New York Knicks

Another electric performance from Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to a 124-118 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Brunson had 42 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the win, putting together a clutch fourth quarter in which he dropped 17 points to help New York mount a double-digit comeback. He had a handful of crucial buckets late in the game, including a three-pointer that gave the Knicks a four-point cushion with just a minute to play.

After the Rockets cut the lead to two points with just under 40 seconds left, Brunson forced a turnover that ultimately helped seal the win as New York iced the game at the free-throw line.

While Brunson was the main storyline in the win, his supporting cast put together a good game as well. Mikal Bridges dropped 22 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 as well and Josh Hart finished with 19 points.

On the Rockets' side, second-year forward Amen Thompson continued to prove himself with a big game against one of the best teams in the league. Thompson had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss.

After pulling off the gutsy win, fans had high praise for another clutch performance from Brunson.

The Knicks are getting hot at the right time, as they've now won six of their last seven games as the All-Star break nears. They're currently in third place in the Eastern Conference at 33-17 but are closing in on the struggling Boston Celtics in second place.

OG Anunoby suffered a right foot sprain during the New York Knicks' Saturday night loss to the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said postgame he hadn't yet spoken with the Knicks' medical team, but that Anunoby's initial X-rays were negative.

Thibodeau added that he is unsure if Anunoby will undergo an MRI on the non-contact injury.

Jalen Brunson told reporters after the game he didn't know the extent of Anunoby's injury.

"We're praying for him and just waiting to see what we hear," Brunson said, per SNY's Ian Begley.

Anunoby suffered the non-contact injury after receiving a pass from Jalen Brunson and gearing up to take a shot over LeBron James in the third quarter of the 128-112 loss to the Lakers.

He could be seen grimacing in pain and holding the back of his right leg before leaving for the locker room. He was replaced for the remainder of the loss by Precious Achiuwa.

Anunoby had started every one of the Knicks' 48 games heading into Saturday in what has so far been one of the healthiest seasons of his career.

Heading into the matchup with the Lakers, he was averaging 16.4 points per game while leading the Knicks' defense with 0.9 blocks and adding 1.4 steals per game.

Thibodeau has tended to lean heavily on his starting rotation this season, and Anunoby has ranked third to just Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart for the most minutes per game so far this season.

If Anunoby is forced to miss any time, Thibodeau will need to turn to bench options like Achiuwa as the Knicks' depth on both offense and defense is tested.

The New York Knicks have interest in Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher as next Thursday's trade deadline approaches, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.

Bondy reported the news in his Post Sports+ Inside the Knicks newsletter (h/t Justin Tasch of the New York Post).

The 32-year-old Boucher, an eight-year NBA veteran, is averaging 10.5 points on 50.5 percent shooting and 4.3 rebounds in 17.4 minutes.

Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported on Tuesday that the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Knicks had trade interest in Boucher, an impending free agent earning $10.8 million this season.

Boucher is notably best friends with Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who landed in New York on Dec. 30, 2023 via trade after being in Toronto for six-plus seasons.

"That's what you guys are going to get all the time [from Anunoby being quiet]. Don't be surprised," Boucher told Bondy.

"It's just his personality. That's how he became my best friend, to be honest with you. At first I was like, 'Man, why is he like that?' And when I realized that's really who he is, I was like, 'Well, you could always work with people like that, people who stay to themselves regardless of what happens.'"

Anunoby would certainly be happy if Boucher lands with the Knicks. He'd also be a great pickup for a scorching-hot team that's won five straight games to move to 32-16, just a game back of the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference.

New York could use more depth off the bench, and Boucher would be a great option, especially considering his penchant for buckets in short amounts of time. The Knicks also frankly need players who will take some stress off a hard-working starting five, which has seen plenty of court time this year. New York has championship aspirations, though, and the team certainly doesn't want to run out of gas before the playoffs.

For now, Boucher is a name to watch for the Knicks, but his expiring contract and good season should have another teams interested too.

The New York Knicks reportedly may be willing to part with injured center Mitchell Robinson before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, league sources believe the Knicks are "open" to trading Robinson, who has yet to play this season after undergoing foot surgery back in May.

Robinson is under contract through next season at a salary of $14.3 million in 2024-25 and $12.9 million in 2025-26.

The 26-year-old Robinson has spent his entire seven-year career with the Knicks, compiling career averages of 8.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

While highly effective as a rim protector when healthy, injuries have been a major issue for Robinson in recent years.

He has played fewer than 60 games in four of the past five seasons, including missing 51 games last season.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said this week that Robinson still isn't practicing and only recently started running and jumping, so it is fair to wonder if there is any chance of him making an impact this season.

If not, including Robinson as part of a trade package for a player who can help the Knicks right now makes plenty of sense.

At 32-16, the Knicks are third in the Eastern Conference, and only one game behind the second-place Boston Celtics, who won the NBA championship last season.

While New York is undoubtedly a top team and a title contender, no other team in the NBA has relied on its starting five more heavily than the Knicks.

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart have combined for 228 starts this season, and they collectively average 99.2 points per contest.

Only seven starts have come from other players on the roster this season, and five were by center Jericho Sims, who filled in while Towns was briefly out injured.

Per Edwards, league sources view Sims as the player on New York's roster who is most likely to get traded before the deadline, although his $2 million salary would make it difficult to bring back an impact player.

Edwards noted that the Knicks are in the market for wing depth, and there aren't many, if any, quality wings with a salary that low.

Regardless, the Knicks seem like strong candidates to be active leading up to the deadline due to their clear need for bench players who can spell the starters while also providing quality minutes.

The New York Knicks downed the Denver Nuggets 122-112 on Wednesday behind another tremendous night from Jalen Brunson.

Brunson had his sixth game with 30 or more this month, dropping 30 on 10-of-16 from the field. His vision was on display as well as he dished out 15 assists. Brunson had a bit of a slow start to the game but got things going with an 18-point third quarter to carry his team to the win.

OG Anunoby had a solid touch from deep in the win, hitting five of his seven three-point attempts to finish with 23 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points and 10 boards.

It was a commendable night for Jamal Murray, who had 33 points, six assists and five boards, but it wasn't enough to get past New York. Nikola Jokić had a quiet night by his standards, finishing with 17 points, six assists and six boards.

After the win, fans praised Brunson for his outstanding performance.

After a slow start to the season, the Nuggets put together a stretch in which they won eight of nine games earlier this month, but they've now begun to struggle, losing three in a row for the first time this season.

The Knicks, however, are rolling after winning their fifth in a row.

Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders prompted playful banter among New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart.

Brunson and Towns are both Eagles fans, and they didn't hesitate to troll Hart while his Commanders were getting blown out:

Hart responded with a tweet of his own:

It was recently revealed that Brunson and Hart placed a bet on Sunday's NFC Championship Game, which Hart will now have to pay up.

"There was a bet that was put on the table between Hart and Brunson," SNY's Ian Begley said during a recent episode of The Putback. "It hasn't been agreed to yet but it would be entertaining if it did come to fruition. I think those guys are still figuring it out. But I would expect some kind of bet."

Following Saturday's 143-120 win over the Sacramento Kings, Brunson even sent a message to Eagles fans to harass Hart while he attended the game at Lincoln Financial Field:

While Hart didn't back down at the time, his favorite team didn't deliver on his confidence.

The Commanders surrendered a 60-yard touchdown to star running back Saquon Barkley on the Eagles' first offensive play. Philadelphia totaled 229 rushing yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns on its way to earning its second trip to the Super Bowl in the last three years.

Washington was hoping to make its first Super Bowl appearance since 1992. Despite the blowout loss, Hart and the rest of the Commanders fan base should be proud of the team's impressive campaign and confident that the future is bright for the franchise.

Longtime friends Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson may be New York Knicks teammates, but the two NBA stars are rooting for very different teams in Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.

Following a 143-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, Brunson seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire of their friendly rivalry.

"Tomorrow Josh Hart is going to the game, so Eagles fans you know what to do," Brunson told reporters. "Whenever you see someone not wearing Eagles gear, harass the hell out of them."

Hart fired back at Brunson's jab, somehow pulling fellow teammate Cameron Payne into the rivalry—even though Payne didn't have much of a leg to stand on in the debate.

"I don't want to be harassed, I feel like we can all go to the game have a fun time," Brunson told reporters. "Cam Payne, he's an amazing dude, unfortunately his team is no longer in the NFL playoffs. I think they have their own turmoil in Pittsburgh. But, hail to the Commanders."

Hart and Brunson's history dates back to their time at Villanova, where they played together from 2015 to 2017 and won the 2016 National Championship in a thrilling 77-74 victory over North Carolina.

Hart, a native of Silver Spring, Maryland and Brunson, hailing from New Brunswick, New Jersey—just 64 miles from Philadelphia—have stood firm in their support for their teams' success since the start of the season.

They have also remained steadfast in their disdain for each other's team.

With the pinnacle of their heated rivalry taking place on Sunday, Knicks fans might need to brace for Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies—where one teammate will undoubtedly be playing with his head held high.

The key to fixing the depth issues on the New York Knicks roster appear to revolve around Mitchell Robinson.

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Robinson's return to the lineup or his value on the trade market could be the "one real path" to shoring up the depth of the roster that has led the franchise to a 29-16 start.

"The one real path to changing that, according to sources, is injured center Mitchell Robinson -- either by his return to the court after he has missed the entire season so far with foot and ankle issues, or by his inclusion in a trade," Bontemps and Windhorst wrote.

Robinson has been out for the entirety of the 2024-25 season due to offseason ankle surgery. He played in 31 games in 2023-24 for New York, averaging 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He also appeared in six playoff games, averaging 2.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

He would slot in behind Karl-Anthony Towns on the Knicks depth chart and could help ease some pressure on the team's starting five of Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. Windhorst and Bontemps reported that Anunoby, Hart, Brunson and Bridges all rank in the top five in the NBA in minutes while Towns is in the top 25.

While this means that the team's top players have been impacting the game on a night-by-night basis, it also could result in some burnout when the grind of the postseason begins. Robinson's presence at this time could help, but the lack of resources for a potential trade beyond him may make him more expendable by the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The New York Knicks narrowly avoided an upset loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, defeating their crosstown rival 99-95.

The Knicks led by as many as 10 on Tuesday, but the Nets rallied to make things interesting late. Ultimately, Brooklyn's comeback fell just short.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for the Knicks in his second game back from injury, posting 25 points, 16 boards, six assists, three steals and a pair of blocks. The first-year Knick is having one of the best seasons of his career, putting up 25.1 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.

Towns' co-star, Jalen Brunson, struggled for much of the night but got things going late to help close out the game. He finished with 17 points on 7-of-18 from the field.

After the win, fans praised Towns for a big night and applauded Brunson for coming up in the clutch.

The Knicks improved to 29-16 with the win and they currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference. While they're a ways away from the top seed in the East, they're gaining ground on the Boston Celtics thanks to their recent slump.