?

What does all this add up to? Me feeling less optimistic than ESPN.com is about today’s tilt, that’s what (they give New York a 65% chance). Maybe the oddsmakers factored in that Booker is a game-time decision due to a sore ankle. Ignore all that. Booker loves to play at the Garden, and Brunson knows his team needs a hero. I’d bet you a donut—if I knew you and had a donut—that both suit up.

Back home and looking to reset, the Knicks will need sharper defense and steadier offense. Controlling the glass, defending the arc, and finishing possessions are what it takes. Phoenix won the first meeting late by loading up on Brunson and capitalizing on 18 turnovers. New York must counter more strongly this time, and perhaps they will with the Garden crowd at their backs. Let’s predict that our heroes dig deep, wipe the smugness from Dillon Brooks’ and Grayson Allen’s faces, and prove they still got it down the stretch. Knicks by four.

Game Details​

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NYC
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...9/game-preview-knicks-vs-suns-january-17-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks vs. Suns, January 17, 2026

After a disappointing road trip, the Knicks (25*–16) return to Madison Square Garden tonight for a rematch with the Suns (24–17). The home team will be looking to avenge a 112–107 loss in Phoenix ten days ago. As of this writing, Devin Booker is listed as a game-time-decision, while Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are both out with bad ankles. Hoo boy.

Tip-off is at 7:30 PM ET on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Bright Side of the Sun. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in this thread. Let’s be friends. And go Knicks!

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...93/game-thread-knicks-vs-suns-january-17-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Suns 106, Knicks 99: Not even home can’t fix them woes

The New York Knicks came up short again Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, falling 106-99 to the Phoenix Suns. Missed opportunities? Check. Turnovers? Double check. No late-game execution? Triple check.

Devin Booker returned after missing one game for the Suns, but Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart couldn’t say the same. Book dropped 27 points, Brunson and Hart combined for an egg, sitting out the game.

Grayson Allen added 16 points for Phoenix, Mark Williams finished with 14, and the Suns found the best possible dance partner to snap a two-game skid in the New York Knicks. Damn, son.

"He was a little sore, we held him out. We'll hear what Medical staff has to say tomorrow, make a decision…"

– Mike Brown to @IanBegley on Josh Hart status Monday v Mavs

Hart a gameday scratch with sore right ankle––same ankle he just missed 8 games due to Christmas sprain pic.twitter.com/Pp2WIEQ2XK

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 18, 2026

Brunson and Hart, both sidelined with ankle injuries, were all the Knicks needed to generate at least a tiny bit of offense. Wouldn’t be the case, as Karl-Anthony Towns and Miles McBride each scored 23 points, while OG Anunoby added 21, but you know, good-not-great they say.

The Knickerbockers shot 40 percent from the field, turned the rock over 17 freaking times, and fell to 16-5 at MSG.

NYK started well, hitting three of their first four attempts from beyond the arc and taking a 27-19 lead after one quarter. Phoenix responded in the second with a 12-0 run, because why not, but New York answered behind McBride’s strong outing on both ends of the floor, going into halftime up 56-55.

You made her sad pic.twitter.com/0B4P051k18

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 18, 2026

Momentum went back and forth in the third quarter. The Suns opened the half on a 10-3 run, only for the Knicks to respond with a 16-0 burst that gave them a sweet double-digit cushion. Phoenix closed the quarter strong, however, tying the game at 77 before Booker converted an and-one at the buzzer to give the Suns a three-point edge entering the fourth. Tension.

The final period was sloppy and ultimately, a bummer. Both teams tried hard, Allen appeared to injure his nose in one collision (me enjoys). Phoenix separated itself with an 8-0 run. New York seemed to only know how to miss buckets and second-chance opportunities.

Alas, an 87-87 tie turned into a 95-87 lead for the visiting Hot Spheres and that was that.

Oh, and Towns airballed a wide-open three.

Karl-Anthony Towns air-balled a 3 and the crowd started booing pic.twitter.com/HuA0a5zbkV

— Mark Jackson’s Burner (@casualtakeking) January 18, 2026

The loss dropped the Knicks to three straight defeats and eight losses in their last 10 games. They next host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. It’s a 5 p.m. tipoff, so let’s flip this thing and say it’s never too soon for a change.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...106-knicks-99-not-even-home-cant-fix-the-woes

 

[New York Knicks]

It is time for NY to part ways with Mitchell Robinson

Having Mitchell Robinson available only twice a week and the occasional Tuesday continues to undermine the Knicks. It is time for him to go. There, I said it. Load up your bows.

At times, Mitch has been my favorite Knick. He is one of the best rebounders to ever do it, a fun personality, and the longest-tenured ‘Bocker, too. That gives him a lot of rope. But load-management prevents the seven-foot center from playing back-to-backs, making for an erratic availability that must be disruptive to game planning. We have no confidence that he will survive through the playoffs, either. And this season’s numbers don’t justify the special treatment.

Indisputably, he is a prodigious talent on the glass, where he averages nine boards in 19.4 minutes per game. Almost five of those rebounds are offensive and lead to second (or third) shots. On the scoring side, his numbers have always been ugly. This season has been the worst. Mitch is averaging a career-low 4.6 points per game. His free throw percentage is forty, and he is far too cool to try granny-style.

Join the conversation!​

Sign up for a user account and get:

• Fewer ads
• Create community posts
• Comment on articles, community posts
• Rec comments, community posts
• New, improved notifications system!

This season, he has missed 13 of 41 games. The team has gone 17-11 with him, 8-5 without. Sure, it’s a flawed metric, but his plus-minus statistics suggest he has added to 13 games, of which the team won 11. In the 15 games where he was a zero or negative plus-minus, the team went 6-9.

Forgive my math (and tired eyes), but it looks like he’s played in 68% of the games so far this season, and contributed most positively in roughly half of his appearances. So, if he plays and he’s good, the team wins. The rest of the time—like 75% of the time—the team needs a reliable center.

Pipe down, I know Karl-Anthony Towns often starts at that position. But we have seen first-hand what Minnesota knew, which is that KAT cannot be your last line of defense. The guy is a turnstile whose natural inclination is to foul at the rim. That’s why Minny gave up so much to get Rudy Gobert. The big Frenchman made up for the defensive sins of Karl, who is otherwise a scoring-savant.

(These are the days I’m especially grateful for all those years of the venerable Patrick Ewing.)

The solution does not appear to be on the roster. Early this season, back-up center Ariel Hukporti had us hyped enough at times to bandy about potential nicknames. Then he crashed back to Earth with some truly dud performances and a bagful of DNPs. I’m not entirely out on him, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of coaching up going on.

Guerschon Yabusele is not a center. Period. He may also not be a Knick . . . let me refresh my news feed.

So there’s KAT, Mitch, and Ariel on the depth chart. Those are your centers. Do you have faith in those guys landing the Larry O’Brien trophy? If so, you’re more generous than this writer.

A smart decision, from a basketball and business standpoint, would be to trade Robinson for a seven-footer by the February 5 deadline. He’s making $12.95 M this year and will likely hit the open market this summer as a UFA.

As for a trade: Who would want this oft-injured player who needs a new contract and plays limited games? And what big men are possibly available on the market before the deadline? Let’s ponder those topics with fresh eyes in another article. I just woke up at 4 a.m. with a burning desire to get this out of my system. Because: crazy.

Truly, I thought to unburden myself of this belief would be a relief (try saying that like Clyde, it’s fun). What I feel is bummed. There are numerous reasons, beyond basketball ability, to be fond of Mitch. The guy is a genuinely good egg; for starters, Google what he did for his grieving high school coach. In the locker room, his teammates seem to have enjoyed his jester personality (maybe with the exception of Randle). His is always the next jersey I will buy if I ever decide that I don’t have too many in the back of my closet already. Sure, his taste in music sucks. He still commits crimes on the free throw line. No one’s perfect. To see him leave New York will hurt the regions of my heart that have not yet hardened, and it will make the product even more bland. But if the Knicks are serious about raising another banner, it’s time to replace Mitch with a dependable, durable, and available center.

Go Knicks.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...me-for-ny-to-part-ways-with-mitchell-robinson

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Week Preview: Jan. 18-24, 2026

The New York Knicks (25*-17) are gearing up for a pivotal stretch of games this week, facing the Mavs in a MLK Day matchup at home, followed by a crosstown clash on Wednesday night, and finishing with a Saturday afternoon showdown. After dropping three straight, New York needs to regain some positive upward motion against a mix of rebuilding squads and Eastern Conference contenders. Let’s take a look at the schedule.

Mon, Jan. 19 vs. Mavericks (5:00 PM, NBC/Peacock)​

On MLK Day, the Knicks return home looking to halt a three-game slide against a Dallas team deep into a post–Luka Dončić rebuild. The Mavericks sit at 17–26 near the bottom of the West after lucking into the Number One pick and anointing Cooper Flagg as their future.

The Knicks edged Dallas 113–111 when the teams last met on Nov. 19, surviving poor free-throw shooting and a cold start from three behind Jalen Brunson’s 28 points and late heroics from Landry Shamet. Jason Kidd’s group still defends, but the offense ranks among the league’s worst. Dallas will again be shorthanded: Daniel Gafford, D’Angelo Russell, and P.J. Washington are out, Anthony Davis remains sidelined, and Flagg is a game-time decision.

The Knicks must win to avoid mental meltdowns across the tri-state area. Watch it on NBC.

Wed, Jan. 21 vs. Nets (7:30 PM, MSG)​

The crosstown rivalry is always hyped and often falls short of expectations.

The Brooklyn Nets have had a tough 2025-26 season so far, sitting near the bottom of the East. The rebuilding team clearly relies heavily on young talent and veterans like Michael Porter Jr. (leading scorer at almost 26 PPG), Nic Claxton, and Cam Thomas. Their January has been a mixed bag, with a comeback win and some close losses. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 (as of this writing), making them seem like an easy target for a Knicks win.

Watch it on MSG.

Sat, Jan. 24 at 76ers (3:00 PM, ABC)​

The prospect of a matinee in Philadelphia has me reaching for Tums. The Sixers’ size and starry offense, led by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, demand respect. The Liberty Bells have compiled a solid record through mid-January, positioning them around the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. After a mixed start, the team has surged in January, fueled by Maxey’s MVP-caliber play (averaging around 28 PPG this month) and Embiid regaining form and confidence. With Edgecombe impressing in his debut season, plus contributions from Paul George and others, the Sixers boast a top-5 offense and defense in January. Despite recent narrow losses, they’re trending upward. You know they’ll be extra eager to defeat New York for the third time this season.

Watch it on ABC.

Go Knicks

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-game-previews/78152/knicks-week-preview-jan-18-24-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Postgame: Scenes from NY forcing Leon’s hand

Our world needs heroes with the integrity of Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us all pay him homage today. The great ones deserve our respect.

Who didn’t deserve such reverence this evening? The Knicks (25*-18)! On the day that Jalen Brunson was minted as an All-Star starter, New York embarrassed itself against the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks (18-26). On national television, no less.

In the first half, the home team allowed 75 points—the most this season—and 50% three-point shooting by the league’s fourth-worst three-point shooters. After the largest halftime deficit at home in 11 years, and falling behind by 30, New York managed to cut the difference to 19 in the third quarter while Dallas caught its breath. Down 94-71 to start the fourth, the home team fell way behind again before reducing the deficit to 15, but couldn’t get any closer. Final score, 114-97.

Read it and weep, folks.

This was the game that forces Leon Rose’s hand. Mark my words: big trade coming in the next two weeks. How could the team president look at these results and, with confidence, call this is a championship-winning club? They’ve now had two four-game losing streaks over the last 11 games, interrupted by just two wins. Friction? Yes. Disappointed? Ditto.

T-Mac:

"I'm disappointed in the Knicks…you don't know who you are. There's some friction in this locker room that needs to be ironed out. This can't continue" pic.twitter.com/tpI2bJnYr5

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 19, 2026

Cooper Flagg, dealing with an ankle issue, suited up for his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden. No doubt he’ll always remember this rout. His Mavericks defend three-pointers well; they just don’t make them. Usually. Maybe they haven’t faced such an accommodating defense before! In the first quarter, New York’s half-hearted resistance allowed Dallas to make six of their ten longball attempts and to gently waltz to the cup. Really, you couldn’t ask for more gracious hosts. Meanwhile, the Knicks were firing blanks from deep, with every starter and two bench guys whiffing—a perfect 0-for-9. After a stanky first period, the Mavs were ahead, 31-22.

Q2, same poo. Landry Shamet misfired from beyond the arc to kick things off. Then Cooper Flagg skipped to the rim, and Dallas made two of their next four triple tries. If not for that offensive powerhouse Mitchell Robinson (10 points, nine boards, and a block in his first nine minutes), New York would be completely hopeless. The boo-birds who serenaded the Knicks in the fourth quarter of the last game didn’t wait so long this evening. They got an early start with a hearty Bronx cheer as the home team fell behind by 23 midway through the quarter.

Remember, Dallas is one of the absolute worst three-point shooting teams and was missing six rotational players. Playing against a full complement of Knicks, their lead reached 30. On national television! The score was 7,500-47.5 by intermission. Already Max Christie had a career-high six three-pointers before halftime. Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg combined for 30 points. The Mavs had made 11-of-20 from downtown.

“Get back, look at the alley opp!”

Clyde Frazier is far more locked in than Mike Brown or any of the Knicks on the floor.

Low effort all around. pic.twitter.com/hkfIrKe63q

— All Rice (@thats_bb_suzyn) January 20, 2026

Mike Brown must have told the team something at halftime. Maybe a pep talk, maybe a lecture, or maybe a bawdy joke. Whatever he said, it was either a) useless or b) ignored. Either way, it’s a problem. Dallas continued to ride their horses over the Knicks early in the third frame. After falling behind by 30—again—the ‘Bockers chiseled the deficit to 19 with 3:30 remaining. Some fans held out hope that our heroes would still rally for the improbable victory. Others were less sanguine about their fate.

The third quarter is almost over and James Dolan has yet to return to his seat after halftime.

Knicks trail the Mavericks by 21.

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) January 19, 2026

By the end of the fourth, the score was 94-71. Karl-Anthony Towns was mostly focused on kicking Dwight Powell in the balls, but he and the Knicks managed a run to make the differential 15 with half a quarter left. Brunson tried to exhort his cohort into looking less like zombies. And failed. They tried fouling to stop the clock, but that backfired, too. Recognizing the hopelessness of the sitatuion, Coach Brown emptied the bench with 2:30 left, the Garden seats started to empty, and the eyes of the Knicks on the bench had never looked emptier.

Up Next​

Zeno is writing a recap. Poor bastard. As for the Knicks, they will host the Nets on Wednesday. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...4-knicks-97-scenes-from-ny-forcing-leons-hand

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks vs. Mavericks, January 19, 2026

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Knicks (25*-17) return to Madison Square Garden looking to snap a three-game skid against a struggling Dallas Mavericks team (17-26). The Knicks edged the Mavs 113-111 in Dallas last November. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have been cleared to play, while hotshot rookie Cooper Flagg is listed as a game-time decision as of this writing.

Tip off is 5:00 p.m. EST on NBA/Peacock (and MSG). This is your game thread. This is Mavs Moneyball. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Embody kindness, gentle humans. And go Knicks!

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...me-thread-knicks-vs-mavericks-january-19-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Trouble brewing in the locker room?

When the Knicks first started to struggle, fans and analysts were quick to diagnose the problem as fatigue, with a side of some schematic issues, and players just playing badly. But with every passing game, their so-called rough stretch looks less and less like a stretch, and more and more like who they actually are going to be the rest of the way. And in a lot of these losses, they don’t just look tired or like they aren’t executing. They look like a disjointed and dysfunctional team, if you can even call them that. During so many timeouts and blowouts, the players aren’t picking each other up, aren’t coming together, and it’s turned a lot of fans into sleuths and even lip readers.

Yet all of that until recently was just speculation. But after the Knicks’ latest embarrassment, which came in the shape of a beatdown at the hands of the struggling Mavericks, players seemed to finally start voicing a bit more of their opinions on what’s taken place.

Deuce McBride, who’s never been one to shy away from being honest and transparent, talked about how the team has had some underlying issues that were masked with wins earlier in the season, and how the Knicks have gotten way too comfortable while their opponents have been hungrier.

"That's been the main thing over the last 11, teams are coming out more hungrier than us. When you get comfortable, when you've won, I think that's human nature and we have to fight against it"

– Deuce McBride pic.twitter.com/q3pAs2uecq

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 20, 2026

Josh Hart, who is often labeled as the heart of the team and is among the most vocal players on the team, said, “We have to make sure we have a professional mindset to everything. We gotta come in & be locked in. We can’t go into practice & have things said several times; we can’t come out & not execute an ATO.”

"We have to make sure we have a professional mindset to everything. We gotta come in & be locked in. We can't go into practice & have things said several times; we can't come out & not execute an ATO…At the end of the day that's the guys that have this jersey on"

– Josh Hart pic.twitter.com/ABTDVyU2yC

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 20, 2026

Hart also spoke candidly about the need to look in the mirror, saying, “We all need to do some soul-searching. Some are looking in the mirror. Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal. We’ve been terrible defensively all year”.

"We all need to do some soul-searching. Some looking in the mirror. Right now we're playing embarrassing basketball. We're not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we've been abysmal. We've been terrible defensively all year"

– Josh Hart pic.twitter.com/o5VO06aWOo

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 20, 2026

The captain, Jalen Brunson, echoed those sentiments and added a sense of urgency and even desperation.

Jalen Brunson on Josh Hart saying the Knicks need to do "soul searching"

"Should've started a couple weeks ago, but we gotta start tomorrow. We've got to figure this out fast" pic.twitter.com/OJ5t2Rp6D9

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 20, 2026

And that was just seconds after looking, and sounding a bit lost when asked about why the team didn’t show up.

And that was after the broadcast caught Brunson trying to rally the guys together and instill that sense of urgency in everyone else.

"At some point we gotta wake up…create some energy for ourselves. They're not gonna give it to us…our own f*king energy…Wake the f*k up…It's up to us…And don't watch the frigging news"

–– AI on what Jalen Brunson said to Knicks during loss to Mavs (incomplete/imperfect) pic.twitter.com/OLVQlvguON

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 20, 2026

The honesty and frustrations didn’t end there as head coach Mike Brown, who has received his own share of criticisms, voiced his frustrations postgame.

"Lock in and do your fucking job"

–– Mike Brownpic.twitter.com/ieIsySWp0X

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 20, 2026

On one side, it’s nice to see a team realize that they are indeed playing not just a bad brand of basketball, but doing so with an overall embarrassing level of effort, energy, and physicality, or lack thereof. On the other hand, it’s frustrating to see them acknowledge it, say the right things, and still do nothing to fix it. And all while that’s going on, this team, maybe more so than any other struggling team, has looked lifeless. We may never find out if this is because of the coaching change, something that happened in the locker room, or if it has to do with players not being happy with their roles. But one thing is for sure. This team is in a dark place. And that’s not just about their recent record or the results.

They look like a group of individuals, and not a team. They don’t look like they enjoy playing with each other, or even being around each other. That’s led to them being much worse than the sum of their parts, and that’s a concern considering the earlier reports that the front office is looking to stick with this core throughout the rest of the season. Because unless something magical happens off the court, and in the lockerroom, the on-court results and process likely won’t change much. And if that’s going to be the case, you can make a strong argument that this team needs a change for the sake of change, even if it means a potential downgrade on paper.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-analysis/78220/trouble-brewing-in-the-locker-room

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘I mean, I’d be booing us, too. Straight up.’

Did you think we were trying to dodge the bullet of covering the ugliest defeat in Knicks’ history here in the Bulletin?

Not really. I was just inside on a 13-hour transatlantic flight and could barely do enough to keep breathing all throughout Tuesday.

Here’s a whole lot of excuses and promises from your New York Knickerbockers.

Ramona on Draymond hugging Mike Brown:

"From what I understand that didn't land well with a lot of folks there in New York"

"People not happy with Mike Brown after Warriors game when Draymond tripped KAT" pic.twitter.com/VlidKTAX5d

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 20, 2026

Mike Brown​

On Jalen Brunson’s All-Star recognition:
“It’s great. He’s having a great season. It’s definitely an honor that’s well deserved.”

On halftime message after defensive collapse:
“They scored 75 points in the first half. At halftime, we usually do the clips and talk about technical X’s and O’s and all that crap that coaches do, teams do. There was nothing to be said at halftime except for lock in and do your f–king — excuse me on that — do your job.”

On frustration and doing the little things:
“It’s frustrating; it’s frustrating to me, it’s frustrating to every person in that locker room. And we all can’t get it back by thinking we’re going to go score and get this many shots. We have to embrace doing the little things and right now we’re not.”

On belief in the locker room despite struggles:
“There’s no doubt in my mind. I believe in everybody in that locker room. You can ask them — I feel they believe in each other, too. We’re going through it. We’ve got to figure out how to get out of it.”

On team communication and collaboration:
“I talk to management all the time, Leon and I talk all the time. Even when we were playing well, we were talking. So that hasn’t changed and that’s not going to change. I’m big on collaboration, not just with the players, but with the coaches, too. I will take input. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to make the decision.”

On effort-driven improvement in second half:
“We didn’t change anything schematically in the second half. There were more clips from the second half that showed us doing our job the right way. We have to try to do it for 48 minutes.”

On defensive execution against hot shooters:
“The two guys that we labeled hot were 9-for-11 in the first half. Most of those shots were open or we left our feet. No changes to the X’s and O’s. Just do your job. Play with physicality and do your job early. We all have to do our job for 48 minutes, and it didn’t happen tonight.”

On being fine with boos at MSG:
“I’m OK with the boos. If we’re playing crappy, boo. If I was in the stands, I would boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the games and this is a form of entertainment for the fans. They know good basketball from bad basketball.”

On early-season rhythm and post-Cup decline:
“We felt like we were in a pretty good spot through the Cup on both sides of the ball. For whatever reason, it’s changed. I’m not sure of the reason, but it changed after the Cup. We have to keep trying to find different ways to put them in the best possible position.”

On evaluating everything during downturn:
“When you’re in the area that we’re in right now, you gotta look at everything. You gotta keep trying to find ways where you can help the group on both sides of the ball.”

ESPN reported Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting postgame & said they "need to find answers among themselves rather than the coaches"

He appears to have said similar midgame: https://t.co/RX8ovnOHCa

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 21, 2026

Jalen Brunson​

On accountability within the team:
“There’s been a lot of things to pinpoint. But as a team we know what we have to do. Either we do it — we care enough to do it — or we don’t.”

On accepting boos from fans:
“I mean, I’d be booing us, too. Straight up.”

On failing to execute the game plan:
“We just didn’t follow the game plan at all. As a team, we know what we have to do. It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it or we don’t.”

On urgency to fix issues quickly:
“We gotta figure this out fast.”

On belief in the locker room:
“I have the utmost confidence in every person in this room, in this locker room. Just things haven’t gone our way. But we have the ability to do it.”

On effort and care level:
“We just have to care a little more about what we’re doing. It has to mean a little more to us.”

On his ankle injury embarrassment:
“It’s as embarrassing to say versus watching. Just tripping over my own two damn feet. It’s that simple.”

On managing recurring ankle issues:
“Obviously I’ve had things with my ankle the past couple of years. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be in the gym and doing all my treatment to get back to full strength.”

Karl-Anthony Towns on the boos at MSG.

Does he make a fair point?

(via: @sny_knicks) pic.twitter.com/sJPnAU5JNs

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 20, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On team accountability amid struggles:
“It doesn’t matter when. It matters that it did happen. So we’ve gotta figure it out. We have a special team and we’ve got a special opportunity and we can’t just let it go to waste.”

On responding to boos from fans:
“You spend your hard-earned money to come here and for us to not only not win, but to not really have a chance? I’d be disappointed too. Fans are doing their part and we’ve gotta do our part.”

On cutting through excuses:
“You just gotta win at the end of the day. Fans nor us want to hear any excuses. We’ve just gotta wanna get the job done.”

On lack of resistance in a loss:
“We was gettin’ beat, beat to the punch, beat to the basket. We didn’t do the job we needed to do today to come out with a win.”

"We have to make sure we have a professional mindset to everything. We gotta come in & be locked in. We can't go into practice & have things said several times; we can't come out & not execute an ATO…At the end of the day that's the guys that have this jersey on"

– Josh Hart pic.twitter.com/ABTDVyU2yC

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 20, 2026

Josh Hart​

On urgency as losses mount:
“We have to go out there with a sense of urgency. At this point, 40 games in, we have to play desperate, because that’s what we are right now.”

On embarrassing level of play:
“We all need to do some soul searching. Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal.”

On effort compared to last season:
“Last year, no matter what we did, the effort was there. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today. It was embarrassing.”

On diagnosing ongoing issues:
“If I could answer that question, I don’t think we’d be having this conversation right now.”

On dog days and physicality:
“We just have to play with more energy, more physicality. We have to figure out how to do that for the whole game.”

On professionalism and execution:
“We have to make sure we have a professional mindset. We can’t come out and not execute. At this point, we have to play desperate.”

On building identity through adversity:
“It’s a new philosophy, a new coach, a new system. It’s gonna take time to really build that, and you really only build that through adversity.”

"That's been the main thing over the last 11, teams are coming out more hungrier than us. When you get comfortable, when you've won, I think that's human nature and we have to fight against it"

– Deuce McBride pic.twitter.com/q3pAs2uecq

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 20, 2026

Miles McBride​

On opponents outworking the Knicks:
“They just came out more hungry. Teams are coming out more hungry than us.”

On defensive breakdowns:
“They were getting to the paint, finishing, kicking out. We just had no cohesiveness on that end.”

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...lletin-i-mean-id-be-booing-us-too-straight-up

 

[New York Knicks]

Postgame: Scenes from the biggest win in Knicks history

On Monday, the Knicks (26*-18) were embarrassed by the Dallas Mavericks in their fourth-straight loss. That capped an awful 2-9 stretch that had us reeling. Dropping another one, to the Brooklyn Nets (12-30) no less, would have unleashed madness and mayhem on the city. Thus, obliged to do their civic duty, New York opened up their biggest can of whup-ass of the season and pulverized Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden, 120-66.

That, my friends, is a record for New York—the largest margin of victory in team history.

The Knicks finally started a game with fire and desire. It’s been weeks since they played with such intensity of pace and defense. Led by Karl-Anthony Towns, they attacked Brooklyn’s front court relentlessly; of their first 18 points, eight came in the paint and five from the free throw line. By the middle of the frame, they had held the Nets to six points and ripped off 14 unanswered points.

Through the quarter, Jalen Brunson scored 11 points and set the pace for the starting five. New York got nice bench support, too. Mitchell Robinson was a monster, recording four rebounds, three points, a steal, and a block in five minutes, while Landry Shamet made both three-point attempts, then added a steal and an assist. New York shot 67% from the floor, crushed the glass (14–5), and moved the ball well (nine assists). Their rivals tried a diet of long, contested threes and missed 67% of them. When 12 minutes were up, New York sat on a 38-20 lead.

In Q2, the thrashing continued as the home team went up by 27 and never let Brooklyn get within 15. Focused defense forced the Nets into seven first-half turnovers and squandered possessions. Michael Porter, Jr. supplied a three, a layup, and a trip to the line, but that was the extent of an offense that managed just 18 points in the quarter. Robinson returned to the fray for six more minutes of hellraising, while Bridges played an active role on both ends of the court. Completing their best defensive first half of the year, New York entered intermission ahead, 59–38.

Through the half, Brooklyn converted barely a third of their shots, while the Knicks shot 55% overall and 50% from deep. The home team ruled the backboard (outrebounding the Nets 28–16), won the paint 22–14, and had a 14–4 edge in fast-break points. Time and again, they attacked before the Nets could set their defense and looked vastly more engaged than they did on Monday. Brunson led all scorers with 12 points, and Porter had nine for the villains.

Proving their first half energy was no fluke, the ‘Bockers came banging out of the locker room with a 10-6 run to reach 70 points. By the middle of the frame, they’d gone up by 30. A little later, it was 37. Ziaire Williams scored five straight for Brooklyn while the Knicks caught their breath, but our heroes still carried an 88-56 advantage into the final frame.

A 16-0 stretch to start the fourth gave New York a 48-point lead, their largest of not just the night, not just the season, but in franchise history. Some of those points came from Shamet, who made all six of his three-point attempts tonight. Meanwhile, Brooklyn missed their first eight shots of the quarter and, with seven minutes to go, they looked impatient for the buzzer. Tyrese Martin hit a 31-foot three, Day’Ron Sharpe chipped in with two free throws, Terrence Mann scored a layup, and Danny Wolf drained a longball as the clock wound down. That’s it. Those were the only Nets buckets in a fourth quarter that New York won 32-10.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points and five assists. Towns was a force in limited minutes, pouring in 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. Josh Hart delivered one of his most complete all-around games—11 points on a perfect 5-for-5 and nine rebounds—while Mikal Bridges pitched in 11 points and four assists. OG Anunoby didn’t need to score much but finished a +28.

Everybody got the memo! New York’s bench showed up, too. Miles McBride exploded for 14 points, four assists, and a game-best +34. Shamet delivered 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting and scorching from deep. Mitch controlled the paint with seven points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, while Mohamed Diawara provided some good minutes, too.

KAT had committed five fouls in each of his last four games. Consider that streak over. And so ends the skid! With tonight’s win, the Knicks snapped a four-game losing streak and avoided a nuclear meltdown. Up next, Professor Miranda will summon his brilliance to the page for you lucky bums. As for New York, they’ll travel to Philadelphia for a matinee on Saturday. Storm’s comin’. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Box Score

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...scenes-from-the-biggest-win-in-knicks-history

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks vs. Nets, January 21, 2026

The Knicks (25*–18) return to MSG, desperate to snap a four-game losing streak against a Nets team that has dropped seven of its last eight. New York’s recent skid has highlighted turnovers and defensive lapses, but the talent and full rotation remain intact. The Nets present an ideal opponent to turn things in a positive direction. The Knicks have dominated the rivalry, winning 12 straight against Brooklyn, including two lopsided victories earlier this season.

Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Nets Daily. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good humans. And go Knicks!

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...70/game-thread-knicks-vs-nets-january-21-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Knicks Bulletin: ‘I can help any team in the league. I help winning’

Of course, the Knicks broke the skid.

It was the Nets on the other end, what did you expect?

Here’s a bunch of quotes from the protagonists following a historic trouncing inflicted on New Jersey/Brooklyn.

"Sometimes you may not get the minutes/touches/shots, but you gotta sacrifice…As a leader…uplift, connect…Keep thinking about how can we get this win…how hard can I play…"

–– Mike Brown on what Jalen Brunson called Knicks "soul-searching" after Mavs loss & before Nets win pic.twitter.com/44rCBDkT3w

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 22, 2026

Mike Brown​

On Wednesday’s historic win over the Nets:

“I didn’t know about the record until it was mentioned. But just seeing us play the way we’re capable of playing again, I don’t know what the score will be every night we get out on the floor. Our guys are more than capable of going out there and putting it together for 48 minutes, and that was a lot of fun.”

On the Knicks standing despite struggles:

“We know it’s not an aberration. We are sitting in either third or fourth place. We haven’t played well. We are still in a pretty good position to win a lot of games now. Obviously, we’ve had some struggles and it may not be the last time. But what it does continue to show is if we play the right way, it doesn’t matter who is in front of us. We will find ways to get a win.”

On the recent adversity and accountability:

“The reality of it is, when you go through adversity it starts with an individual looking in the mirror, starting with me. I have to see how I can help. We all do. We know we’re better on both sides of the ball, we know we’re better than our record.”

On the challenge of fitting Jordan Clarkson into rotation:

“Yeah, it could be tough to get him in the rotation. Obviously Deuce played well during his time, Mitch played well, Landry played at a pretty high level before he got hurt. So trying to find minutes for those guys as well as for our starting group is tough. I can’t even hit the minute threshold for all those guys that I’m looking for. It can be tough from time to time.”

On Mohamed Diawara’s development:

“Mo’s played well. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. He’s got great size. He’s got really good instinct for a young guy. A part of that instinct is a feel on the offensive floor of how to move the basketball which makes the game easier for everybody. He’s working really hard on the shot and his decision-making. He’s a pretty good rebounder and a pretty good defender for a young guy.”

Josh Hart says the Knicks did not have a players-only meeting after Monday's loss:

"We talked, but it wasn't like some thing. That got dragged. We didn't have a players-only meeting." pic.twitter.com/8j4ILaNBmA

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 22, 2026

Josh Hart​

On the truth behind the reported players-only meeting:

“We didn’t have a players-only meeting. Y’all dragging it. We didn’t have a players-only meeting. I don’t know who said it, who did all that, but we didn’t have a players-only meeting.”

On discussions being overblown:

“We talked, but it wasn’t like some big thing. So that got dragged. We didn’t have a players-only meeting. We know what we have to do. We cleared stuff up yesterday in film and practice and today in walkthroughs. We know we haven’t been playing up to our capabilities, but we’re gonna continue to play off this win.”

On the need for accountability:

“We all need to do some soul-searching. Right now we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal. We’ve been terrible defensively all year.”

Knicks Captain Jalen Brunson on the Knicks soul searching and reflecting after their recent skid to help them focus on their largest margin of victory in team history against the Nets.@alanhahn | @NYKnicks | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/frA46bEQyZ

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) January 22, 2026

Jalen Brunson​

On refocusing after the recent struggles:

“Just sticking together, talking it through, having each other’s back, worrying about the little things on the court. Not just the stats, but the stuff that doesn’t make the stat sheet. The stuff that actually makes a difference in close games that can break teams. So that’s what we’ve gotta continue to focus on.”

On building momentum following the win vs. Brooklyn:

“We just had to be focused and get back to who we are. This is a good start for us but we’ve gotta continue to press the issue.”

On the offensive pace and execution on Wednesday:

“It starts with pace. Obviously getting stops and running helps, but our pace offensively was great. We got in the paint, made plays, and just made a lot of good reads tonight. I think us focusing on the things that matter, like the little stuff that allows us to kind of play free on offense, it’s big time for us.”

On having an ever-improving mindset:

“We just had to refocus and get back to who we are. This is a good step for us but we have to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day. It was just sticking together and talking it through and having each other’s backs.”

Karl-Anthony Towns was asked if the Knicks' players-only meeting helped the Knicks get on the same page:

"I think losing four in a row better get everyone on the same page." pic.twitter.com/df40si3hi9

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 22, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns​

On the importance of breaking the losing streak:

“A win—it’s the most important thing. Find a way to break the ice and put one in the left column. Good game, good day for us to show what we’re capable of. Consistency is what makes champions. We’ve got to find that consistency of bringing this kind of intensity, energy and execution every single night.”

On building off Wednesday’s performance:

“Try to get two wins in a row. Execute plays with this aggression and have this kind of determination every single night.”

On urgency following team discussions:

“I think losing four in a row better get everyone on the same page. Glad tonight that everyone looked like they saw what was going on and what we needed to stop the bleeding. Consistency is what’s going to make us great. And it’s going to make this season a successful season. We just go to build off of this.”

"How about the Knicks challenging a call with 6 minutes to go up by 48…they're basically rubbing it in your face"

Josh Hart was more upset about it than the Nets pic.twitter.com/cSYAnKItCa

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 22, 2026

Jordan Clarkson​

On adjusting to his new, reduced role:

“I read the room, I see what it is. I’m just a vet, coming here, doing my work, staying ready. When I’m playing those minutes with the young guys, I ain’t taking nothing away from them. Being a pro, talking to them, trying to get them in their spots.”

On staying professional amid the loss of minutes:

“Still play but I’m not gonna go in there and f–k the game up. I’m just gonna try to keep continuing to play the right way, help these guys grow and continue to get better. That’s all I can do.”

On staying confident in his talents:

“I can help any team in the league. I help winning. You saw it early on in the year. I know I got a lot left in my tank. I can impact winning wherever. I’ll impact winning here. Just gotta stay prepared and control what I can control.”

"Me I never lost to the Knicks since I been in the league"

–– Nic Claxton now 0-13 vs Knicks since thispic.twitter.com/Oe39S43NFJ

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 22, 2026

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...an-help-any-team-in-the-league-i-help-winning

 

[New York Knicks]

What buttons did Mike Brown push?

After New York suffered an embarrassing defeat on their home court on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, head coach Mike Brown stepped up to the podium and revealed that he had some ideas on which buttons he needed to press prior to Wednesday night’s matchup against Brooklyn.

And while a win, even if it is by 60-plus points, against a tanking Nets team might not be enough to overwrite the last month of subpar basketball, discouraging efforts, and confusing lack of chemistry, we did get a few glimpses of tangible change that could signal that yesterday was more than just shots going in or a good team playing a bad team.

Mike Brown was asked if he knows what buttons he needs to press to "get the Knicks back on track"

"I've got some idea what I'm gonna do" pic.twitter.com/EKJCfBNpnX

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 20, 2026

More ball movement​

While the Knicks’ bad defense has been the topic of discussion over the last few weeks, the more troubling aspect might have been the offense. We knew coming into the season that this team was never going to be an elite defensive team. They had the potential to be a solid, maybe even good one, but never elite. But offensively, they were supposed to be among the best in the league.

They roster the best shooting big man of all-time in Karl-Anthony Towns, floor spacers in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, and one of the best pure scorers in the game in Jalen Brunson. And add in Josh Hart’s secondary ball handling skills and transition baskets, Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding, Deuce McBride’s elite outside shooting, Jordan Clarkson’s erratic, yet explosive potential, and the genius of Mike Brown, and they should’ve had everything they needed to be an elite, albeit imperfect, offense.

And through the first couple of months of the season, we saw it come to fruition. Even with Towns struggling from outside, the offense thrived with Bridges taking on more of the ball-handling duties, Hart becoming a much improved shooter, and Brunson being, well, Brunson. Brown had them meshing great individual talent, with creative sets, and increased ball and player movement, and we saw this team put up some historic numbers with ease, even when guys had off nights. Yet over the last month, the offense regressed progressively. It started with players struggling to shoot, and it led to less trust, less movement, and ,unfortunately, the same kind of isolation-heavy, heliocentric offense we were forced to watch for much of Tom Thibodeau’s tenure.

karl-anthony towns on the attack kept us entertained pic.twitter.com/ciBkLUkhsI

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 22, 2026

But last night, we saw the Knicks get back to some of the roots that helped propel them to one of the best offenses in the league to start the season. We saw more organization in the form of set plays and schematic sets at the beginning of the shot clock, which led to much better continuity and flow offensively. There was noticeably less dribbling, less isolation, and less pick-and-rolls that led to late clock chucks, and it showed in the results.

In the clips above, you can see a much more concerted effort to be decisive with their actions. Whether it’s to shoot, pass, or drive, players were being much more intentional. And for the first time in god knows how long, it looked like everyone was actually on the same page, and playing with some urgency. The Nets, being one of the worst defensive teams in the league, especially in January, help. And shots going in will always prove to be the deciding factor in what is known as a “make or miss” league. But last night’s offensive process was the best one we’ve seen since mid-December, and that’s worth noting.

Energy and physicality​

You can plug in whatever other word you want to use there. Off the top of my head, I contemplated using effort, activity, fight, pride, and tenacity. And I’m sure there are dozens more that you can use. Whatever you want to go with, though, the Knicks finally played with it. Again, Brooklyn is a tanking team that has not won many games this season. But they are still an NBA team with NBA players. And over the last couple of weeks, they’ve managed to score 96 points against the Raptors, 107 points against the Timberwolves, 107 points against the Warriors, 96 points against the Rockets, 105 points against the Mavericks, and 117 points against the Suns, all of whom are top 10 in defensive rating this season.

"It's no secret to anybody, been a tough stretch for us. But…shows what we can do…Connectivity, physicality, set tone, dictate––we've been talking about these in practice"

–– Landry Shamet (18 on 6-6 from 3) to @BillPidto on Knicks biggest win margin ever 120-66 over Nets pic.twitter.com/CrvHXWN5tQ

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 22, 2026

The fact that the Knicks held any NBA team, even if it is the Nets, to just 66 points, is impressive. They came out of the gates with the kind of effort we haven’t seen from them, especially in the first quarter, in a very long time. And they maintained it for much of the game. They fought over screens, were active in the passing lanes, seemed more communicative, had fewer mental lapses, and, like on offense, they just seemed more connected as a team. They will not hold opponents to under 100 points nightly, let alone under 70 points. This is no longer the NBA of the 2000’s. But the Mavericks game might’ve finally given this team a very long overdue wake-up call, and it showed with their best effort defensively, maybe all season long.

Rotation changes​

Some of this is due to the Knicks being fully healthy. But one major change we’ve seen take place now over the last two games is the much more limited playing time of Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek. It’s unfortunate because both have been a significant part of some of the most memorable moments of the current rollercoaster season. But the pair have been underwhelming for the majority of the recent skid.

Clarkson was brought in to be a much-needed upgrade in the scoring department off the bench, but he’s been just as, if not more, erratic as advertised, while being the negative defender fans had expected. He’s already gone through a few tough stretches this season, and he’s found ways to bounce back with a few big games. But for much of the season, Clarkson has played more minutes than he’s often deserved, and his leash thus far has been unreasonably long.

Jordan Clarkson says he wasn’t approached about being benched. Said he’s taking it in stride but also made it clear he knows he can help this team — and any team — win basketball games .

Story soon.

— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) January 22, 2026

Meanwhile, Kolek, despite having some nice moments, is still an inconsistent shooter, and while he tries defensively, his lack of athleticism and discipline often get him burned at the point-of-attack, an area the Knicks already struggle with.

Both have played sparingly over the last two games, with all of their minutes coming in garbage time last night. With McBride being such an integral part of the team, and Shamet healthy and playing well again, it’ll be tough to see either of them earning significant minutes moving forward unless another injury takes place. And while that’s tough for them, that’s the way it should be, and needs to be for now.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/knicks-analysis/78316/what-buttons-did-mike-brown-push

 

[New York Knicks]

Looking ahead at the tough road that lies ahead

The Knicks are supposed to be in the midst of an easy portion of the schedule. They had back-to-back games against the Trail Blazers and Kings, the latter of which is amongst the worst teams in the league. And then after consecutive games against the Warriors and Suns, two good teams, they squared off against the Mavericks and Nets, two more very bad teams. But for the struggling Knicks, it hasn’t looked so easy.

In those four games against the subpar teams, the Knicks managed to go just 2-2, and add in the two games against over.500 teams in the middle, and you have yourself a measly 2-4 record.

That’s bad news considering the tough schedule that lies not too far ahead. The Knicks have a weekend matinee against a good, but not elite, 76ers team on Saturday, then get a shot at revenge against the aforementioned lowly Kings. But after that, the schedule becomes both much harder and very strenuous.

Between January 28th and March 9th, the Knicks will play 17 of their 22 games against playoff and play-in teams. And while the All-Star break takes place mid-February, New York will also have five sets of back-to-backs during that span, with a brutal one where they have to play the defending champion Thunder just a day after playing a Raptors team that enters today one loss back of the Knicks.

This stretch also includes two games against the first-seed Pistons, who punked the Knicks just a couple weeks ago, the Celtics who have surpassed the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, the Cavaliers, who have been playing better as of late, the Spurs, who have the second best record in the league, and the fourth-seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, they’ll end the trip with a west-coast road trip against a Nuggets team that could have Nikola Jokic back, the Lakers, who despite some turmoil, remain a good team, and the Clippers, who have been amongst one of the hottest teams in the league since cutting ties with Chris Paul.

This stretch also happens to include the trade deadline, which could have a lasting impact on this franchise. They could swing big for a trade and change up their core for better or worse. Or they could go for more marginal moves that could end up paying big dividends down the road.

They also have a few easy games sprinkled in, with a game against the Wizards on February 3rd, and a game against the Pacers a week later on February 10th. And do follow up this tough stretch with games against the Jazz, Pacers (twice), Nets, Wizards, Pelicans, and Hornets within about a two-week span.

But as you can see, the Knicks better hope that last night’s demolition of the Nets is the start of a turnaround. If New York plays the way it did for the better half of the last month, dropping games to opponents it shouldn’t be losing to, and getting embarrassed by good teams, the next month and a half will be disastrous and could very well lead to the final blows of what would be an incredibly disappointing season.

If you do believe that the Knicks have turned the corner, though, the next few weeks could end up being a series of very hard contests that test and push the Knicks. And if they can get through it playing some of their best basketball and string together some good weeks, it could make believers out of a lot of fans who have recently started to lose hope. Needless to say, starting next Wednesday, maybe the toughest part of the schedule, and given the trade deadline, maybe the most important stretch of the season will begin. And it’s not unreasonable to say that, as far as regular seasons go, this will be their make-or-break stretch.

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...oking-ahead-at-the-tough-road-that-lies-ahead

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Preview: Knicks at 76ers, January 24, 2026

The Knicks hit ABC this afternoon trying to stop Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers and to avoid an 0–3 hole in the season series. A matinee . . . oh joy.

New York enters at 26*–18, while Philadelphia is 24–19. The Sixers bring the confidence of a team that has already beaten the Knicks twice at Madison Square Garden and now plan to do it at home. The Knicks, struggling of late, hope to carry over momentum from their record-setting slaughter of the Nets on Wednesday.

The first two meetings followed the same script. The Sixers solved the Knicks’ defense, and the Knicks could not solve Maxey. Having a season worthy of MVP consideration, the peppy point guard scored 30 in their December contest and followed with 36 and eight boards on January 3. Maxey controlled the tempo and nimbly navigated whatever coverage New York threw at him. In the frontcourt, Philly’s star center Joel Embiid had his way and, when he sat, Andre Drummond brought rebounding and floor-spacing. Rookie VJ Edgecombe impressed, too, and coach Nick Nurse’s club had a counter for every Knicks push.

In the first game, New York was neck-and-neck until sinking in a 20-point fourth quarter. In the rematch, a promising first quarter was squandered by a terrible next three.

The Knicks’ stars have produced. Jalen Brunson scored 22 and 31 in the losses, and Karl-Anthony Towns was steadily around 20 and 10. The issue was timing and resistance. December’s fourth quarter bogged down into late-clock jumpers, while January turned into a track meet that had New York panting.

For today’s matinee, both teams are monitoring stars: Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable for New York with back spasms, while Philadelphia has Joel Embiid (ankle) and Paul George (knee) both listed as game-time decisions.

Prediction​

Despite everything, ESPN.com likes New York at 58%. Interesting. Their oddsmakers must be trying to skew the betting lines, because Philly has past performance and home court in their favor, not to mention New York’s lousy record since winning the (cursed) NBA Cup. We’ll take it, ESPN, but it’s fishy.

After Wednesday’s 54-point flogging of the Nets assuaged some panic about the Knicks’ recent play, today’s game feels less like a must win. It does smack of a prove-it game, though. Brooklyn is a glorified G-League team. New York’s effort today will show us if they truly are back on track.

The last time the Knicks appeared on national TV, just this past Monday, they were embarrassed by the lowly Mavericks. Today they will redeem themselves. In a tightly-fought contest that comes down to the final minute, we’ll see some overdue Captain Clutch heroics—in a shot-for-shot duel with Maxey—and the Knicks will get their 27th win of the season. New York by two.

Game Details​

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026

Time: 3:00 PM ET

Place: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA

TV: ABC

Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/.../game-preview-knicks-at-76ers-january-24-2026

 

[New York Knicks]

Game Thread: Knicks at 76ers, January 24, 2026

The Knicks (26*–18) take the court in Philly today, trying to avoid an 0-3 hole in their season series with the 76ers (24-19). New York comes in buoyed by Wednesday’s record-setting rout of Brooklyn, but the Sixers have already solved them twice, in fairly convincing fashion. Will New York’s wings finally neutralize Tyrese Maxey? Will their frontcourt stand up to Joel Embiid? Are our heroes truly back on track or was Wednesday’s annihilation of the Nets merely fool’s gold?

Find out at 3 p.m. EST on ABC. This is your game thread. This is Liberty Ballers. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good ambassadors of humanity. And go Knicks!

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

Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...8/game-thread-knicks-at-76ers-january-24-2026