Category: NBA

Jersey Bulls Women won their 10th successive game as they recorded a 3-1 victory at Hartland.

The victory kept up the island side's perfect record since they joined the English football league system in the summer.

They are six points clear at the top of South East Counties Women's Football League Surrey Division One.

Bulls went behind in the 16th minute when Amy Littlewood found the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

But the islanders drew level 10 minutes later when Leah Morris found the net for the 10th time this season.

She then set up Natasha Keen who put Jersey Bulls in front shortly before half-time.

Sam Silva completed the win two minutes from full-time when she scored after a scramble as the hosts failed to clear a corner.

Bulls are next in action on 25 January when they travel to bottom side Guildford Saints, who have yet to win a point this season.

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• Jersey Bulls

The Knicks pulled out a 123-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night at the Moda Center. 

Here are some takeaways...

- Josh Hart showed no signs of rust in his return following an eight-game absence due to an ankle injury. The forward drilled a three on the Knicks' second possession of the game, and knocked down three of his first four shots for eight early points. He played the first 4:08 seconds before being subbed out for Miles McBride. 

- It wasn't just Hart, though, as New York got off to a strong offensive start as a team. They shot 54 percent from the field in the first but were struggling with Portland's athleticism on the other end, and after leading by as many as seven points, things were knotted up at 34 apiece at the end of the quarter. 

The Knicks were a bit sloppy, turning the ball over four times, leading to 12 Blazer fastbreak points. 

- Hart added four more points in the second quarter, but it was Karl-Anthony Towns who led the way for the Knicks. The big man had a bit of an injury scare but enjoyed a tremendous first half, producing 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting while reeling in seven boards, dishing three assists, and blocking two shots. 

- Jalen Brunson had 11 points of his own, OG Anunoby 10, and Mitchell Robinson chipped in six, while McBride had an uncharacteristically slow start, missing his first six shots (five threes). New York struggled to slow down Shaedon Sharpe (14), Deni Avdija (13), and Caleb Love (11) on the other end, but still held a five-point advantage at the break. 

- The Knicks came out of the locker room with energy, going on a 7-2 run thanks to Towns and Brunson. The big man drilled his second three of the night and Brunson put home a pair of lay-ins to help push the lead up to double digits for the first time in the game in the opening minutes of the second half. 

Hart made his presence felt again, diving on the floor for one of his signature hustle plays to spark a Brunson fastbreak.

- Poor offense and defense let Portland right back into this one, though. The lead was cut back down to five heading into the fourth quarter, and just minutes into the frame, the Blazers were able to even things up on a Robert Williams III slam, then Avdija's lay-in plus the foul gave them the lead. 

- Brunson was forced off the bench earlier than usual and quickly helped regain the lead. The teams traded buckets before the Knicks knocked down four straight clutch buckets to push the lead back to double digits. Anunoby drilled a pair of threes, McBride knocked down his first of the night, and Hart had a fastbreak lay-in. 

Portland got the deficit back down to five, but New York was able to hold on for the much-needed victory. 

- Hart played 31 minutes in his return from injury. He had 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, dished six assists, pulled in three boards, had a pair of steals, and one block. New York is now an impressive 20-9 when the 30-year-old forward is in the lineup this season. 

Brunson led all scorers with 26 points to go along with six rebounds and eight assists, Anunoby had 24 points, including two of the biggest threes of the game and seven boards, Towns chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds. Robinson made his presence felt off the bench with 11 rebounds of his own. 

New York attempted just eight free throws on the night, to Portland's 25. 

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby's clutch threes helped put this one away late in a back-and-forth fourth quarter. 

Highlights

Welcome back, Josh Hart! 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/lk0ldGI8Y2

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 11, 2026

OG THROWS IT DOWN! pic.twitter.com/2YIiJm0Smi

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 11, 2026

Blocked by KAT 🚫 pic.twitter.com/nNmc7MBZjG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 12, 2026

11 first-half points for Jalen Brunson 💪 pic.twitter.com/Ni4soNM1SA

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 12, 2026

Josh Hart is SO BACK pic.twitter.com/gbwhNt1kv3

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 12, 2026

Jalen Brunson floats it over Donovan Clingan! pic.twitter.com/8xVCnUUniN

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 12, 2026

Mikal Bridges for three! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/8pmx4T5puZ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 12, 2026

What's next

The Knicks continue their road trip with a Wednesday night meeting with the Kings. 

Tip is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. at the Golden 1 Center. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Cedric Coward hit two late 3-pointers and scored 21 points to help the Memphis Grizzlies hold off the Brooklyn Nets 103-98 on Sunday.

Jock Landale added 16 points and nine rebounds, and Santi Aldama had 15 points and eight rebounds. Cam Spencer had 12 points and 12 assists in the Grizzlies' last game before their two-game series against Orlando in Berlin and London.

Noah Clowney and Tyrese Martin led the Nets with 17 points each, and Danny Wolf and Jalen Wilson scored 11 points each. Wolf also had 10 rebounds. Martin was 6 of 8, going 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

Brooklyn led 98-90 after Clowney split a pair of free throws with three minutes Memphis scored the final 13 points, with Coward's second late 3 giving the Grizzlies a 101-98 lead with just less than a minute left.

Memphis, which squandered a 21-point second-half lead Friday night in a loss to Oklahoma City, watched the Nets open the second half with a 17-6 rally to pull even at 67.

Michael Porter Jr., who had 18 points and six assists in Friday's 121-105 loss to the Clippers, sat for the game due to rest. The Nets are playing 17 games this month, and Sunday was the first night of a road back-to-back.

Memphis led by 16 in the first half and had a 61-50 advantage at the break.

Brooklyn only had five free throws in the half, compared to 14 for Memphis — a point Nets coach Jordi Fernandez made clear to the officiating crew several times.

Up next

Nets: At Dallas on Monday night.

Grizzlies: Play Orlando on Thursday night in Berlin and Sunday in London.

It's still unclear exactly when Rui Hachimura will return for the Lakers after missing six games because of right calf soreness, but coach JJ Redick said the forward is trending toward playing soon.

That could be as early as Monday night when the Lakers play at the Sacramento Kings or Tuesday night when they play the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena.

Hachimura practiced Sunday and took extra shots after the session. “He was able to do everything in practice," Redick said.

Read more:Luka Doncic and LeBron James both falter at finish as Lakers lose to Bucks

Hachimura has been rehabbing for two weeks. He took part in a few practices and is eager to return.

Does he think he will play against the Kings?

“I think so. I think I felt good after [practice], but I got to check with the trainers and everybody and then we’ll see for tomorrow," Hachimura said.

When he does return, Hachimura will be on a minutes restriction and will probably come off the bench, Redick said.

Hachimura said his calf has “healed," giving him a chance to practice with the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League team.

Hachimura is averaging 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 27 games. He is shooting 52.1% from the field and 44.5% from three-point range,

“I’m fine,” he said. “I feel good about it."

Hachimura is aware how calf injuries have led to more serious ailments for NBA players. Although staying healthy is a priority with free agency looming at the end of the season, Hachimura said his main concern is helping the Lakers win games.

Read more:Luka Doncic has a triple-double, but LeBron-less Lakers lose to Spurs

“I think at the end of the day ... I’m trying to help this team win. That’s the whole purpose of being here,” he said. “I’ve been here for four seasons now. I think I’m one of the guys that has been here the longest too, so I’m happy to be here playing with these guys. The coaches and everybody, I love these guys.

"Of course the contract and stuff is coming up. But at the end of the day I’m just trying to focus on everyday, just in the moment. ... We got a second half that is coming. As a team too, but for me, I got to be ready for the playoffs.”

NBA suspends Kings guard Dennis Schroder

A day after the NBA suspended Sacramento point guard Dennis Schroder three games for confronting and attempting to strike Luka Doncic after a game on Dec. 28, Redick offered little insight into the incident.

“It's a league matter,” Redick said. “So, I don't really have a comment on it, to be honest with you. They made their decision. And it's up to them.”

The league said the incident occurred approximately 40 minutes after the game when Schroder sought out Doncic in a Crypto.com Arena hallway and initiated the confrontation.

The two had been sniping at each other all game, with Doncic at one point taunting Schroder for not signing an $84-million contract with the Lakers in 2021.

After the game, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, Schroder was hiding and waiting to attack Doncic in the hallway.

Redick was asked if he was aware of what happened.

“There's very few things I'm not aware of,” Redick said.

For his part, Schroder posted on social media, “Attempting,” with several emojis.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Warriors' kryptonite, dire need for roster changes exposed by the athletic Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors, on Sunday, walked into Chase Center hoping to extend an encouraging segment of the season and encountered their kryptonite.

They ran into Atlanta, whose roster is built to expose and exploit their most obvious vulnerabilities, and were overrun in a 124-111 loss that served as a harsh reminder of the Warriors’ shortcomings – literally – while sounding yet another alarm for their front office.

The roster is profoundly defective. As good as the Warriors have been of late, rediscovering offense and winning eight of their previous 11 games, their margin for error remains thinner than dollar-store tissue.

The Warriors are short; the Hawks are lengthy. The Warriors are light on elite athleticism; the Hawks could assemble a very good 400-meter relay squad. The Hawks showcased active, disruptive defenders and had enough shooters to take full advantage of the havoc they created against Golden State.

Kryptonite.

“They got a lot of long, lanky dudes, especially with their guard play,” De’Anthony Melton said.

“We struggled to get paint touches tonight,” Stephen Curry said. “The ball was kind of just swinging around the perimeter, and they were able to keep five bodies on bodies. That’s usually what good defenses do. Tonight, we didn’t have that answer.”

After carefully disassembling the Warriors in the first half, taking a 59-53 lead, Atlanta came out in the third quarter and took away their composure, sending them reeling and relapsing into a bad old habit.

Turnovers. Specifically, the live-ball giveaways. Golden State committed five in the pivotal third quarter, giving the Hawks 13 points. The damage at the final buzzer: 16 turnovers, for 28 Atlanta points.

The Warriors, conversely, forced nine turnovers, leading to 11 points.

“They just played a great game,” coach Steve Kerr said of the Hawks. “We couldn’t turn them over. They shot it lights out, had 32 assists, only seven turnovers. I didn’t think we played poorly. I didn’t think we played that well. Obviously, 10-for-42 (from deep), we needed to shoot better. But more than anything, they just played a great game and deserved it.”

The result is another night in which Curry did plenty of scoring – 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, only 3-of-11 from deep – and it wasn’t enough. Jimmy Butler III put in 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 2-of-6 beyond the arc. Didn’t matter.

Not when the rest of the team managed only 50 points on 42-percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from distance, while committing 11 of the 16 turnovers.

The Warriors led by as much as 10 in the first half, only to trail by as much as 25 in the second. They were outscored 20-7 over the final 6:07 of the third quarter.

Golden State’s offense seemed strangled in its efforts to penetrate a defense that featured 6-foot-9 Jalen Johnson, 6-foot-9 Onyeka Okongwu and 6-foot-11 Mouhammed Gueye up front, with 6-foot-7 defensive ace Dyson Daniels and 6-foot-5 Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt.

“Usually, there’s going to be one or two guys that you can kind of go at to create an advantage,” Curry said. “Doesn’t mean they’re just going to do that olé defense and just let you get to the paint. But you can create an advantage and then make them react, get the ball moving side to side. We did that well for short spurts out of the game. You just got to be able to have composure and attack if you have a little bit of an angle just to get downhill.”

Turns out Kerr was prophetic in the comments he made about the Hawks two hours before tipoff.

“We know how good they are defensively, with length everywhere,” Kerr said. “It’s really a game where we have to really keep it simple, make good decisions, and keep control of the game, make them score in the halfcourt.”

Mission not accomplished. And it won’t be the last time with Golden State’s current roster. Upgrades are needed to compete at the highest level of the Western Conference.

The Jonathan Kuminga trade market, which has been cool, opens on Thursday. The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 5, 25 days away.

To recover from a decisive loss and on Tuesday resume sustaining their recent surge, the Warriors will need to play near-perfect basketball – and hope it is enough.

They won’t have to be so flawless if they’re able to somehow, over the next 25 days, bring in a couple productive players with the goods to counteract kryptonite.

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Observations after Sixers fall to Raptors in OT to begin mini-series  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers wound up with no reward for playing five extra minutes in the first leg of a Toronto back-to-back.

They couldn’t seal the deal in regulation and fell to a 116-115 overtime loss to the Raptors on Sunday night. The teams will meet again on Monday. 

Scottie Barnes made the game-winning free throw with 0.8 seconds left in OT. He posted 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. 

Tyrese Maxey had 38 points and five assists.

The 21-16 Sixers were without Joel Embiid (left knee injury management and left groin soreness). Paul George was a late scratch with left knee soreness. 

RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram and Jakob Poeltl were sidelined for the 24-16 Raptors.

Here are observations on the Sixers’ overtime loss Sunday:

Same first-half shooting story  

The Sixers added Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond to their starting lineup in place of George and Embiid.

Dominick Barlow scored the team’s first six points on two layups and a pair of free throws. Outside of Barlow, the Sixers began 0 for 8 from the field. 

As was the case in their win Friday night over the Magic, the major first-half story for the Sixers was their dreadful jump shooting. The Raptors were in the same boat.

Jared McCain finally broke the three-point ice for both teams when he hit a nice side-step triple with 2.1 seconds left in the first quarter to give the Sixers a 25-22 edge. Overall, the Sixers and Raptors combined to shoot 3 for 26 beyond the arc in the first half. The Sixers and Magic had gone 3 for 33.

Raptors do damage in open floor

Toronto’s offense had much of its success early in the shot clock.

The Raptors created issues for the Sixers when they were backpedaling and failed to stop the ball. Led by Barnes, the Raptors constantly pushed the ball forward through both the pass and dribble. Toronto posted eight of the game’s first nine fast-break points.

Physicality and disputed whistles also emerged as early themes Sunday night.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse picked up a technical foul less than two minutes into the contest and had many further conversations with the officials. The Sixers ended up shooting 25 for 31 at the foul line and the Raptors went 29 for 39. 

Toronto built a 14-point advantage late in the second quarter and held a 58-48 lead at halftime.

Sixers squander chances to seal it

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s third game since returning from a left knee sprain was by far his best.

Oubre provided a serious jolt right after halftime with especially aggressive, athletic basketball on both ends of the floor. He made a personal 7-0 run, converting two layups and a corner three. Oubre also snagged three steals in the third quarter.

While Maxey and Oubre featured in the Sixers’ strong third quarter, Jabari Walker and Adem Bona also chipped in useful frontcourt minutes off the bench. Both Bona and Walker played high-energy, physical games and competed well on the glass. They totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks.

The Sixes eventually took a 73-71 lead on a Maxey mid-range jumper. They won the third quarter by 18 points and entered the fourth up by eight.

As Maxey watched the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Raptors surged ahead. No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles (17 points, 15 rebounds) threw down a put-back dunk and Toronto took an 88-86 lead.

The Sixers played Maxey off the ball for a stretch late in the fourth quarter and VJ Edgecombe (17 points on 6-for-19 shooting) had a rough time offensively. After Edgecombe missed a step-back three, Barnes drove on Barlow and slammed in a big dunk. Two Barnes free throws evened the game at 99 apiece.

Maxey soon resumed on-ball duties and appeared to have the Sixers on the verge of a victory. He made a difficult turnaround jumper, a driving layup, and a three that gave the Sixers a 107-103 edge with 20.1 seconds left.

From there, the Sixers squandered multiple chances to secure a regulation win.

Immanuel Quickley hit a long two from the left corner and the Sixers turned the ball over on the subsequent inbounds play. Oubre couldn’t complete a clean pass to Edgecombe along the sideline.

Quickley then came up well short on a baseline jumper attempt over Edgecombe, but Toronto retained possession because the rebound last deflected off of Bona.

Barnes threw his baseline out-of-bounds pass to Murray-Boyles. He drove and dished to Jamal Shead (22 points, six assists), who made a short push shot with 2.0 seconds to go. Quentin Grimes missed a half-court heave, sending the game to OT.

Just like the rest of the game, overtime was a back-and-forth affair. Edgecombe sunk a massive shot when Shead denied Maxey the ball late in the shot clock, burying a tightly guarded three with 15.6 seconds on the clock to knot it up at 115-all.

Barnes ultimately had the last word. He drove on Oubre, drew a foul with 0.8 seconds remaining and knocked down his first free throw. Barnes intentionally missed his second, meaning the Sixers had no way to steal the game, and the Raptors celebrated a hard-earned win.

The Knicks are set to receive a big boost on Sunday night, as Josh Hart is officially available for the road meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hart will slide right back into the starting lineup and won't face a minutes restriction. 

His return is certainly a welcomed sight for New York, as the forward has missed the last eight games with an ankle injury suffered in the win over the Cavaliers on Christmas Day.

SNY's Ian Begley said on this week's edition of the Putback that Hart had been "getting close," and he was upgraded to questionable for the first time on Saturday night. 

Now, the training staff has deemed he's made enough progress for a full return. 

The Knicks remain in second place in the Eastern Conference, but they struggled mightily with Hart sidelined, going 3-5 and dropping five of their last six games.

The 30-year-old had been playing some of his best basketball of the season before going down with the injury, putting together 14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds over his last 15 games. 

What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler combine for 61 in Warriors' loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Two teams came to Chase Center on Sunday with two-game win streaks. 

The Atlanta Hawks are the ones leaving town with a three-game win streak after the Warriors fell to them 124-111. 

The Warriors had a chance to earn their third three-game win streak of the 2025-26 NBA season and second at home. A win also would have put the Warriors four games above .500 for the first time this season, and beating the Portland Trail Blazers next game would have given the Warriors their first four-game win streak of the season. Those chances were wiped away in a 13-point loss.

Steph Curry scored a game-high 31 points but was 3 of 11 on 3-pointers. The Warriors now are 6-7 when he scores 30-plus points this season. Jimmy Butler scored 30 points for the fourth time this season, and also had seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. 

Missing shots and taking a step back in the turnover category turned the game into a track meet. That isn’t the kind of game the small, old and slow Warriors are built for playing the long, young and fast Hawks. The Warriors were outscored in fastbreak points 23-17, points off turnovers 28-11 and saw the Hawks have a 15-point advantage from deep.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors falling to 21-19 on the season. 

Playing Through Jimmy 

If it weren’t for Moses Moody shooting free throws, the same group that went on a 13-0 run at the end of the third quarter Friday night would have played the final three minutes and 47 seconds of the first quarter on Sunday. That group consists of Butler, Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford. Those five bring a combination of two-way impact, high IQ and shooting around Butler. 

All the ways that Butler stuffs the stat sheet showed up in the first quarter with five points, four assists and three rebounds. His four assists led to 10 points on passes to Horford twice, a cutting Quinten Post and a Curry 3-pointer. In the second quarter, Butler became the Warriors’ go-to scorer. 

Butler scored 10 straight points in the second quarter as he dominated around the rim and got to the free-throw line. The scoring barrage brought him to 17 points at halftime. 

Though Butler scored another 13 points in the second half, seven fewer than Curry but seven more than anybody else, his effort still came up short in a tough loss.

Disastrous Third Quarter 

A Dyson Daniels layup put the Warriors in a 12-point hole at the 8:47 mark of the third quarter, to which they responded admirably and went on an 11-0 run to get within one point of the Hawks. However, the Warriors were then outscored 24-9 the rest of the quarter. Just like that, the Warriors went from trailing by six points at halftime to facing a 16-point deficit. 

Curry had one of his third-quarter flurries of 12 points in eight and a half minutes, but the rest of the Warriors scored just 13 points. As a whole, the Warriors went 9 of 21 from the field (42.9 percent) and 3 of 13 on 3-pointers (23.1 percent) in the quarter. The Hawks were much more efficient, going 14 of 25 from the field (56 percent) and made 4 of their 10 threes. 

It’s not like the Hawks lit up from long distance in the third quarter – Luke Kennard did. The sharpshooter who is in the game for one reason was a perfect 4 of 4 while the rest of his teammates missed all six of their tries. 

But the Hawks also swiped three streaks and scored 13 points off four Warriors turnovers. 

New-Look Hawks 

Watching Trae Young drop dimes and let it fly from deep in a Hawks jersey is long gone. The Hawks chose a timeline and direction without him and are sticking to it. They’re now a Jalen Johnson-led team, which started well before trading Young to the Washington Wizards. 

The Hawks selected Johnson No. 20 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the same year the Warriors took Jonathan Kuminga at No. 7 and Moses Moody at No. 14. Johnson gradually was given more opportunities and made the Year 3 leap, a season in which he actually played 60 fewer minutes than Kuminga, clearing the runway for him to take off last season before being injured. 

Now, the Hawks have a 24-year-old Johnson who is playing like an NBA All-Star and franchise player. Why they’ve handed him the keys was clear against the Warriors. Johnson in one game against the Warriors last season scored 15 points with 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals. This time around, he was even better and finished at 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. 

Acquiring Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, from the Minnesota Timberwolves over the summer also was one of the more underrated offseason moves around the league. Alexander-Walker has gone from averaging 9.4 points per game last season to 20.5 entering Sunday, which is the biggest improvement in the NBA. He scored 17 points in the first half against the Warriors, and ended leading the Hawks with 24. They are the top of the pyramid for a new wave in Atlanta.

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The Knicks' defensive inconsistencies were on full display in a 112-107 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. New York’s defense came alive in the fourth quarter, holding Phoenix to 18 points, but in the previous two quarters, the club gave up 66 points.

The performance was a microcosm of the Knicks’ defense all season, which has been inconsistent. Currently tied for second place in the East with a 24-14 record, it’s been the year of experimentation for New York. We’ve seen more zone defense, switches, as well as the occasional trap. 

Despite these new wrinkles, the defense has produced underwhelming results. The Knicks defense is ranked 19th in the NBA after 38 games, and is 27th in the month of January. As we near the halfway mark of the season, let’s look at three major concerns with the Knicks' defense.

Point-of-attack

New York’s most glaring weakness on the defensive end is guarding the point-of-attack. Mikal Bridges has often been New York’s prime defender, and has struggled for the most part in a season and a half of chasing ballhandlers.

Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are all quality wing defenders, but they have all looked better in help roles where they can disrupt passing lanes and cut off drives rather than defend speedy guards capable of getting into the paint.

Miles McBride has been effective at times in the role. He has a near 6-foot-9 wingspan. But he’s also a 6-foot-2 guard, so there’s some matchups where that won’t be ideal. Landry Shamet is another capable point-of-attack defender. Shamet should return soon from a shoulder injury.

The Knicks could make a move externally. Names like Jose Alvarado,Ochai Agbaji, and Keon Ellis have been floated as potential trade targets to improve the defense. But realistically, those players wouldn’t be focal points of New York’s rotation. 

Brown has employed a zone at times to combat New York’s defensive issues and it’s been hit or miss. Most likely, the Knicks will have to improve from within to elevate the defense. 

Defending behind the arc

New York’s lack of an elite point-of-attack option has bled into another part of the defense, the three-point line. The Knicks are overhelping in the paint to contain drives and shots on the interior. 

That strategy is working to a degree. New York is keeping teams subdued on the inside. The Knicks allow 46.2 points in the paint per 100 possessions per NBA Stats, the sixth best mark in the league. But the focus on the paint has exposed the perimeter. The Knicks are giving up the third most three-point attempts in the NBA. Opponents are also shooting 37.3 percent from three, a figure that is tied for 27th in the NBA. 

New York struggled to contain the three on Friday, giving up 15 three-pointers in the first three quarters, before holding the Suns to just one trifecta in the final quarter. One reason for the improved defense was a switching strategy on the pick-and-roll. Switching could be something the Knicks defense goes to more as the season wears on. 

Star liabilities

New York’s Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are the two weakest defenders among the team’s top seven rotation players. But as the two top scorers on the team, they’re also crucial to New York’s offense. It’s a delicate balance that the Knicks have to constantly manage.

The opposition will try to bring Brunson and Towns into offensive actions to attack the two stars and create chaos. In the Eastern Conference Finals last year, that combination was exposed repeatedly by the Indiana Pacers. This year’s playoffs will be a major test on defense for Brunson and Towns.

The Knicks have not defended well with Brunson on the floor, giving up 119.4 points per 100 possessions in his 1,235 minutes. When the star point guard sits, New York is allowing 106.3 points per 100 possessions, a number that would rank second in the NBA. It’s not to say that Brunson is the sole reason for New York’s defensive issues, but it’s a number to monitor for the rest of the season.

The numbers back up Jaylen Brown's vent about officiating in C's-Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jaylen Brown made at least a $25,000 donation Saturday night by delivering a vociferous postgame rant about the officiating after his Boston Celtics endured a narrow loss to the San Antonio Spurs. 

Having already sounded off multiple times this season — including after a loss to the Denver Nuggets earlier in the week — Brown made his firmest and most direct declaration while accepting that his wallet would be lighter in the aftermath.

“I feel like, honestly, (the Spurs) just got away with a lot. And I’m tired of the inconsistency,” said Brown. I’ll accept the fine at this point. I thought it was some bulls— tonight. I think [the Spurs are] a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good.”

“I hope somebody can just pull up the clips, because it’s the same s— every time we play a good team. It’s like they refuse to make a call then call touch fouls on the other end.”

Brown did not shoot a single free throw over 43 minutes, 22 seconds of floor time against the Spurs. The Celtics generated just four free throw attempts overall, tied for the second-fewest in franchise history.

Boston’s free-throw rate in Saturday’s game was the worst in the NBA this season.

Did Brown deserve more calls? The numbers certainly suggest a harsh whistle in recent games against top competition.

In losses this week to the Nuggets and Spurs — two of the top teams in the Western Conference — Brown was credited with 54 total drives. He drew just one shooting foul, or 1.9 percent of his total drives.

For the season, Brown ranks third in the NBA in total drives. He gets fouled on 8.9 percent of those treks, which would suggest an expected output of 4.8 shooting fouls off those drives against San Antonio and Denver.

Brown’s free-throw attempts, which climbed to a season-high 8.7 per game in December, are down to 5.8 per game in January. The Celtics as a team rank 30th in the NBA in both free throw attempt rate and free throw attempts per game (18.9). They rank 27th in the NBA while drawing fouls on 6.3 percent of all their drives this season.

Given Boston’s shot profile, which leans heavily 3-pointers and long mid-range jumpers, it’s not surprising that the Celtics don’t draw as many fouls as some teams. But Brown has been demonstrative toward officials on multiple occasions when he believes opponents have dislodged him on drives to the basket. 

The Nuggets and Spurs have physical, handsy defenses that might get a bit more leeway from officials given their consistency aggressive playstyle. But the 20-4 free-throw disparity in favor of the Spurs on Saturday night was impossible to ignore.

“Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy,” said Brown. “I’ll take the f—ing fine. [Official] Curtis [Blair and] all them dudes was terrible tonight. I don’t care. They can fine me whatever they want. But it’s crazy. Every time we play a good team, it’s the same bulls—.”

Brown admitted free throws weren’t the entire story of the game and fretted his own uneven play in the fourth quarter. He went 1 for 9 in the frame and missed a wide-open 3-pointer in a 2-point game with 1:19 to play. He turned the ball over soon after, and the Spurs cashed in with a bucket that essentially sealed the game. Two of Brown’s five turnovers came in the final quarter.

Brown also acknowledged that the Celtics have to be better at defending without fouling on the other end. But the overall disparity and what Brown perceived as a more firm whistle against the Celtics left him fuming.

“Zero free throws tonight,” said Brown. “The inconsistency is f—ing crazy. Give me the fine.”

After a smaller rant after Boston’s loss to Denver on Wednesday, Brown got a favorable whistle during the Celtics’ win over Toronto on Friday. That whistle evaporated the next night.

The question now is whether officials will be more likely to give Brown calls after he went so far as to name-check an official as part of his frustration on Saturday night.