2025-26 Archives - Knicks.City https://www.knicks.city/category/2025-26/ We All Live in Knicks City Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:45:11 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.knicks.city/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-knickscity-32x32.jpeg 2025-26 Archives - Knicks.City https://www.knicks.city/category/2025-26/ 32 32 Knicks Out-Coached, Out-Played, Out-Refereed. Philadelphia 130 NY 119 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/knicks-out-coached-out-played-out-refereed-philadelphia-130-ny-119/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/knicks-out-coached-out-played-out-refereed-philadelphia-130-ny-119/#respond Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:18:30 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9816 The Knicks were out-coached, out-played, out-shot, and out-refereed in a 130-119 loss to the Philadelphia 76’ers on a Saturday night at Madison Square Garden — NY’s 3rd loss in a row. Philly came out better [...]

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]]> The Knicks were out-coached, out-played, out-shot, and out-refereed in a 130-119 loss to the Philadelphia 76’ers on a Saturday night at Madison Square Garden — NY’s 3rd loss in a row.

Philly came out better prepared to win, and their coach Nick Nurse seemed more aggressive on the night in even using the coaches’ challenge than NY’s Mike Brown. Philly came out with a stifling defense and an offense led by Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe who were too quick for the Knicks to handle — and when NY did handle them, they hit 3’s from the parking lot.

And the referees ‘let them play’ except when anyone came close to touching Joel Embiid who kept going to the free throw line early in the game while Karl-Anthony Towns was being hammered underneath on the other end with no calls. That helped to put the Knicks in a deficit — although the refs ‘made up for it’ late, granting an abundance of calls to KAT and Jalen Brunson in the 4th quarter that allowed the Knicks to get back in the game.ย 

Philly had a 10- to 12-pt lead all night then increased it to 19 pts late in the 3rd quarter before the Knicks pulled within 7 with 2 minutes left — and that was the closest they got.

Tyrese Maxey put on a show with 36 pts on 14-22 shooting (6-9 from 3), while VJ Edgecombe had 26 pts on 10-16 shooting (4-9 from 3), and Embiid had 26 pts on 9-15 shooting (8-12 in free throws). Paul George added 15 (with 3-5 from 3) and Quentin Grimes had 10 off the bench.

Jalen Brunson shone for NY with 31 pts on 10-21 shooting (2-4 from 3, and 9-12 in free throws) and KAT ended up with 23 pts on 6-16 shooting (0-5 from 3, 11-12 in free throws). OG Anunoby played well (19 pts on 6-11 shooting, 3-5 from 3), Miles McBride added 20 pts off the bench (6-9 shooting, 5-7 from 3), but Mikal Bridges had another sub-par offensive evening (12 pts on 5-14 shooting, 2-8 from 3). Mitchell Robinson played for the first time in a week but picked up quick fouls guarding Embiid; Mitch played 19 minutes with 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 fouls. Josh Hart was still out for NY.

“Right now, we’re not as physical as we should be at the point of attack,” said Knick coach Mike Brown afterwards. “We’re not navigating the ball screen like we should be at the point of attack, a lot of times.”

“I think we’re just not playing fast enough,” said Mikal Bridges. “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 to think to what we have to get into. That’s been our problem.”

NY falls to 23-12; Philly improves to 19-14.

1. Close Game After 1 Quarter

There was ridiculously bad officiating to start this game. Brunson was called for foul a minute into the game when he had all ball swiping it away from Dominick Barlow, while on the next play KAT was mauled on the other end with no call, then OG then made incidental contact on a Barlow drive as the ball went the other way — and a foul was called.

That’s the way the night started for NY. As the evening progressed it was apparent the refs were ‘letting them play’– except when Embiid had the ball.ย  The referees were Marc Davis, Jenna Schroeder, and Nate Green.

It was a close game early — as the Knicks continued to get red hot 3-pt shooting from Miles McBride off the bench — he came in with 6 minutes left in the quarter and immediately hit two 3’s, then followed with an assist to Brunson for a 3.

With Josh Hart still out, Kevin McCullar Jr. came off the bench late in the quarter and hit a 3 to give NY a 30-25 lead.

But Philly rallied back in the final 2 minutes — Jabari Walker with a drive, Adem Bona with a bucket, and Tyrese Maxey with a drive for a Philly 31-30 lead after 1.

2. Knicks Out Coached

Philly seemed better prepared than NY — coming out with aggressive defense and more energy, and maintaining that defense and energy throughout the evening.

NY even seemed slow from the bench — as at one point Joel Embiid tripped his own player but the refs called the foul on Miles McBride — and Mike Brown didn’t challenge although the replay showed it clear as day. Meanwhile Toronto Coach Nick Nurse seemed engaged from the edge of his seat all night — using the challenge call to its max.

3. Edgecombe & Maxey Open Up Lead for Philly in 2nd

VJ Edgecombe hit two 3’s early in the 2nd quarter, and then an Edgecombe drive and Jared McCain 3 put Philly up 46-38.

Tyler Kolek came in and played well for NY — a Kolek 3 pulled NY back within 46-41.

But Edgecombe responded with a 3 and then Tyrese Maxey went nuts with a drive, a steal off OG and a drive, and then later on a couple of 3’s and Philly opened up a 61-50 lead.

Jalen Brunson gallantly countered with a drive and a 3 — Philly had a 66-58 lead at the half.

4. Maxey Goes Nuts to Push Philly Lead to 19 in 3rd

Tyrese Maxey continued to punish the Knicks in the 3rd quarter with super quick drives and 3’s from the parking lot, helped by Edgecombe with his drives — and when NY shut off their lanes — Paul George would stick a 3 or a jumper as Philly rang up a 19-pt lead.

5. NY Pulls to Within 9 Pts Early in 4th But Philly Has Answers

NY trailed by 12 — 99-87 — going into the 4th — and finally KAT started to get some calls on his drives inside — as if the refs were looking to make amends.

But Philly was in command with a double-digit lead and no matter what the Knicks did, Philly had an answer.

Finally with 3 minutes left, Miles McBride hit back-to-back 3’s and OG Anunoby incredibly drew a foul call and made 2 free throws to pull NY within 7 — 121-114 — with 2:08 left. But a Maxey free throw, and then a Paul George offensive rebound and bucket by Quentin Grimes made it Good Night NY.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810342

The post Knicks Out-Coached, Out-Played, Out-Refereed. Philadelphia 130 NY 119 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/knicks-out-coached-out-played-out-refereed-philadelphia-130-ny-119/feed/ 0 Die by the 3. Atlanta 111 NY 99 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/die-by-the-3-atlanta-111-ny-99/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/die-by-the-3-atlanta-111-ny-99/#respond Sat, 03 Jan 2026 14:41:39 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9804 “Live by the 3, Die by the 3” goes the old saying. On a night when the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart — NY went small ball and launched 3’s [...]

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]]> “Live by the 3, Die by the 3” goes the old saying.

On a night when the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart — NY went small ball and launched 3’s all night — but on this night, missed most of them — resulting in a 111-99 loss to Atlanta on a Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

At one point Jalen Brunson was 1-8 from 3, OG Anunoby was 0-5 from 3, and Mikal Bridges was 1-9 from 3 as Atlanta built a 26-point lead late in the 3rd quarter. The Knicks launched a 4th quarter comeback — scoring the first 11 pts of the period to pull within 13, and later pulling within 9 pts with 1:32 left — as OG and Bridges finally started hitting some 3’s. But it was too little, too late.

NY ended the night 9-42 from 3 for 22% shooting. Without KAT, Atlanta collapsed on Brunson on his penetrations, making them more difficult although he still had 24 pts on 10-23 shooting. Ariel Hukporti started at center and had 16 rebounds in 28 minutes, with 8 pts. Bridges misfired most of the night until he finally caught fire in the 4th, finishing with 18 pts on 7-19 shooting (3-11 from 3). OG had 19 pts and 10 rebounds.

Atlanta was led by their athletic front line of 6’10 Onyeka Okongwu (23 pts on 9-16 shooting, 3-6 from 3) and 6’8 Jalen Johnson (18 pts on 7-14 shooting with 10 rebounds and 11 assists — a triple double), and shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker who had 23 pts (on 9-20 shooting, 3-10 from 3). Trae Young did not play.

“We just didn’t have it tonight,” said Jalen Brunson afterwards. “I know that’s a terrible, lame ass excuse, but we let shot-making affect our overall gameplay.”

“If the shot’s not falling, where else are we going to hang our hat? It has to be on the defensive end of the floor, and we didn’t get it done throughout most of the game tonight,” said Knick coach Mike Brown afterwards. “I thought we had some good looks that we normally knock down with the guys that are taking them,” he added. “But you can’t take away from what Atlanta did.”

NY falls to 23-11; Atlanta improves to 17-19.

1. Knicks Jumped Out to Lead with Hot McBride

It all started out well for NY — and it looked like it might even be a fun blowout of an evening — as Miles McBride — back for his 2nd game after missing 3 weeks with an ankle sprain — hit his first two 3’s and Brunson added a 3 as the Knicks raced out to an 11-2 lead.

2. Atlanta Takes Lead After 1 as NY Starts Misfiring

But Atlanta fired back, with Okongwu hitting a couple of 3’s, Alexander-Walker hitting a 3, and Okongwu hitting another 3 as Atlanta took a 19-16 lead.

“Tweeted this below in 2020 on Onyeka Okongwu,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. He has an improved face-up game with his ability to stretch the floor, put the ball on floor and can also play with his back to basket at times along with his motor, hits the glass, provides rim protection and a more willing/able passer.”

Okongwu would hurt the Knicks all night, as would Jalen Johnson with his triple double.

Johnson added a couple of buckets for Atlanta, while Guerschon Yabusele — playing one of his better games for NY — provided offense for NY late in the period.

Kristaps Porzingis entered the game midway thru the 1st quarter — playing for the first time in a while as he has been sidelined with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. Porzingis didn’t do much offensively on the evening — finishing with 4 pts on 1-8 shooting (0-3 from 3) — but was a +2 with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 17 minutes.

The Hawks led 33-30 after 1 quarter.

3. Atlanta Leads by 13 at the Half as NY Continues Misfiring

Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher added to the Atlanta offense early in the 2nd — and NY continued to spread their players at the 3-pt line, and fire up and miss 3’s.

Luke Kennard came in to be a pain in the ass all night off the bench with 12 pts on 4-5 shooting (2-3 from 3). NY wasn’t getting much inside and was misfiring from outside — and Atlanta moved out to a 60-47 lead at the half.

4. Atlanta Runs the Lead to 26 Pts in 3rd Quarter

And then it got worse as Atlanta ran off an 8-2 run to start the 3rd quarter and take a 19-pt lead at 68-49.

The Knicks were playing on their heels all quarter, as Atlanta continued to hold the 20-pt advantage and push it to 26 late in the quarter after a Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3 and a couple of buckets inside by Okongwu. Atlanta led 94-70 after 3.

5. NY Scores First 11 Pts of 4th — But Rally Stalls

The Knicks finally showed life at the start of the 4th quarter — again with Tyler Kolek in the game, orchestrating. Mikal Bridges finally hit a couple of buckets in a row — an 11-foot fadeaway and a 9-foot floater, then OG scored on a drive off a Bridges assist, Kolek scored on a drive, and OG hit a 3 and NY was down 94-81 as the Madison Square Garden crowd got loud.

Ariel Hukporti was grabbing rebounds inside, and Mohamed Diawaras was playing excellent defense — Alan Hahn mentioned on the broadcast that Diawara was staring into the eyes of the guy he was defending.

Diawara played great defense. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

Rally-Killing Exchange

Then Hukporti blocked an Okongwu drive and Kolek fed Bridges for a drive — that he missed — the ball going the other way, where Luke Kennard hit a 3 and Atlanta was back up by 16 at 97-81 — killer.

Then OG missed a 3 and Kennard hit Another 3 and Atlanta was back up by 19 just like that — 100-81 with 7:38 left.

6. NY Rallies Again to Pull within 11 with 3:57 Left

The Knicks continued to fight back — Jalen Brunson leading the charge. NY went on a 10-2 run with OG hit 2 free throws, Hukporti hitting 2 free throws, Brunson making consecutive drives, and Bridges hitting a jumper for a 102-91 game with 3:57 left. NY had a chance.

Jalen Johnson hit a huge drive-and-1 to push the lead back to 14, but Hukporti made 2 more free throws to cut it to 12 with 2:47 left.

Bridges — finally — hit back-to-back 3’s to pull NY within 9 with 1:29 left.

But Atlanta had an answer — Okongwu hitting consecutive drives and it was good night NY.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810334

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/die-by-the-3-atlanta-111-ny-99/feed/ 0 Champagnie from Staten Island Ruins Knick New Year’s Eve. San Antonio 134 NY 132 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/champagnie-from-staten-island-ruins-knick-new-years-eve-san-antonio-134-ny-132/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/champagnie-from-staten-island-ruins-knick-new-years-eve-san-antonio-134-ny-132/#respond Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:18:05 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9798 Julian Champagnie, born in Staten Island and raised in Brooklyn, ruined New Year’s Eve for many New Yorkers by going an insane 11-17 from 3 to enable the Spurs to edge the Knicks, 134-132 on [...]

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]]> Julian Champagnie, born in Staten Island and raised in Brooklyn, ruined New Year’s Eve for many New Yorkers by going an insane 11-17 from 3 to enable the Spurs to edge the Knicks, 134-132 on a New Year’s Eve Wednesday night in San Antonio.

Even with all those 3’s, NY had a shot to pull the game out until old friend Luke Kornet grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back in backwards while drawing a foul with 49 seconds left to give San Antonio a 126-123 lead (after missing the free throw).

After that NY was forced to foul and San Antonio made all their free throws — Harrison Barnes going 2-2 and Keldon Johnson going 4-4 — and the Knicks were unable to overcome the deficit despite Jalen Brunson hitting a 3 with 26 seconds left, Miles McBride hitting 3 free throws after being fouled taking a 3 with 9.7 seconds left, and Brunson hitting a 3 at the buzzer.

The Knicks led by 19 points at one point in the 2nd quarter, led by 73-63 at the half, led 102-93 entering the 4th quarter, and led 110-99 with 8 minutes left —ย  but Champagnie hit four 3’s in 2 minutes to pull San Antonio into a 116-116 tie with 4:34 left, setting up a roller coaster ending.

NY was without Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart, but used the 3-ball to dominate San Antonio — even with Victor Wembanyama — all night until Champagnie got hot. Wemby was a tough cover — 31 pts on 10-12 shooting (2-2 from 3, 9-10 in free throws) in 24 minutes — leaving the game with 11 minutes left with an apparent leg injury — but returning to the bench for the final minutes. NY shot up 52 (fifty two) 3-pointers — going 22-52 (52%) vs San Antonio’s 14-38 (37%).

But in the end San Antonio had the win.

“They just out worked us,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. “(San Antonio Coach) Mitch (Johnson) kicked my ass. Their team kicked our ass.โ€

NY falls to 23-10; San Antonio improves to 24-9 (although those records do not include the Knicks beating the Spurs in the mid-season tournament game).

1. Knicks Launch 3-Ball Attack to Take 45-36 Lead After 1

With Josh Hart out, the Knicks again started 20-year-old, 6’9 athletic big man Mohamed Diawara and he came out on FIRE — hitting two 3’s in the early minutes as NY raced out to a 10-3 lead.

The Knicks continued to attack from 3 — an arial bombardment that netted them a 45-36 lead after 1 quarter, despite Victor Wembanyama showing signs of domination inside — shooting over OG Anunoby for buckets.

2. Knicks Take 19-Pt Lead in 2nd Quarter

The Knicks continued to attack from 3 in the 2nd quarter, which freed up their inside game — and they attacked San Antonio from both inside and outside.

Jordan Clarkson and Mikal Bridges hit 3’s, then OG Anunoby made consecutive dunks inside and NY went up 62-52 with 6 minutes left in the half.

Brunson scored on a drive, and then Jordan Clarkson hit a drive, a 3, and another drive for 7 straight pts and a 19-pt Knick lead at 71-52.

Victor Wembanyama pushed back with buckets and free throws to pull San Antonio within 10 at the half, at 73-63.

3. Spurs Take 93-91 Lead in 3rd — But Knicks Push Back to Lead by 9

De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle joined Wemby in the San Antonio attack, and Julian Champagnie hit three 3’s early in the 3rd as San Antonio tied the score and then took a 93-91 lead on a Keldon Johnson drive with 3 minutes left.

But NY pushed back — Jordan Clarkson with a 3, Brunson with free throws and then consecutive 3’s to put NY up 102-93 entering the 4th.

4. Knicks Lead by 10 with 8 Minutes Left

Tyler Kolek came in at the point to start the 4th, and orchestrated the Knicks with precision — feeding Jordan Clarkson, who continued to get big buckets for NY, KAT, and Mikal Bridges as NY maintained their 10-pt lead.

5. Champagnie Goes Nuts from 3; Kornet the Killer

Wemby went to the bench with 11 minutes left, but De’Aaron Fox picked up the scoring lead for San Antonio — attacking the rim on drives and then Julian Champagnie joined in by going nuts from 3 — Champagnie hit four (4) 3’s in a 2 minute stretch as San Antonio tied the game 116-116.

That made for a rollercoaster last 4 minutes — NY getting big buckets from KAT and Miles McBride — who hit 2 HUGE 3’s — the later making it a 124-123 game, San Antonio with 1:59 left.

But with 49 seconds left, Knick defense forced a Harrison Barnes miss, and Luke Kornet grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back in backwards to kill the Knicks chances — giving San Antonio a 126-123 lead.

“Luke Kornet doesnโ€™t need big time athleticism or a big time skillset to impact winning,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Rather he does it by playing his role, effort, positioning, pursues every rebound, all 50/50 balls, takes charges, defends, sets screens, finds the open man, finishes around rim and wonโ€™t cheat you.”

Clarkson fouled Keldon Johnson with 48 seconds left, and he hit both free throws. Jalen Brunson came back with a 3 with 26 seconds left to give NY a final chance — making it a 128-126 game.

  • NY was forced to foul — and Harrison Barnes made both of his free throws to make it a 4 pt game with 22 seconds left.
  • Jalen Brunson missed a 3 — and Keldon Johnson made 2 free throws to ice it — 132-126 San Antonio with 13 seconds left.
  • Still NY would not quit — McBride getting fouled taking a 3, and hitting all free throws for a 132-129 game — but again Keldon Johnson was fouled and made both free throws to cement the win.
  • A Brunson 3 at the buzzer made the final score 134-132.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810322

The post Champagnie from Staten Island Ruins Knick New Year’s Eve. San Antonio 134 NY 132 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/champagnie-from-staten-island-ruins-knick-new-years-eve-san-antonio-134-ny-132/feed/ 0 McBride, OG, Brunson & Kolek to the Rescue. NY 130 New Orleans 125 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/mcbride-og-brunson-kolek-to-the-rescue-ny-130-new-orleans-125/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/mcbride-og-brunson-kolek-to-the-rescue-ny-130-new-orleans-125/#respond Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:02:13 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9790 Miles McBride was back for the first time in 3 weeks after the ankle sprain, and hit Clutch 3’s, pulled down important rebounds, made 4 clutch free throws, and played game-changing defense in the final [...]

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]]> Miles McBride was back for the first time in 3 weeks after the ankle sprain, and hit Clutch 3’s, pulled down important rebounds, made 4 clutch free throws, and played game-changing defense in the final minutes to lead the Knicks to a 130-125 victory over Pelicans in New Orleans on a Monday night.

Jalen Brunson also made Clutch buckets at the end, as did OG Anunoby, who carried the Knicks all night on offense and defense (23 pts, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block).

The Knicks were behind the Pelicans seemingly all night, and were down by 7 pts entering the 4th when Tyler Kolek came in and turned things around with pinpoint passing — to Jordan Clarkson for buckets inside, McBride for a 3, KAT for a 3, and hitting a 3 himself for a NY 3-pt lead within minutes.

The game see-sawed down the stretch with New Orleans getting big buckets from Zion Williamson, who starred with 32 pts on 11-16 shooting (0-0 from 3, 10-12 in free throws). Williamson attacked KAT early to get Towns in foul trouble and become mostly a non-factor in the game (12 pts on 4-9 shooting, 2-4 from 3).

The Knicks were without Mitchell Robinson — out for scheduled rest — and Josh Hart, and that hurt them on the boards as they were outrebounded most of the night — 50-43 overall. Although KAT, OG, and McBride came up with big rebounds in the 4th and the Knick defense in the 2nd half amped up for the win.

“Just taking the challenge; being more physical, doing what the coaches have us do every day, said OG Anunoby afterwards about the Knicks defense in the second half. “Just follow through on the floor; execute.”

NY improves to 23-9, in 2nd place in the East, 1 game behind Detroit. New Orleans falls to 8-26, last in the West.

1. Bey & Diawara Excel Early

Saddiq Bey is back this season after missing a year and a half with a torn left ACL, and he has been playing great, averaging 18.2 ppg coming in. There in fact have been some rumours that the Knicks could look to trading for him.

He lit the Smoothie King Center up in the 1st quarter, hitting open 3 after open 3 — he was 4-4 from 3 at one point, causing us to tweet, “What are the odds of the Knicks winning if they leave Saddiq Bey open at the 3 all night?”

And a broken play allowed him to shoot a 5th open 3 — that he missed.

Bey had 21 points on 8-11 shooting in the 1st quarter — but after that the Knicks and Mikal Bridges shut him down. Bey only had 5 pts on 1-10 shooting (0-6 from 3) the next 3 quarters of the game, to finish with 26 pts on 9-21 shooting (4-10 from 3).

Meanwhile Mohammed Diawara was having his best game yet at the starting forward slot for the Knicks. Diawara went 3-3 from 3 in the 1st quarter with 2 drives for 13 pts (on 5-6 shooting) and 2 steals. The 6’9 2nd-round pick of the 2025 draft (whom the Knicks acquired from the Clippers for their 2nd-rd pick, Kobe Sanders) — looked as dynamic and athletic as ever.

Diawara would continue to play well in the next few quarters — finishing with 18 pts on 7-9 shooting (4-4 from 3).

2. OG Keeps Knicks in the Game in the 2nd

New Orleans led 41-37 entering the 2nd quarter, and kept trying to increase the lead as Zion Williamson continued to be a load, and Jordan Poole started getting buckets.

The Pelicans kept beating the Knicks on the boards — NY was not getting any second chances as they normally do with Mitchell Robinson in, not to mention Josh Hart also out.

OG Anunoby was keeping the Knicks in the game with his offense and his defense. OG wasn’t hitting his 3 (he would go 1-8 from 3 on the night), but was attacking the rim — blowing past Zion, and coming up with rebounds and steals. OG scored 16 pts in the 2nd quarter.

“OG makes winning plays on both ends,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Willing to do all the little things and he needs no plays called for him to do this. Winner.”

An OG offensive rebound and put back made it 56-52 New Orleans with 7:44 left in the half. OG free throws off a drive pulled NY within 65-63 with 2:30 left in the half; a defensive rebound and ahead-of-the field drive tied the game 65-65 with 2 minutes left.

Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole, and Zion were getting buckets for the Pelicans; consecutive OG drives in the final minute for NY made it a 75-72 New Orleans lead at the half.

3. New Orleans Goes Up by 10 in 3rd

Trey Murphy III started hitting 3’s in the 3rd, and with buckets by Pelican center Derik Queen, Poole, and Zion — New Orleans was able to build their lead to 10 pts midway thru the period.

But NY had answers to stay in it — a floater by Mikal Bridges and a 3 by OG Anunoby quickly cut the Pelican lead to 5 midway thru the period.

Guerschon Yabusele and Trey Jemison III hit 3’s late in the period — sparking Knick fans to ask if coach Mike Brown was really interested in winning this game, playing Trey Jemison and the entire bench when they were behind. Alan Hahn called Mike Brown “the mad scientist” in the post game.

4. Kolek Turns Things at Start of 4th

New Orleans entered the 4th with a 103-96 lead. And then Tyler Kolek took over, with a little help from Jordan Clarkson.

Kolek hit Clarkson for a 17-foot step back, then hit a 3 himself and NY was down 103-101.

Poole answered with a 3, but Kolek fed Clarkson for a drive and circus-shot layup.

The refs were ‘letting them play’ in the 2nd half — and it became a physical game.

OG Anunoby stole the ball from Zion — but Zion — infuriated at not getting a call on the play — raced down and ripped the ball away from Jordan Clarkson on the ensuing fast break and was called for a foul. But New Orleans challenged and won the challenge — the refs saying he hadn’t fouled Clarkson, even though it kind of looked like he had ripped his arm.

But Kolek kept orchestrating — hitting McBride for a 3, then feeding KAT for a 3 and NY was up 109-106 with 7:42 left.

5. McBride, Brunson, OG Take It at End

Jalen Brunson re-entered the game with 6:29 left, and NY went with Brunson and McBride down the stretch. The game went back and forth until the final minute:

  • Derik Queen and Yves Missi scored inside to put the Pelicans up, but Jalen Brunson hit a 3 to give NY back a 1-pt lead with 5 minutes left.
  • Trey Murphy III hit two 3’s and a drive, countered in turn by a McBride drive, a Brunson 3, and a McBride 3 and it was 120-119 NY.

Brunson & Zion Go Back and Forth with Clutch Scores

  • Zion scored inside, but OG Anunoby powered by Zion in the half court on the other end for a slam and 122-121 NY lead with 1:48 left.
  • Jalen Brunson missed a 3, but Miles McBride got a Huge offensive rebound, and fed Brunson for a drive and 124-121 Knick lead with 1:06 left.

Zion drove the lane with 50 seconds left, and OG slapped the ball away for a steal — but the refs ruled a foul. NY challenged — and the refs ruled that although OG got all ball — he interfered with Zion a second before the play so New Orleans won the challenge. Zion hit both free throws for a 124-123 game, NY up.

Jalen Brunson then split the defense for a CLUTCH drive; Zion came back the other way for a CLUTCH drive with 25.1 seconds left — still a 1-pt game.

McBride Nothing-But-Net Free Throws Clinch It

New Orleans was forced to foul — putting McBride to the line — and he was nothing-but-net on 2 free throws for a 3-pt Knick lead with 16 seconds left.

McBride played tremendous defense on Jordan Poole — forcing a wild miss of a 3 pointer, and then was fouled and again was nothing-but-net on 2 free throws for a 130-125 Knick lead, and ballgame.

Bey missed a 3 with 1 second left and NY walked away with the win.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810309

The post McBride, OG, Brunson & Kolek to the Rescue. NY 130 New Orleans 125 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/mcbride-og-brunson-kolek-to-the-rescue-ny-130-new-orleans-125/feed/ 0 OG Anunoby to the Rescue. NY 128 Atlanta 125 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/og-anunoby-to-the-rescue-ny-128-atlanta-125/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/og-anunoby-to-the-rescue-ny-128-atlanta-125/#respond Sun, 28 Dec 2025 18:41:41 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9780 OG Anunoby came up with a CLUTCH offensive rebound and was fouled with 29 seconds left, making both free throws to put the Knicks ahead 126-125, then came up with a CLUTCH steal off Jalen [...]

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]]> OG Anunoby came up with a CLUTCH offensive rebound and was fouled with 29 seconds left, making both free throws to put the Knicks ahead 126-125, then came up with a CLUTCH steal off Jalen Johnson and was fouled with 7 seconds left, making both free throws to put the Knicks up 128-125.

Knick defense did the rest — forcing a Nickeil Alexander-Walker miss from 3 with 4 seconds left — and OG Anunoby pulled down the rebound for a 128-125 Knick win on a Saturday night in Atlanta.

NY looked like they would win the game easy early on, building a 13-pt halftime lead and leading by 18 in the 3rd quarter.

NY was led by:

  • Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 26 pts on 8-15 shooting (3-6 from 3 and 17-18 from the free throw line),
  • Jalen Brunson, who had 34 pts on 15-29 shooting (4-11 from 3, zero free throws), and
  • An amazing game off the bench by Kevin McCullar Jr., who filled in for an injured Josh Hart and played like Josh Hart — with hustle plays and rebounds. McCullar had 13 pts on 4-7 shooting (3-6 from 3) with 8 rebounds. 2 assists, and 2 steals.

But Atlanta steadily climbed back in the game on the shooting of Onyeka Okongwu, who scored 31 pts on 10-16 shooting (6-10 from 3) and Alexander-Walker, who had 25 pts on 8-18 shooting (5-12 from 3).

Mikal Bridges and Tyler Kolek did a tremendous job guarding Trae Young, limiting him to 9 pts on 2-9 shooting (0-4 from 3).

“It was a total team effort,” said McCullers afterwards. “It’s a blessing to be out here playing the game that I love. Just staying ready when my number is called; came up with the W.”

NY improves to 22-9, and is 2 games back of Detroit in the East. Atlanta falls to 15-18.

1. NY Jumps In Front as KAT Powers Inside

With Josh Hart out nursing a sprained ankle, the Knicks started Mohamed Diawara, the athletic 6’9 rookie and 2nd round pick NY acquired the day after the draft from the Clippers for their 2nd-round pick, 6’8 Kobe Sanders.

Midway through the period Diawara was subbed for Kevin McCullar Jr. who started to effect the game with his hustle plays. The Knicks acquired McCullar the day after the draft in 2024 where he was selected in the 2nd round (#56 overall) by Phoenix — trading 6’11 Oso Ighodaro, their 2nd round pick (#40 overall) to Phoenix for the 6’6 McCullar and a 2028 2nd round draft pick. McCullar may have gone higher in the draft had he not sat out the end of the 2024 college season and the entire NCAA playoffs with what was described as a chronic, lingering bone bruise in his left knee.ย 

Meanwhile Karl-Anthony Towns was getting anything he wanted powering to the hoop against the small Atlanta front line. Atlanta had the 2024 #1 overall pick, 6’9 Frenchy Zaccharie Risacher, guarding him at center.

KAT got buckets inside and out, and was often fouled going to the hoop — resulting in a 17-18 performance from the free throw line for the night.

Jalen Brunson joined in, and hit a 3 just before the quarter ended to give NY a 33-27 lead.

2. McCullers Ignites Knicks Off the Bench

The 2nd quarter was more of the same, with the Knicks playing free and easy, and KAT getting anything he wanted.

And then Kevin McCullers Jr. re-entered the game with 7:19 left in the 2nd quarter, with NY up 46-39, and put NY into overdrive with Josh Hart-like hustle plays, rebounds, assists, drives, and 3’s from the corner.

As usual, NBA Analyst Ross Kreines sussed out McCullar’s play years ago: “Tweeted below on Kevin McCullar Jr.before the draft in 2024,” noted Kreines. “Kevin plays and moves with a purpose, does the little things that wonโ€™t show in the box score but result in winning, brings his hardhat, good motor, rebounds, defends hard, has an improved jumper as stated below and brings it.”

3. Knicks Increase 13-Pt Halftime Lead to 18 Pts in 3rd

The start of the 3rd quarter was more of the same — as Diawara hit a 3, Brunson hit a 3, and KAT kept getting free throws powering inside. NY increased its lead to 18 pts at 85-67 off KAT free throws with 6:55 left in the 3rd quarter.

4. Alexander-Walkerย 3’s Start to Bring Atlanta Back

But Jalen Johnson hit a drive and Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit back-to-back 3’s, and Atlanta started to chip away at the Knick lead.

Within 3 minutes they were back within 7 points after a Jalen Johnson jumper and Vit Krejci 3.

5. McCullars Pushes Back

Kevin McCullar Jr. continued his Josh Hart play, trying to stave off the Atlanta rally — a drive, a steal, a big defensive rebound — as Alan Hahn said on the broadcast that Josh Hart has to be smiling watching what McCullar is doing.

And then a minute later the broadcast posted that indeed Josh Hart was happy and enjoying McCullar’s play, with Alan Hahn stating indeed Josh Hart was out there smiling.

And then a few minutes later, MSG broadcast posted this:

6. KAT Continues Dominate; NY by 10 with 8 Min Left

KAT continued to go to the basket and get to the line early in the 4th, as NY maintained a 10-pt lead with 9 minutes left after 4 KAT free throws and back-to-back 3’s early in the period made it 112-102 NY with 7:56 left.

7. Atlanta Pulls Ahead with 2 Minutes Left

Mitchell Robinson entered the game for Towns with 7:41 left, and Atlanta sliced the Knick lead on an Okongwu drive, and a layup and a 3 by Alexander-Walker, and Trae Young free throws to make it 114-113 NY with 4:25 left.

Towns came back in with 4:50 left, but NY oddly didn’t go to him much in the final 5 minutes — instead Brunson took over the offense.

And Brunson was hot — hitting a 15 footer, a drive, and a Huge 3 with 1:17 left to give NY a 124-121 lead.

But Trae Young hit free throws, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker stole the ball from Brunson and scored on a layup with 49 seconds left to give Atlanta the lead at 125-124.

8. OG Comes Up Huge at the End

And that is when OG stepped up big. Jalen Brunson Missed a 16-foot step-back, but OG got the offensive rebound and was fouled — hitting both free throws for a Knick lead with 29 seconds left.

Atlanta inbounded and Mikal Bridges slapped the ball out of bounds — so Atlanta inbounded again with 15 seconds left.

And that is when OG came up Big again, stealing the ball from Jalen Johnson and fast-breaking it down the other end where he was fouled and hit 2 free throws for a 3-pt Knick lead.

Atlanta inbounded for a chance to tie with 7 seconds left — and the Knick defense — especially Mitchell Robinson — forced an Alexander-Walker miss from 3, with OG grabbing the rebound for the ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810290

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/og-anunoby-to-the-rescue-ny-128-atlanta-125/feed/ 0 Kolek, Brunson & Mitch Lead Amazing Comeback Christmas Win! NY 126 Cleveland 124 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/kolek-brunson-mitch-lead-amazing-comeback-christmas-win-ny-126-cleveland-124/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/kolek-brunson-mitch-lead-amazing-comeback-christmas-win-ny-126-cleveland-124/#respond Fri, 26 Dec 2025 20:08:27 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9774 Tyler Kolek and Jalen Brunson formed a Batman & Robin tandem with Mitchell Robinson as Alfred — to pull the Knicks out of a 16-pt hole with 8 minutes left in the game, and carry [...]

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]]> Tyler Kolek and Jalen Brunson formed a Batman & Robin tandem with Mitchell Robinson as Alfred — to pull the Knicks out of a 16-pt hole with 8 minutes left in the game, and carry the Knicks to an exhilarating 126-124 win over the Cavs on Christmas day at a rocking Madison Square Garden.

Kolek was at the point, making heady plays on both offense and defense, penetrating the lane, distributing, or hitting 3’s, while Jalen Brunson played off of him as the shooting guard, hitting big 3’s down the stretch. Mitchell Robinson was ripping down offensive rebound after offensive rebound to give NY 2nd chances, Jordan Clarkson was nailing 3’s from the corner, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby were playing heady D and making big shots, and KAT, also playing solid D, came up with a Huge offensive rebound and tip-in in the final minute. Coach Mike Brown used his manpower expertly down the stretch.

The main story was Kolek, who was sensational — again — finishing the night with 16 pts on 5-9 shooting (4-5 from 3) with 9 assists and a game-saving swat of a Donovan Mitchell slam attempt in the final minutes. Afterwards, Josh Hart tweeted “Itโ€™s a white Christmas 1-3!”

Mitchell Robinson was the sub-story — with his magnificent offensive rebounding performance igniting the Knick rally in the 4th. Robinson had 13 rebounds (8 offensive) in 17 minutes with a block.

Brunson was having a so-so night until he put his cape on in the final 8 minutes — finishing with 34 pts on 10-25 shooting (6-12 from 3).ย  Clarkson finished with a season-best 25 pts on 9-17 shooting (5-10 from 3).

“Tyler Kolek was big by controlling the tempo,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines, “Making the game easier for others whether finding a shooter in rhythm, making an entry pass or just finding the open man with his ability to create along with hitting big shots, competing hard, not quitting on plays while valuing the ball.”

“Playing at The Garden on Christmas, it doesn’t get much better than that,” said Kolek afterwards. “I’m grateful for the fans.”

NY improves to 21-9, 3 games back of Detroit for the lead in the East. Cleveland falls to 17-15.

1. Cleveland Jumps Out to 15-Pt Lead in 1st Quarter

It was Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden — 12 noon start — and all the ‘celebrities’ were on hand courtside for the nationally televised game on ESPN.

Native New Yorker Donovan Mitchell could be seen greeting several celebrities on the sideline before the game started, and the Spider came out looking to showcase his game as so many stars have done at MSG in the past.

And he did — hitting 4 of his first 5 shots to start the game — including two 3 pointers — as Cleveland raced out to a 20-5 lead.

The Knicks kept missing shots — going 2-15 to start the game, and Cleveland extended their lead to 15 pts at 38-23 to end the quarter.

2. Kolek & Clarkson Ignite Knick 28-3 Run in 2nd to Gain 47-41 Lead

But Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to ignite a Knick comeback to start the 2nd quarter — Kolek commanding the offense, orchestrating, and hitting teammates for scores — and Jordan Clarkson getting red hot from 3 and all over.

OG Anunoby joined in, as did KAT and Mikal Bridges — as NY went on a 24-3 run to take a 47-41 lead.

Cleveland pushed back to pull within 60-58 at the half.

3. Cleveland 15-2 Run in 3rd Puts them up 14

And Cleveland continued to counter-punch in the 3rd — Donavan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Sam Merrill starting off the quarter by each hitting a 3, and Mitchell slamming off a Garland assist for a 68-63 Cavs lead.

Cleveland kept coming, with Jaylon Tyson coming off the bench to provide firepower with a floater, a drive, and a jumper late in the period for 6 straight points and a 13-pt Cav lead. A Donovan Mitchell 3 put Cleveland up 14.

4. Cleveland Extends Lead to 17 Pts with 10:26 Left in 4th

Cleveland entered the 4th up by 12 at 96-84 and extended the lead to 17 pts early in the quarter off 4 consecutive free throws by Donovan Mitchell off drives.

Clarkson and Kolek hit consecutive 3’s but Evan Mobley free throws and a Jaylon Tyson drive still had Cleveland up 16 at 107-91 with 8:11 left. It was looking bad for NY.

5. Mitch & Kolek Ignite 26-6 Knicks Run to Tie Game at 113-113

And then — a drive by Josh Hart cut it to 14. Next time down Hart drove to the basket but went down hard spraining his ankle. He was able to stand and get to the free throw line where he made both free throws, but NY had to foul Cleveland to get him off the court.

Mitch Dominates Offensive Glass

And that is when Mitchell Robinson started to Dominate the offensive glass to trigger the Knick comeback.

  • Mitch grabbed an offensive rebound off a Bridges miss and fed Brunson for a 3.
  • Mitch grabbed an offensive rebound off a Brunson missed drive the next time down, and fed Tyler Kolek for a Huge 3 and NY was down 109-103.
  • Donovan Mitchell hit a 3 — but Jordan Clarkson answered with a 3 off a Kolek assist.
  • Mitch grabbed Another offensive rebound off a Clarkson missed 3, and fed Kolek for Another 3 for a 111-108 game.

An electric Madison Square Garden erupted. Cleveland timeout.

Brunson Clutch 3’s

After the timeout, Sam Merrill missed a 3 and Brunson came down and made a 9-foot baseline stepback for a 1-pt game; Donovan Mitchell countered with a drive — but Brunson countered that with a step-back 3 for a tie game at 113-113!

6. Knicks Go On Another 12-4 Run to Close It

Cleveland pushed back — Mitchell free throws and an Evan Mobley offensive rebound and tip-in put them up 117-113 with 2:27 left.

Kolek with Huge 3, then a Block on Spider Slam

But again Kolek came up big with a 3 to make it 117-116 Cleveland.

Mitchell then stole the ball from Jalen Brunson and went ahead of the field for a slam — but Tyler Kolek came out of nowhere to slap the ball away from him as he was gathering — initially called a foul but on Knick challenge — called a fair block.

After the game, Kolek would say “Honestly if he ran and just did a regular lay-up, I wouldnโ€™t have caught up to him. But he wanted to do some windmill shitโ€ฆ he was trying to do something crazy.”

Kolek Comes Up Big

Donovan Mitchell then missed a 3, and Tyler Kolek leaped up to snare the long rebound away from Mitchell — then raced the other way and fed Mikal Bridges for a pullup and 118-117 Knick lead.

Brunson 3 for the Lead Again

Darius Garland drove for a bucket to give Cleveland a 119-118 lead, but one more time it was Mr. Clutch Jalen Brunson with a step-back 3 for a 121-119 Knick lead.

KAT Tip-In, Spider Slam, Kolek-Lead Fastbreak

And then came the sequence of the game:

NY defended, causing a Garland miss; down the other end Kolek missed a jumper — but KAT came out of nowhere for an offensive rebound and tip in for a 123-119 Knick lead.

Donovan Mitchell immediately attacked the other way for a powerhouse SLAM.

But Kolek — receiving the ball from Brunson who was getting blitzed, then hounded himself by a double-team — made a perfect up-court pass to KAT who fed Bridges who fed OG Anunoby for a slam underneath — NY 125 Cleveland 121 with 12 seconds left.

Donovan Mitchell missed a 3 out of a timeout, and Cleveland was forced to foul — fouling Mitchell Robinson. Robinson had hit his prior 10 free throws in a row the prior 2 games — but missed both — even a 3rd one he got due to a lane violation.

Donovan Mitchell then hit a 3 from the parking lot with 2.7 seconds left to pull the Cavs within a point with 2.7 seconds left — but Tyler Kolek was able to get the ball in to KAT under pressure with 1.1 second left.

KAT — fouled — hit the first of 2 free throws, but missed the 2nd — and Lonzo Ball‘s heave at the buzzer was way short as the Knicks had the Christmas Day win!

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401809238

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]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/kolek-brunson-mitch-lead-amazing-comeback-christmas-win-ny-126-cleveland-124/feed/ 0 Julius Randle Shreds Knicks in 4th & Howls to the Wind. Minnesota 115 NY 104 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/julius-randle-shreds-knicks-in-4th-howls-to-the-wind-minnesota-115-ny-104/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/julius-randle-shreds-knicks-in-4th-howls-to-the-wind-minnesota-115-ny-104/#respond Wed, 24 Dec 2025 17:28:31 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9766 Julius Randle was being out-played all night by Karl-Anthony Towns, but ripped the Knicks apart in the 4th quarter to lead the Timberwolves to a 115-104 win on a Tuesday night in Minnesota. Randle figuratively [...]

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]]> Julius Randle was being out-played all night by Karl-Anthony Towns, but ripped the Knicks apart in the 4th quarter to lead the Timberwolves to a 115-104 win on a Tuesday night in Minnesota.

Randle figuratively howled at the Knicks bench after dynamic scores in the 4th — at one point showing off his muscles, another time staring the bench down — clearly opining to NY that they should not have traded him a year and a half ago. The announcers on MSG noted that there was nobody on the bench who was here when Randle last played for the Knicks, as coach Tom Thibodeau has been replaced with Mike Brown, some of the assistant coaches have changed, and the Knick bench had Ariel Hukporti, Pacome Dadiet, Tosan Evbuomwan, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Trey Jemison III — all newcomers — sitting there.

So maybe Randle was howling at the wind, but his performance ended up eclipsing KAT’s big night — Towns finished with 40 points on 14-24 shooting (3-6 from 3) with 13 rebounds in his former home arena.

Randle Was Laying in the “Weed”s?

Randle entered the 4th having a quiet night with 8 pts in an 85-79 game, Minnesota with a slight lead — but began attacking the rim to put the game away for the Wolves. He scored 17 in the period for 25 pts overall.

The MSG announcers said he seemed to have been laying in the weeds — and said that was an accidental double entendre of Randle stating before this season that quitting weed after the Knicks trade to the Timberwolves improved his mental health and helped him stay โ€˜presentโ€™.

No Brunson, No McBride — But NY Had Kolek

NY was without Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby — and Miles McBride and Landry Shamet remain out as well. Minnesota was led most of the night by Ant Man, Anthony Edwards, who finished with 38 pts on 15-27 shooting (4-10 from 3).

Tyler Kolek was a hero for NY — scoring a career-high 20 pts (on 9-22 shooting, 2-6 from 3), with 8 assists, 11 rebounds, and 2 steals in 31 minutes.

Ant Man Starred Too

Minny took a 16-pt lead in the 2nd quarter, which KAT and the Knicks sliced down to a point (at 53-52) just before the half. Minny again pushed out to a 10-pt lead in the 3rd quarter, but Kolek helped NY erase that and take the lead midway through the period. The game remained close until Randle took over in the 4th.

Coach Finch’s Thoughts on Randle

โ€œSame thing as usual,” said Minnesota coach Chris Finch about Randle afterwards. “He just picked up his energy, his force, his thrust, he played in clean lines, he didnโ€™t over complicate anythingโ€ฆ his defense was excellent.โ€

NY falls to 20-9; Minnesota improves to 20-10. Both teams were red-hot coming in — the Wolves have now gone 10-2 in their last 12, and beat Oklahoma last week.

1. KAT & Ant Man Dominate the 1st Half

Karl-Anthony Towns was coming off a 2-pt performance in a win over XXX, wherein he only took 5 shots because Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and everyone else on the Knicks was lighting it up so much.

But with Brunson and OG out for this one, KAT came out looking to step it up from the start — especially in his old home Minnesota, where he expressed he loved playing.

With Brunson and McBride out, Tyler Kolek started for the Knicks at the point.

The teams went back and forth in the 1st quarter — KAT dominating the Knick scoring, while Minny had a distributed attack from Anthony Edwards, Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley.

2. Minny Takes 16-Pt Lead in 2nd; NY Pulls Back within a Point

Bones Hyland came in to be a pain in the ass as he normally is against the Knicks, hitting three 3’s early in the 2nd quarter to give Minny a 44-30 lead.

Rudy Gobert got a bucket inside off an offensive rebound and the Wolves were up 16 at 46-30.

But KAT came right back with 6 straight points on a jumper, free throws off a drive, and another drive to slice the lead to 10. Josh Hart joined in with a drive-and-1, KAT dunked inside off a Jordan Clarkson assist, Clarkson hit a 3, Mikal Bridges hit a 3, and Clarkson hit another 3 and NY was within 53-52 with 55 seconds left in the half.

The Wolves scored 5 pts in the last 35 seconds however — a DiVincenzo 3 and Gobert offensive rebound and tip-in — for a Minnesota 58-52 halftime lead.

3. Minny Takes 12-Pt Lead in 3rd

Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards hit 3’s early in the 3rd and Minny was up 12 again, at 64-52.

4. Kolek Leads Knicks Back to Take Lead

But Tyler Kolek continued to push back hard — taking control offensively with a pullup and a 3, and orchestrating the Knick offense.

KAT hit a 3 off a Josh Hart assist, and Bridges hit a 3 off a Kolek assist — and NY had a 69-67 lead.

5. Edwards Gets Hot at End of 3rd

But Anthony Edwards pushed back — with defense and offense — hitting a pullup, a step-back, and a 3-pointer, and a dunk off a steal of a Josh Hart pass and Minnesota was up 80-74.

NY pushed back to within 82-79, but Jaylen Clark hit a 3 with 1 second left in the quarter to put Minny back up by 6 — a deflating shot for NY.

6. Randle Goes Off in 4th

NY was down 89-83 in the 4th when Julius Randle scored on a drive off a DiVincenzo steal — and that seemed to ignite Randle. He then hit a fadeway and a 12-footer.

And then he dunked off a steal of a Josh Hart pass and the Wolves were up 97-85 as Randle demonstrably stared at the Knick bench

Tyler Kolek continued to penetrate and score for NY — as the Wolves double-teamed KAT.

Kolek hit a drive and a 3 to pull NY within 7 at 97-90 with 6:13 left.

But Randle again answered with a drive-and-1 off a DiVincenzo assist, then made 2 free throws off a dive and it was 104-90 Minny with 4:56 left.

An Anthony Edwards steal of a Josh Hart pass and dunk put Minny up 16 with 4:43 left. It was looking bad for NY.

Still the Knicks came back — KAT with a 3, Hart with a drive, and Hart with a 3 to pull NY within 109-100 with 3:10 left.

But again Randle replied with a bucket for a 111-100 Wolves lead with 2:44 left.

Tyler Kolek got fouled on a drive, but after a challenge and review Mitchell Robinson was called for an offensive foul and the Knicks were pretty much done.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810271

The post Julius Randle Shreds Knicks in 4th & Howls to the Wind. Minnesota 115 NY 104 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/julius-randle-shreds-knicks-in-4th-howls-to-the-wind-minnesota-115-ny-104/feed/ 0 Brunson’s 47 Pts & Bridges’ 3’s Lead Knicks to Win. NY 132 Miami 125 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/brunsons-47-pts-bridges-3s-lead-knicks-to-win-ny-132-miami-125/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/brunsons-47-pts-bridges-3s-lead-knicks-to-win-ny-132-miami-125/#respond Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:09:15 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9752 Jalen Brunson made up for a stinkeroo shooting performance the prior game by seemingly hitting every shot he took from the opening bell — scoring 47 pts on 15-26 shooting (6-13 from 3, 11-11 from [...]

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]]> Jalen Brunson made up for a stinkeroo shooting performance the prior game by seemingly hitting every shot he took from the opening bell — scoring 47 pts on 15-26 shooting (6-13 from 3, 11-11 from the free throw line) with 8 assists and 0 turnovers to lead the Knicks to a 132-125 win over Miami on a Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks in general shot lights out — 20-38 from 3 (53%) on the night — with Mikal Bridges adding 24 pts on 9-14 shooting (6-7 from 3), OG Anunoby adding 18 pts (on 6-12 shooting), and Josh Hart pushing the pace all night and scoring 13 pts on 5-10 shooting (3-5 from 3). Tyler Kolek also had a bounce-back night (6 pts, orchestration, and good D in 22 min), and Jordan Clarkson was Fire (10 pts on 4-5 shooting, 3-4 from 3).

The lights-out shooting included several circus shots — a Josh Hart 40 footer late in the 4th; a Brunson dagger 3 from the corner even later in the 4th, after a wild save of a ball from going out of bounds by Mitchell Robinson as the 24-second clock was expiring; a Mikal Bridges heave, and a Brunson buzzer-beater-3 to end the 1st half.

Karl-Anthony Towns was the lone Knick to have a poor shooting night — only 2 pts on only 5 shots taken (1-5) in 29 minutes — as he had to deal with 20-year-old 7-footer Kel’el Ware all night — who was a load-ful. KAT Dominated Ware in their first meeting this year, but since then Ware has upped his game and dominated the Knick front line of KAT and Robinson this night — a very rare thing to do. Ware had 28 pts on 11-15 shooting (5-7 from 3) with 19 rebounds, and led Miami to a 45-36 rebounding advantage in the game.

Even Mitchell Robinson had a hard time ripping rebounds away from Ware — although Mitch had a good night with 9 pts on 3-4 shooting and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes — and was 3-3 from the free throw line, which means he has now hit 9 free throws in a row after the NY shooting coaches had him adjust his elbow on his shot.

“When you talk about MVPs especially, but All-Stars as well, you have to find a way to impact the game,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards about Brunson. “Sometimes, your shot’s not going in. How else can you do it? You could try to do it defensively, you could try to do it rebounding offensively, rebounding defensively, running the floor to see if you can get an easy one. Jalen’s constantly trying to do those things; he’s trying to test the paint and spray it; if he doesn’t get the outlet he’s putting his dead down and trying to get to the corner.”

“When you’re that type of player,” Brown continued, “just trying to constantly find different ways to impact the game — especially offensively when you can score like he can — is huge. And he’s been doing that night in and night out.”

NY is now 2-2 vs Miami this year. The Knick. improve to 20-8, 2 games back of Detroit in the East. Miami falls to 15-14.

1. Miami & Ware Jump Out to Lead, Brunson Starts to Light Up

The Knicks knew going in they would have to fight on the boards against the rapidly rising Kel’el Ware and old-timer Bam Adebayo.

  • In the 1st matchup between the teams this year, KAT had 15 pts (on 6-14 shooting, 2-8 from 3) but ripped down 18 rebounds against Ware who had 5 pts and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes.
  • In their 2nd matchup, in November, KAT Dominated Kel’el Ware from the opening bell — scoring 39 pts on 13-26 shooting (6-14 from 3) with 11 rebounds to Ware’s 15 pts and 10 rebounds.
  • In their 3rd matchup, KAT had 22 pts (on 7-19 shooting (1-7 from 3) and 15 rebounds to Ware’s 16 pts (on 7-9 shooting) and 14 rebounds.

On this night it was all Ware from the opening bell. Ware hit a deuce, then consecutive 3’s, then an alley-oop layup and Miami was up 18-9 early.

Andrew Wiggins hit a 3 and Davion Mitchell made a runner to increase Miami’s lead to 10 pts at 26-16.

But Jalen Brunson started to catch fire and light it up in the last 5 minutes of the 1st quarter — a floater, a 3, another floater, free throws off a drive, and then hitting Mitchell Robinson for a slam dunk underneath.

Brunson hit another 3 after buckets by Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson and NY pulled to within 34-30 before a Dru Smith 3 gave Miami a 37-30 lead after 1 quarter.

“Tweeted below in 2018 on Jalen Brunson,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Also, Jalen puts his defender at his mercy not the other way around whether taking you off the bounce and finishing in lane, using floaters, hitting his jumper, backing u down, creating contact while using big time footwork, fundamentals and IQ.”

2. Bridges & Brunson Shoot Knicks to Lead at the Half

Tyler Kolek was in at the point to start the 2nd quarter, and he was ‘on point’ again — after an off game on Friday, after he lit MSG up on Thursday.

Jordan Clarkson started the quarter with a 3 off a Mikal Bridges assist, and then Bridges hit a 3 off a Clarkson assist, and Kolek penetrated for a drive and NY continued to cut Miami’s lead.

Mikal Bridges hit back-to-back 3’s, the later on a Kolek assist and then Brunson re-entered the game and he and Kolek played together.

Brunson continued to light it up with a 3 and a drive, Bridges hit consecutive 3’s, and Brunson hit a pull-up and a 3 for 13 consecutive Knick points and a 61-57 Knick lead.

Robinson Continues to Make Free Throws

As the half ended, Mitchell Robinson was fouled and went to the free throw line — where he had made his last 7 straight free throws the game before. And this time — he went 2-2 as the Garden roared.

Brunson hit a 3 at the buzzer to give NY a 66-62 halftime lead.

3. OG Leads the Defense As Knicks Hold Onto Lead in 3rd

Old nemesis Norman Powell started to heat up to start the 2nd half — making a bucket to pull Miami within 2, then hitting free throws off a drive the next time down to again pull Miami within 2.

But NY had an answer, as Josh Hart hit a 3 and OG Anuoby blocked a Davion Mitchell shot, leading to an OG dunk down the other end.

OG then blocked Andrew Wiggins’ jumper which led to a Brunson drive down the other end and NY was up 75-66.

NY was able to maintain a narrow lead throughout the 3rd quarter, despite Norman Powell being a pain in the ass with drives and 3’s, and a 3 by Jaime Jaquez Jr.

But Brunson continued to bring it for NY.

A Mitchell Robinson dunk-and-1 off an OG pass with .7 seconds left, and another made free throw gave NY a 105-99 lead heading into the 4th.

4. Knicks Push Lead to 11 Pts Early in 4th with Circus Shots

Tyler Kolek was in at the point to start the 4th, and he played a significant part of the period, playing alongside Brunson when he re-entered.

OG Anunoby continued to go to the basket and get fouled — he went 4-4 from the free throw line to start the quarter, and a Kolek drive gave NY an 11-pt lead at 111-100.

But Miami would not go away — a Jaquez fade-away jumper and Bam Adebayo jumper and 2 free throws off a drive pulled them back within 5.

Hart Circus Shot

But Mikal Bridges fired back with a 3, and then Josh Hart heaved up a 40-footer on a broken play as the 24-second clock was expiring and NY’s lead was back to 11 with 6:44 left.

But Kel’el Ware and Miami kept coming — a Ware free throw off a drive then alley-oop dunk next time down cut NY’s lead, and Bam Adebayo free throws pulled Miami within 6.

Brunson-from-Mitch Circus Shot

That’s when Mitchell Robinson scattered for an offensive rebound off an OG miss, saving the ball from going out of bounds and tossing it in to Brunson who hit a corner 3 as the 24 second clock expired for a 120-111 NY lead with 4:49 left.

5.ย Miami Pulls Within 2 Late– But Hart, Bridges, Brunson Finish It

Still Miami would not go away — Adebayo working it inside for free throws, another Ware 3, and Jamie Jaquez Jr. free throws and Miami was within 120-118 with 3:12 left.

But KAT fed Josh Hart underneath for a layup, the Knicks D forced Norman Powell into a missed drive, and Mikal Bridges hit ANOTHER 3 and NY was back up 125-118 with 2:15 left.

Jamie Jaquez Jr. missed 2 free throws with 1:53 left, and Brunson missed a 3 but landed on Norman Powell’s outstretched foot — a flagrant was called on Powell and Brunson sank 3 free throws and Miami’s chances. NY 128 Miami 118 with 1:34 left.

Jaquez hit a drive but OG countered with a bucket with 44 seconds left and that was the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810253

The post Brunson’s 47 Pts & Bridges’ 3’s Lead Knicks to Win. NY 132 Miami 125 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/brunsons-47-pts-bridges-3s-lead-knicks-to-win-ny-132-miami-125/feed/ 0 Mitchell Robinson’s Great Game Can’t Save Knick Stinkeroo Shooting. Philly 116 NY 107 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/mitchell-robinsons-great-game-cant-save-knick-stinkeroo-shooting-philly-116-ny-107/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/mitchell-robinsons-great-game-cant-save-knick-stinkeroo-shooting-philly-116-ny-107/#respond Sat, 20 Dec 2025 13:58:56 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9748 Thud. The Knicks 8-game winning streak came to an end on a night when they couldn’t shoot straight on the backend of a back-to-back, losing to Philly 116-107 on a cold Friday night at Madison [...]

The post Mitchell Robinson’s Great Game Can’t Save Knick Stinkeroo Shooting. Philly 116 NY 107 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> Thud.

The Knicks 8-game winning streak came to an end on a night when they couldn’t shoot straight on the backend of a back-to-back, losing to Philly 116-107 on a cold Friday night at Madison Square Garden — heavy winds plunging temperatures into the 20’s outside.

The Knicks finally had a let down after just beating Indiana at the buzzer the night before, and winning the In-Tourney Championship 2 nights before that. NY shot 8-32 from 3 (25%) and were outscored 16-2 on points off turnovers.

The loss wasted Mitchell Robinson‘s great game — his new free-throw shooting motion finally produced results, as he shot 7 for 8 from the free throw line — and scored 21 pts on 7-8 shooting, with 16 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal in 26 minutes.

He and Karl-Anthony Towns played in tandem much of the night — and KAT did well as well with 22 pts on 7-15 shooting (1-5 from 3) with 11 rebounds.

But Jalen Brunson had a tough shooting night (7-22, 1-7 from 3), as did OG Anunoby (2 pts on 1-9 shooting, 0-4 from 3). Mikal Bridges held up his end with 21 pts on 9-16 shooting (3-7 from 3), and Jordan Clarkson had 9 pts on 4-6 shooting). Tyler Kolek had a falloff from his great evening the night before, as he turned the ball over 4 times in 15 minutes. The 76ers seemed to be hunting his passes.

Philly out-hustled NY much of the evening, especially 6’4 rookie VJ Edgecombe — the #3 pick in last June’s draft — who scored 23 pts on 10-18 shooting (3-6 from 3) and Tyrese Maxey who scored 30 pts on 11-24 shooting.

“We weren’t really looking too far ahead, so we didn’t realize how challenging going right into a back-to-back and then an earlier game on Sunday,” said Josh Hart afterwards. “We knew it was going to be a challenge; gotta make sure we get our bodies right, get some sleep, some good food, and try to get back on Sunday.”

“Feel more comfortable, getting my elbow under it, getting it up in the air a little more,” said Mitchell Robinson about his free throws. On his big game, he said: “Felt great, but doesn’t really mean too much because we lost.”

NY falls to 19-8; Philadelphia improves to 15-11.

1. Tie Game After 1 Quarter

The game went back and forth in the 1st quarter — Philly getting scoring from Tyrese Maxey, Dominick Barlow, VJ Edgecombe, and Andre Drummond, who hit the first of 3 three’s he would hit on the night.

Guerschon Yabusele hit a 3 against his old team, and raised a fist in celebration.

Mitchell Robinson was fouled near the end of the quarter — and missed the first free throw, but hit the 2nd to a cheer from the MSG crowd — tying the game at 29-29.

Robinson would proceed to hit the next 6 free throws he would take on the evening.

2. Close Game at the Half — NY Leads 59-57

Mitchell Robinson wasn’t just hitting free throws — he was dominating on both ends of the court, blocking shots on D, ripping down rebounds on the offensive and defensive glass, dunking inside, and slamming home alley-oop passes.

A Robinson offensive rebound and put-back slam gave NY a 40-34 lead early in the 2nd.

Tyler Kolek came in to start the 2nd quarter, but wasn’t as sharp as the night before — as Philly seemed to be ghosting him looking for a pass or to disrupt him by knocking the ball away from behind — as Quentin Grimes did with 7:21 left in the quarter, leading to a Kolek foul and 2 Grimes free throws.

NY led 59-54, but a Paul George 3-pter with 34 seconds left made it 59-57 NY at the half.

3. Close Game After 3 — Philly Leads 88-87

Philly came out of the break with renewed energy — and took a 72-65 lead, based on the athletic play of VJ Edgecombe with a 3 and a couple of drives, and a couple of 3’s by Drummond.

Mitchell Robinson continued to be the story for NY, and his free throws the story within the story — as Madison Square Garden cheered as he hit free throw after free throw — he went 3-3 in the quarter, one after a drive-and-1.

Kolek came in late in the 3rd quarter but again wasn’t as effective as the night before — missing his shot and turning the ball over 2 more times.

Philly had an 88-87 lead after 3.

4. Philly Takes It in 4th As Knicks Can’t Hit Shots

And Jalen Brunson kept missing shots — floaters, 3’s, everything he took. And OG Anunoby was scoreless on the night going into the 4th quarter — missing everything he took.

Mitchell Robinson continued to dominate for NY in the 4th — scoring the first 5 pts for NY, including a drive-and-1 for a 92-92 NY lead.

But Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey answered with back-to-back 3’s and Philly was back up 97-92.

Mitchell Robinson answered with a dunk off a Mikal Bridges assist, but Jared McCain answered with a deuce and the game went back and forth — Philly with a 3- to 5-pt lead until the final 4 minutes — when VJ Edgecombe went off — hitting a pullup and a 3 to put Philly up 108-102 with 3:07 left.

Edgecombe Goes Off in Final 4 Minutes to Seal Philly Win

Mikal Bridges hit a 3 to give NY one final push — pulling them within 108-105 with 2:24 left — but Andre Drummond answered with a drive-and-1, Brunson missed a 3, and VJ Edgecombe — again — came out of nowhere to put back an offensive rebound off a Maxey miss to seal the game — Philly 113- NY 105 with 1:38 left.

“VJ Edgecombe has the big time athleticism, a nice skillset, ability to create his own, find the open man,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines, “but even more impressive is his motor, he defends hard the entire possession, takes pride in getting stops, first one on the floor for a loose ball all while playing within himself.”

KAT came back with a 3 with 1:10 left to pull NY within 6 but Maxey answered with a 3 and it was good night NY, into the Windy, bitter cold NYC evening.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810237

The post Mitchell Robinson’s Great Game Can’t Save Knick Stinkeroo Shooting. Philly 116 NY 107 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/mitchell-robinsons-great-game-cant-save-knick-stinkeroo-shooting-philly-116-ny-107/feed/ 0 Brunson Game-Winning 3, OG D, & “Thank the Lord for Tyler Kolek”. NY 114 Indiana 113 https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/brunson-game-winning-3-thank-the-lord-for-tyler-kolek-ny-114-indiana-113/ https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/brunson-game-winning-3-thank-the-lord-for-tyler-kolek-ny-114-indiana-113/#respond Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:50:35 +0000 https://www.knicks.city/?p=9739 Tyler Kolek lit up Knicks universe with another outstanding performance — this one his best yet as he rescued the Knicks from a 16-pt deficit in the 1st quarter, and a 16-pt deficit in the [...]

The post Brunson Game-Winning 3, OG D, & “Thank the Lord for Tyler Kolek”. NY 114 Indiana 113 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> Tyler Kolek lit up Knicks universe with another outstanding performance — this one his best yet as he rescued the Knicks from a 16-pt deficit in the 1st quarter, and a 16-pt deficit in the 3rd quarter to drive NY to a 114-113 win at Indiana on a Thursday night.

Jalen Brunson was the final hero — hitting a CLUTCH 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left to turn a 113-111 Knick deficit into a 114-113 lead, and then OG Anunoby stole Indiana’s in-bound pass to win it for NY — racing up the court for a drive that was blocked, but Tyler Kolek securing the rebound with less than a second remaining as the clock ran out.

Kolek was a perpetual-motion machine — pushing the tempo relentlessly and putting Indiana on their heels whenever he was in the game. His passing was faster than your eye could see — hitting guys with perfect dishes for easy scores — guys whom you didn’t even see were open watching on tv. Kolek was orchestrating, commanding guys where to go, penetrating, dishing, scoring, hitting 3’s, and playing heady and physical defense.

The Knicks rested a bunch of their regulars after winning the In-Season Tourney Cup 2 nights before in Vegas — Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart had the night off, with Miles McBride and Landry Shamet still out due to injury. Instead NY started Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti, and had Trey Jemison III, Guerschon Yabusele, and Pacome Dadiet as first 3 guys off the bench. Indiana was 6-20 coming in — and NY seemed to think they could win with their B team.

NY fell behind by 16 in the 1st quarter — and then brought Tyler Kolek in — and within minutes NY was back in the game — pulling within a point midway thru the 2nd quarter. NY fell behind by 16 in the 3rd quarter — but brought Tyler Kolek back in — and within minutes NY was back in the game. It was like that.

Kolek had 16 pts on 7-10 shooting (2-4 from 3) with 11 assists, 6 rebounds, a steal, and a block in 26 minutes — on a night when Jalen Brunson was subpar — despite 25 pts on 10-23 shooting (3-8 from 3) with 7 assists.

“Man I was garbage — to start the game; and then my second half was garbage as well,” said Jalen Brunson afterwards. “I want to thank The Lord for Tyler Kolek, for playing the way he’s playing… and saving me. We found a way to win this one.”

NY improves to 19-7, 1.5 behind Detroit which lost. Indiana falls to 6-21.

1. Knicks Use 3rd Team — Indiana Races Out to 16-Pt Lead

With NY resting KAT, Mitch Robinson, and Josh Hart after the In-Tourney Finals win in Las Vegas 2 nights earlier — and with Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet still out, coach Mike Brown started Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti, and subbed-in the 3rd team early in the game — with Trey Jemison III, Guerschon Yabusele, and Pacome Dadiet.

And Indiana raced out to a 16-pt lead in the 1st quarter as Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Quenton Jackson, and Bennedict Mathurin seemed to take offense. They jumped out to a 26-12 lead.

2. Kolek Comes In & Brings Knicks Back Into Game

Tyler Kolek entered the game to start the 2nd quarter with NY down 11, and immediately started to push the tempo, attacking, attacking, attacking Indiana — putting them on their heels.

He hit a 3, grabbed an offensive rebound, hit Bridges for a 3, penetrated — went one way then another for a score.

He fed big men for easy slams or layups.

And all the while relentlessly pushing the pace.ย  A Kolek fadeaway jumper brought NY within 53-50 with 2 minutes left. A Kolek feed to Brunson for a 3-and-1 made it 56-54 Indiana with 1:39 left in the half.

“Tweeted this below on Tyler Kolek in 2024 at Marquette,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Good to see Tyler now playing with confidence along with shooting the ball with confidence,creating for others, making the game easier, playing angles all while playing his role and valuing the basketball for the Knicks.”

3. Indiana by 3 at the Half — But Extend Back to 16-Pt Lead in 3rd

But Kolek was on the bench to start the 3rd, and Indiana started to pull away again.

Andrew Nembhard was red hot all evening (31 pts on 12-19 shooting, 4-5 from 3), Jay Huff was scoring inside, Bennedict Mathurin was getting buckets (16 pts on 7-18 shooting, 2-9 from 3), Pascal Siakam was doing his thing (26 pts on 9-22 shooting, 2-6 from 3) and T.J. McConnell came in to be a major pain in the ass as he always is (8 pts on 4-6 shooting) — and Indiana pulled back out to a 16-pt lead, at 86-70 after a Nembhard 3.

4. Kolek Comes Back In & Brings NY Back Into Game Again

Indiana was up 86-72 with 3:07 left in the quarter — when Tyler Kolek re-entered the game.

And just like that, he re-energized the Knicks, and led them right back into the game. He assisted Bridges on a dunk, penetrated, drew the defense — and sprayed back out to Bridges for a 3.

Kolek then fed Trey Jemison III for a drive-and-1, then fed Bridges for a 3. Indiana 89 NY 83 with a minute left in the 3rd. A Kolek 3 with 3 seconds left in the quarter pulled NY within 92-86.

5. Rollercoaster 4th Quarter

Jordan Clarkson came up big all night with scoring off the bench (18 pts on 6-12 shooting, 5-9 from 3). He hit a big 3 near the start of the 4th, and Kolek continued his amazing play — feeding Jemison for a dunk, hitting a drive and then hitting a pullup for a 95-94 Knick lead with 8:41 left.

The next 8 minutes would be a rollercoaster — as Indiana and NY battled back and forth for the lead. Indiana edged back out to a 109-102 lead — but NY came back on a huge OG 3 and a Brunson turnaround jump shot for a 109-108 Indiana lead with 3:14 left.

Nembhard hit a fadeaway, but OG hit another Huge 3 for a 111-111 tie with 1:51 left.

6. Brunson 3 Wins It; OG Steal Seals It

With 16 seconds left, Siakam was fouled by OG and made both free throws to put Indiana up, 113-111.

NY inbounded after a timeout, and Andrew Nembard gave Brunson a HARD personal take foul.

That seemed to piss Brunson off — as he told coach Mike Brown that he was going to take it.

NY inbounded again with 11 seconds left, and Brunson hit a CLUTCH 3 with 5.6 seconds left for a 114-113 NY lead — with a double bang from Mike Breen.

Indiana still had a chance — inbounding with 4.4 seconds left — but Siakam stumbled and OG Anunoby stole the ball — racing down the court for a layup that Siakam blocked — but too late as Kolek grabbed the rebound as the clock expired.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810227

The post Brunson Game-Winning 3, OG D, & “Thank the Lord for Tyler Kolek”. NY 114 Indiana 113 appeared first on Knicks.City.

]]> https://www.knicks.city/2025-26/brunson-game-winning-3-thank-the-lord-for-tyler-kolek-ny-114-indiana-113/feed/ 0