Category: Basketball

The Knicks have now learned the hard way that both superb and pitiful shooting displays from three-point range can be found in losing streaks.

Just two days after draining a monstrous 22 threes in a New Year's Eve road loss to the Spurs, New York posed no threat from beyond the arc, missing a ghastly 33-of-42 shots from deep in a flat 111-99 home loss to the Hawks.

While the Knicks played shorthanded, ultimately lacking the size and scoring threats to keep pace with Atlanta, the rough performance at Madison Square Garden couldn't have been anticipated. 

They shot a season-worst 21 percent from three, and were held below 100 points for the first time.

To make matters worse, the Knicks struggled once again to defend with ample physicality and energy. They allowed the Hawks to score 58 points inside the paint, and by committing 15 total turnovers, another 19 points were tacked on in transition.

"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," Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. "We didn't get it done throughout most of the game tonight... I thought we had some good looks that we normally knock down with the guys that are taking them, but you can't take away from what Atlanta did."

The absences of Karl-Anthony Towns (illness), Josh Hart (ankle), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) on Friday placed pressure on Jalen Brunson to pull more weight than usual. And while the Knicks' captain embraced the challenge, scoring a game-high 24 points, he contributed to the three-point swoon, making just one on eight attempts.

"We just didn't have it tonight. I know that's a terrible, lame-ass excuse, but we let shot-making affect our overall gameplay," said Brunson, named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December. "That includes our pace, sense of urgency, everything. Just wasn't our solid basketball today."

Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby were fruitless from deep, too, finishing a combined 4 for 17. Miles McBride, thrust into the starting lineup, made a pair of quick first-quarter threes but then missed eight of nine from there.

"There's no excuse, we've just got to be better," Bridges said. "It is what it is, you've got to learn from it and get ready for tomorrow. Obviously we're missing three key guys, but we've got everybody else in this locker room to come in and step up."

The Knicks' low energy through three quarters of action prompted boos from fans, and Brown acknowledged their noise and frustrations. They've now dropped back-to-back games for the first time since losing three straight in late October.

The Knicks will be shorthanded a bit longer. 

The team announced following Friday's disappointing loss to the Atlanta Hawks that Josh Hart has begun doing some light court work, and he will be reevaluated in one week. 

Hart, of course, has missed the last four games due to a sprained ankle suffered during the fourth quarter of the Christmas Day victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He did not travel with the team during their recent road trip and was still being evaluated. 

Though Hart will be out a bit longer, it's a good sign that he's able to get back on the court in some capacity. 

The veteran small forward was enjoying his best stretch of the season prior to the injury, averaging 14.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists over his last 13 games. 

New York has received nice boosts in his absence, but they could certainly use his high-energy all-around play. 

The return home from a brutal New Year's Eve loss and the welcomed calendar flip to 2026 didn't solve recent struggles for the Knicks, as they struggled mightily to score and defend in a frustrating 111-99 loss to the Hawks on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways...

-- As if the Knicks' depth needed to be tested further -- Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson have missed the last four and three games, respectively, due to injury -- they entered Friday night with yet another impact player unavailable. Karl-Anthony Towns, initially listed as questionable with an illness, was downgraded to out prior to tip-off. The absence of Towns pushed Miles McBride into the starting five for a 10th time this season, and with Robinson also sidelined, Ariel Hukporti received his fourth start. The Knicks have now produced 10 different starting lineups over 34 games.

-- McBride quickly took advantage of his elevated role, draining a pair of threes that helped the Knicks climb out to an early 11-2 lead. While all five Knicks starters added points within the first four minutes of play, the Hawks gradually collected themselves, producing a sudden 14-3 run that knotted the score at 16-16 by the 7:33 mark. From there, both teams attacked with steady ball movement for lead changes, but an uptick in scoring from the Hawks placed them ahead by three, 33-30, after 12 minutes.

-- The Hawks opened the second quarter with six quick points that prompted the Knicks to burn a timeout, trailing by nine. After the break in action, Jordan Clarkson made a three to cut the Knicks' deficit back down to six, but their hole reached double digits with 2:40 left in the half, and then an imposing 15 with 1:16 to go. The combination of sluggish offense and weak defense in the paint made The Garden crowd restless. At the break, the Knicks trailed, 60-47, shooting just 5 of 24 from three with Jalen Brunson as the leading scorer (11). Not up to snuff, considering the team made a whopping 22 shots from beyond the arc in Wednesday's loss to the Spurs. Overall, the Knicks lacked a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor.

-- The deficit ballooned to 19 after just 90 seconds of third-quarter play, prompting the Knicks to call a timeout with some desperation for a spark. Shrewdly, the Hawks maintained control by directing all attention and physicality toward Brunson, the shorthanded Knicks' lone catalyst. By the 4:06 mark, the Knicks trailed by a season-worst 24 points, and efforts from Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby with the ball were subpar -- they combined for 18 points on 5 of 17 shooting after three quarters. A smaller Knicks defense, struggling to win 50-50 balls, also had no answer for Hawks star Jalen Johnson, who needed just 28 minutes of court time to log a triple-double.

-- Better late than never, Bridges and Anunoby provided some much-needed energy early in the fourth quarter, orchestrating an 11-0 run that cut the Knicks' deficit from 24 to 13 with 8:54 left and forced a Hawks timeout. But the momentum shift was short-lived, as two threes from Luke Kennard on consecutive possessions bumped the margin back to 19. The Hawks continued to contest three attempts from the Knicks, with tremendous success. The trio of Brunson, Bridges, and Anunoby was held to a measly 5 of 27 shooting from deep -- live and die by the three, under Mike Brown's watch. 

-- Brunson tried his best to withstand contact as the aggressor and facilitator, but his 24 points and five assists weren't nearly enough, based on how little his teammates offered and how much the Hawks caused fits. To the Knicks' credit, they didn't wave the white flag amid Brunson's frustrations -- they kept chipping away and cut their deficit to single digits, 108-99, with 1:29 remaining. If only the energy and efficiency levels were higher earlier. The Knicks had no choice but to foul the Hawks in the closing minute, wiping out the slimmest chance of a miraculous comeback.

-- While the Knicks anticipated more challenges with Towns, Hart, and Robinson in street clothes, one of the team's biggest villains wasn't even suited up to pose as a threat. Hawks star Trae Young, dealing with a quad injury, cheered from the bench all night, and his absence made the Knicks' woes far more bewildering. Overall, the team shot 39 percent from the floor and a season-low 20 percent (9 of 44) from three. Bridges and Anunoby produced a hollow 18 points and 19 points apiece, and a full seven-man bench rotation contributed only 19 points. Hukporti couldn't be criticized for his effort -- he logged season-high marks in rebounds (17), blocks (4), and minutes (28).

Game MVP: Jalen Johnson

The Garden crowd was disappointed to see a different scorer named Jalen take command. The fifth-year forward delivered a triple-double of 18 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds across 38 minutes. Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also contributed 23 points apiece.

Highlights

Mikal 🤝 Ariel pic.twitter.com/sQa3XgAQP5

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 3, 2026

Jalen Brunson hits the three! pic.twitter.com/c2WRQt7MtJ

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 3, 2026

OG steal and score 😤 pic.twitter.com/E27wCx0KPb

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 3, 2026

Up next

The Knicks (23-11) will wrap up their weekend at The Garden on Saturday night, with a matchup against the division-rival 76ers (7:30 tip-off).

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justin Champagnie scored a season-high 20 points and the Washington Wizards continued their recent improvement with a 119-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Alex Sarr added 19 points and CJ McCollum scored 17 for the Wizards, who still have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference (9-23) but have won four out of five for the first time since Feb. 8-16, 2023.

Washington won the rebounding battle 51-33 while holding Brooklyn to a season-low six 3-pointers in 29 attempts (20.7%).

Day’Ron Sharpe, Terance Mann, Ziaire Williams and Drake Powell all had 14 points for Brooklyn (10-22), which has lost three straight following a three-game winning streak.

Washington had a 19-2 advantage in points off turnovers before halftime, and used an 18-4 run that stretched across the first and second quarters to build its lead to 18.

Champagnie’s 3-pointer as the first-quarter buzzer sounded made it 37-24. Will Riley added to the lead with a layup to open the second quarter, then fed AJ Johnson for a 3 a couple possessions later that stretched it to 44-26.

Brooklyn got within nine later in the second and third quarters before Washington stretched its lead to 23 by the end of the third and 28 early in the fourth.

Up next

Nets: Start a three-game homestand Sunday against Denver.

Wizards: Play their second of three at home Sunday against Minnesota.

Why Warriors' choice to tank without achy stars vs. Thunder was logical decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – With Draymond Green and De’Anthony Melton given one-game recesses, Jimmy Butler III calling in sick and Stephen Curry showing up but not suiting up, the Warriors were doomed against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Golden State’s 134-94 loss to Oklahoma City on Friday night was preordained, as any NBA team’s B squad would feel the shoe soles of the best team in the league.

The Warriors tanked this game. Not for draft positioning but for a better future.

And even though the sellout crowd at Chase Center (18,064) began streaming toward the exits early in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors trailing by 37, it was a logical decision.

Scanning their achy roster and their upcoming schedule, coach Steve Kerr and the team’s medical and training staffs opted for prudency. This was not an NBA playoff game and would not have any impact on one. So, rather than dance with risk, they chose to sacrifice a slim chance of beating OKC in hopes it would benefit the 47 games still on the schedule.

Curry was sitting because tweaked his left ankle, and any aggravation could jeopardize several weeks. Butler was on the afternoon injury report with an undisclosed illness. Green (rest) and Melton (surgery management) were scheduled to sit.

“With Draymond, that was easy,” coach Steve Kerr said two hours before tipoff. “We’re in the midst of this five [games] in seven days. At his age, coming off a trip, with three [game] in four [nights], starting tonight, it’s an easy one for us to rest Draymond tonight.

“Jimmy, we didn’t plan to. He got sick this morning, and he won’t even be coming to the game tonight. So, hopefully he gets better quickly.”

Coming off back-to-back road games on Tuesday (Brooklyn) and Wednesday (Charlotte), the Warriors on Saturday night face the Utah Jazz at Chase Center, then travel to Los Angeles on Sunday to face the Clippers on Monday night.

“The schedule is what it is,” Kerr said. “When you have an older team, you have to navigate it as best you can. We’re trying to do that.”

That, folks, is the essence of the issue. The front office assembled a roster with a core that is NBA old. Green is 35, Butler 36 and Curry 37. Al Horford, who has missed 18 of Golden State’s 35 games but played 16 minutes on Friday, is 39.

This season is, and always has been, about navigating the schedule, managing bodies, therapeutic massages – and hoping that the rest of the team showed well when the vets were unavailable.

That was the case last Dec. 6, when Golden State’s B squad beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland, but it was demolished by the Thunder.

Asked if there was anything of value, Kerr was quick with a reply.

“Not a whole lot to take from it,” he said.

“You got to forget about it,” Will Richard said.

“That was disgusting,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said. “It’s in the toilet and already flushed.”

This night was about opportunities. Would Brandin Podziemski continue his stellar recent play? He did not, scoring 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field, including 1 of 4 from distance.

This was a chance for starting center Quinten Post, the team’s designated stretch-5, to move past his 27-percent shooting over the previous seven games. Nope. He was he was 1 of 6 against OKC.

This was an opportunity for Buddy Hield, whose 32-percent shooting from deep kicked him out of the rotation, to perhaps rediscover the shot that determines his value. He took nine shots beyond the arc, making three.

Podziemski and Post are in the rotation. And Hield at some point might be needed, if only because he addresses Kerr’s spacing fetish. All three are part of the supporting cast that will be needed for the Warriors to exploit a schedule that now swings in their favor.

Nine of their next 10 games, and 15 of their next 22, are at Chase. The Warriors don’t leave California until Jan. 22 and don’t fly east of the Mississippi River until after the Feb. 14-19 NBA All-Star break.

“It is a big opportunity,” Kerr said. “The schedule kind of swings back our way this next month, after a difficult first 20 games or so. It feels like we’re playing better. We’re playing more consistently, and with this next month’s schedule time at home, we’d love to keep our momentum going and build on this a little bit.”

Golden State still has a long-range goal, which enters 2026 invisible to the naked eye. It will stay that way unless the navigation, management and therapy works wonders.

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What we learned as short-handed Warriors suffer blowout loss at home vs. Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Starting the new year against the Oklahoma City Thunder already was a tall task. Then came a never-ending Warriors injury report.

The Warriors were about as short-handed as it gets for their first game of 2026 against defending champions. Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all were ruled out early in the day, as well as De’Anthony Melton. Jonathan Kuminga was a late addition two hours before tipoff and wasn’t able to go because of lower back soreness. 

Exactly one month to the date, the Warriors last played the Thunder and were without Curry but still fought for all four quarters in what wound up being a 12-point loss. The talent gap was far too wide for the Warriors to make it a competitive game one month later in a 37-point blowout loss, 131-94, Friday night at Chase Center.

Dub Nation was teased during the second quarter when the Warriors got within two points of the Thunder, 38-36, just for OKC to lock in and reel off a 19-0 run. 

Missing so much firepower, the Warriors shot 35.6 percent from the field and 29.5 percent on threes. They were below 30 percent shooting for the majority of the game.

Scoring was spread out to the Warriors having six players score in double figures, though nobody had more than the 13 points scored by Al Horford, Moses Moody and Will Richard.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors falling to 18-17 with a loss to open 2026.

Makeshift Starting Five 

Steve Kerr finally built some continuity with his starting lineup after picking names out of a hat for nearly the first two months of the season. The Warriors used the same starting lineup in each of the last seven games, going 5-2 in that span. Injuries, rest and an illness didn’t allow the streak to reach eight games. 

Only two players from the Warriors’ recent starting lineup were available to play: Moody and Quinten Post. They were joined by Brandin Podziemski, Richard and Gui Santos. The Warriors, going into their 35th game of the 2025-26 NBA season, had used 431 five-man lineups, and this group wasn’t one of them.

The Warriors were down by six when Kerr made his first substitution, and the starting five was a minus-5 together going into halftime. They were outscored 8-7 in the third quarter when Kerr first turned to his bench. Shooting could not match their spirit. 

Overall, the starting five played 10 minutes and 41 seconds together and were outscored 22-15. With all five starters on the floor, the group went 3 of 13 on 2-pointers and 2 of 8 on 3-pointers.

Spotlight Goes To Podz

Without any of the Warriors’ Big Three of Curry, Butler and Green available, the featured face for them became Podziemski. The third-year pro often is under a microscope and heavily scrutinized from outside noise. Lately, he has let his game do all the talking. 

Podziemski in December averaged 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists over 13 games while shooting 51.7 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent at the free-throw line. He looked to be on his way to that kind of production in the first quarter, scoring four points, grabbing three rebounds and even blocking a shot. 

Though his stat line was similar in the second quarter, Podziemski was starting to get caught in the trap of the Thunder’s defense and he missed all three of his 3-point attempts. If this were a game Podziemski wanted to prove he can be the go-to guy without star power around him, he came up far short of doing so.

His fourth 3-point attempt of the night went through the nets, but it cut the Warriors’ deficit to … 29 points. Podziemski watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench, ending his night with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting and 1 of 4 on threes, with four rebounds and four assists.

The Rookie Was Ready

After closing the previous three games, Richard was back in the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 7. Richard also started against the Thunder last month and only scored five points with little to show in 25 minutes. His third game and second start against the Thunder was a different story – at least at first it was. 

Richard easily was the Warriors’ best player in the first half despite them trailing by 19 points. He scored 13 points through the first two quarters, which was one off the 14 total he scored in his first two games against the Thunder. 

The rookie right away showcased his two-way impact, especially with a crowd-pleasing steal and dunk in the second quarter. As the Warriors’ offense struggled for long stretches, Richard scored 10 of their 20 points in the second quarter.

Even when Richard was missing shots, his smarts still stood out as an active defender and constant cutter offensively. But his second half was one to forget. Richard, after a 13-point first half, was scoreless in the final two quarters on 0-of-5 shooting as a minus-16.

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