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Knicks squander double-digit leads, lack physicality in stunning 134-132 loss to Spurs

The Knicks wrapped up their 2025 slate on a sour note, squandering several double-digit leads in a frustrating 134-132 loss to the Spurs on Wednesday night at Frost Bank Center.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Making his third career start, rookie forward Mohamed Diawara tried his best to set a tone, draining a pair of threes within the first three minutes of action to help push the Knicks out to an early 10-3 lead. But it didn't take long for the Spurs to find a rhythm, as a quick 11-0 run midway through the first quarter erased their early deficit and made the Knicks burn two timeouts. Much to the delight of head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks maintained a hot stroke from beyond the arc, making a whopping nine threes that contributed to a season-high 45 first-quarter points. It was their 14th opening period with 40-plus points this season -- the mark actually matched their total from last season.

-- Just when it looked like the Knicks' torrid scoring pace was unsustainable -- their lead of 12 points was trimmed down to four with 7:02 remaining in the second quarter, due to a few turnovers -- another heat check arrived. In a span of three minutes, they rattled off 14 unanswered points, extending their lead to an imposing 71-52 with 3:51 left. However, the inevitable cold spell finally appeared, as the Knicks failed to score a single point in the final 2:54 before halftime. The Spurs took advantage of that lull with a 9-0 run, cutting their deficit to 73-63 at the break.

-- Jalen Brunson was naturally the first-half catalyst, delivering 13 points as one of eight -- that's right, eight -- Knicks who made a three. But his baker's dozen, plus 15 from Karl-Anthony Towns, didn't pack the punch that Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama flaunted. The behemoth youngster led all first-half scorers with 22 points -- he was solely responsible for the closing 9-0 run -- and the Knicks didn't feel this presence from him during the NBA Cup final, since the Spurs carefully restricted his court time to 25 minutes then.

-- A quick eight points on two threes from Miles McBride pushed the Knicks' lead back to 14 with 8:43 remaining in the third, but once again, their cushion wasn't comfortable for long. Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie sparked a monstrous Spurs rally by scoring 19 combined points across four-plus minutes, and suddenly, the game was knotted up at 91-91 with 4:24 left in the quarter. Keldon Johnson then made a floater that gave the Spurs their first lead since the 6:13 mark of the first and reignited the crowd. In spite of the momentum swing, the Knicks recovered on both ends of the floor, producing 11 unanswered points while holding the Spurs scoreless in the final 3:23 to reclaim a nine-point lead, 102-93. No surprise, it was Brunson who added eight points to that energized run.

-- The Knicks' battles with Wembanyama, who logged 31 points through three quarters, abruptly ended within the first 90 seconds of the fourth. After grabbing the rebound on a missed Knicks three attempt, Wembanyama landed awkwardly in the paint and cameras caught his right knee buckle. Wembanyama stayed down for a few moments before hobbling directly to the locker room without any assistance from trainers. While he appeared to mouth, "I'll be back," to concerned Spurs fans, the 7-foot-4 threat never checked back in.

-- Somehow, the sudden absence of Wembanyama didn't crush the Spurs' spirits. A pair of threes from Champagnie cut their deficit back down to five, 110-105, with 7:29 remaining and prompted a Knicks timeout. While the Knicks bit back, bumping their lead to 116-109 with clutch jumpers from Jordan Clarkson off the bench, the Spurs rallied behind Champagnie, who added another two threes to knot the score at 116-116 and set a new franchise record with 11-made shots from beyond the arc. Call it a career night for Champagnie -- he scored a game-changing 36 points. Moments later, De'Aaron Fox made a layup that gave the Spurs another lead, 118-116.

-- While the Knicks entered the final minute trailing by just a point, poor defense, foul trouble, and missed shots forced the Spurs to the free-throw line and placed them in a six-point hole with just 10 seconds left. Miraculously, McBride drew a foul on a three-point attempt and made each shot at the charity stripe, cutting the Knicks' deficit to three. But an ensuing jump-ball claimed by the Spurs resulted in a victory-sealing two more points for the Spurs, and even a buzzer-beating three from Brunson was all for naught. Considering the opponent and NBA Cup rematch buildup, this was no ordinary crumble for the Knicks. They entered the night 19-0 when leading after three quarters, too.

-- The Knicks found a new way to lose, as a staggering 22-made threes on 52 attempts somehow weren't enough. The defensive breakdowns were also apparent in the fourth quarter, as they gave up 41 points in the period and struggled to get in the face of Champagnie and others. Overall, the Knicks were outrebounded, 48-40, and charged with 13 more fouls than the Spurs (30-17).

-- Contributions from McBride and Clarkson, who combined for 41 points off the bench on 15 of 29 shooting, were proven essential. Why? OG Anunoby was held to a scant nine points, and Diawara failed to score once after his pair of first-quarter threes. Brunson scored a team-best 29 points with eight assists and four rebounds across 36 minutes, while Towns accounted for 20 points in 33 minutes. Mikal Bridges was also quiet, limited to 13 points over 35 minutes.

Game MVP: Julian Champagnie

Champagnie deserves rounds of champagne this New Year's Eve. The St. John's product's game-high 36 points on a record-setting 11 threes simply crushed the Knicks.

Highlights

Up next

The Knicks (23-10) will begin the 2026 calendar year at home, with a Friday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. tip-off).

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Red Wings Ground Jets, Close Out 2025 With 2-1 Home Win

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As former Beatle John Lennon famously sang in his famed Christmas-themed tune, "Another year over, and a new one just begun." 

Well, almost.

The Detroit Red Wings put the finishing touches on the calendar year of 2025 with a few hours to spare before midnight, thanks to their 2-1 victory over the struggling Winnipeg Jets at Little Caesars Arena.

The Red Wings improved to 24-14-3 and now have a three-point cushion over the Montreal Canadiens for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Meanwhile, the Jets, who won the President's Trophy last season as the NHL's best regular-season club, lost their seventh straight contest and fell to 15-19-4. 

The win, which was Detroit's sixth in their last seven games on home ice, was thanks in large part to a little help from an old friend of Winnipeg's. 

Mason Appleton, a 2015 draft selection of the Jets who played 351 games for the team, scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the first period for the Red Wings.

It came minutes after a power-play goal from Dylan Larkin, who opened the scoring earlier in the period with his 21st tally of the campaign. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

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Goaltender John Gibson concluded his December to remember by making 23 saves on the 24 shots he faced, allowing only Logan Stanley's goal midway through the third period. He finished the month with a pristine 9-1 record, and improved to 13-8-1 overall. 

Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, a metro-Detroit native, countered with 17 saves on the 19 shots Detroit fired his way. 

Alex DeBrincat Details the Red Wings’ Biggest Change This SeasonAlex DeBrincat Details the Red Wings’ Biggest Change This SeasonDetroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat detailed the major change for the Red Wings since the arrival of Todd McLellan, and how it's showing in their record.

The game also marked the first time in the NHL careers of former Chicago Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews that they played against one another; the two posed together at center ice for a photograph during pregame warmups.

Detroit’s players won’t have much time to enjoy the victory, as they’ll be back in action in less than 24 hours on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s on to 2026, which the Red Wings hope will ultimately bring their first postseason berth since 2016.

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Pittsburgh Penguins' New Year's Resolutions: 2025 Edition

With 2025 coming to a close, there is a lot to look forward to for the 2026 calendar year. 

And for Pittsburgh Penguins' players? There sure is a lot to build on. 

For some players, 2025 was a pretty successful year on the ice. Maybe they had the chance to find a bigger role and excel, maybe they broke some records, or maybe they got their first taste of the NHL and have continued to impress. And for others, things haven't gone as smoothly. Maybe they didn't perform to expectations, maybe they dealt with injuries, or maybe they fell short of some personal accomplishments or feats.

Whatever the case, it's about to be a new year, and it's never too late to start anew - or continue to improve. So, what should each Penguins' player resolve to accomplish in 2026?

Noel Acciari: Keep stocking up on Tylenol, Band-Aids, Ace Bandages, etc... because if he keeps playing the way he has been playing for the Penguins this season, he'll continue to need that stuff. 

Justin Brazeau: Remain healthy and maintain that shooting percentage of 28.6 in order to solidify a Rocket Richard campaign in 2026-27. And, hey, are we even joking around at this point?

Harrison Brunicke: Play in a lot of hockey games somewhere (doesn't matter where at this point!) for an extended period of time in order to work on the defensive zone shortcomings that need improvement. 

Yegor Chinakhov:Get along with the new coaching staff and score goals. A lot of goals. And, hey, playing a full season's worth of games would be swell, too!

Chinakhov Trade Shows Penguins Are Starting To Shift GearsChinakhov Trade Shows Penguins Are Starting To Shift GearsKyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and it could be a sign of things to come over the next several months.

Connor Clifton: Have a chance to rediscover his game in a new opportunity with a new team.

Sidney Crosby: Playoffs. Playoffs. Playoffs. Playoffs. Playoffs. Olympic gold. Playoffs. Playoffs...

Connor Dewar: Earn a new contract, as a home has been found on the fourth line with Acciari and Blake Lizotte. Keeping up the better-than-expected offensive production is paramount, too. 

Filip Hallander: Get and stay healthy in order to separate himself from the intrasquad bottom-six competition. That defensive value has not gone unnoticed.

Kevin Hayes: Take a nice, long, hockey-related vacation in Tampa or somewhere else nice after the trade deadline. Preferably somewhere the Stanley Cup Playoffs are being played this season. 

Caleb Jones: Playing in some hockey games, period, would be nice. 

The Five Best On-Ice Moments For The Penguins In 2025The Five Best On-Ice Moments For The Penguins In 20252025 is about to end, so let's look at the five best on-ice moments for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Erik Karlsson: Just make the playoffs in Pittsburgh once. Just once. It would make a trade feel a lot less sour and the Penguins' tenure feel more successful. Oh, and Olympic gold for Sweden. 

Ben Kindel: Get older. Maybe score a bit more? Is there really anything else at this point?

Ville Koivunen: To not be so unsure of himself. Stop hesitating, don't second guess, and just rip it!

Brett Kulak: Rediscover the 2024-25 form and become a rock-solid, steady defender... wherever the home ends up being post-deadline.

Kris Letang: Simplify and realize that he can still be effective even if his game has to evolve a little bit to fit his age. 

Blake Lizotte: Stay in the lineup at all costs and keep showing a high degree of importance to this team - or to another - to earn a nice new contract this summer. But, seriously, don't get hurt again. 

Blake Lizotte's Impending Return Can't Be Understated Enough Blake Lizotte's Impending Return Can't Be Understated Enough Blake Lizotte's return will go under the radar to some, but it shouldn't.

Evgeni Malkin: If this is it, ride off into the sunset with a playoff berth, and, maybe, a Cinderella Stanley Cup run for a storybook ending. If not, same thing, of course... but be prepared for his role to potentially evolve in his next contract (in Pittsburgh, not Florida. Sorry, Florida).

Anthony Mantha: Simply be ready for anything. Keep scoring, and he'll find himself on a playoff contender post-deadline, whether that's in Pittsburgh or elsewhere. 

Rutger McGroarty: The flashes are there, as is the process. So just stick to it, and the puck will keep finding the back of the net - and he'll find himself in a top-six role at some point. 

Tommy Novak: Keep doing exactly what he's been doing for more than a month now. Show two-way prowess, versatility, and value as a top-nine player, and he'll never, ever exit the lineup.

Rickard Rakell: Injuries are tough, and coming back from them is even tougher. Making the Swedish Olympic roster may now be a longshot, but finding that goal-scoring touch again could end up making or breaking his future in Pittsburgh. Need to prove too valuable to move on from.

Bryan Rust: Improve his defensive game, which is something that used to be a strength. Could help prop up his case to remain in Pittsburgh, too, if the production can keep coming in tandem with that. 

Rickard Rakell (No. 67) and Bryan Rust could be potential trade chips for the Penguins in 2026. Image credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ryan Shea: It's been a good year. So, have an even better one! Show that the top-four stint in the first two months of the season wasn't a fluke and that the level of play is sustainable.

Arturs Silovs: Keep improving in shootouts and establish consistency at the NHL level. But, for real, those shootouts and breakaway situations are looking miles better than before!

Stuart Skinner: This is the time to prove himself worthy of a new contract as a starting goaltender somewhere this summer. Helping get this team to the playoffs down the stretch would certainly help his case.

Jack St. Ivany: No injuries! Two months last season, more than two months this season... no more, please.

Parker Wotherspoon: Top-four looks good, right? And being the ying to Erik Karlsson's yang is an even more impressive accomplishment! Just keep building a resume as a shutdown top-pairing defender... and the 2027 payday will come.

Egor Zamula:Hey, new guy! This left side is wide-open... so get re-established and vye for a permanent NHL roster spot next season. Use that size, hit some guys, show any kind of prowess at the net-front and in the defensive zone... and he's golden!

Penguins New Big Defender Could Be Nice SurprisePenguins New Big Defender Could Be Nice SurpriseNew Penguins defenseman Egor Zamula has the potential to be a solid addition.

Dan Muse: Keep learning the ins and outs of coaching at the NHL level every day. He's got a lot of favor with the organization so far, so he needs to prove why he's the guy the Penguins can compete with.

Kyle Dubas: Stick to the plan... whatever that is. Even if it might not be quite what people think it is.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

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The Five Best On-Ice Moments For The Penguins In 2025

2025 is set to come to an end tonight, and even though the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't have any playoff success again this year, there were still plenty of extraordinary on-ice moments. 

It's always special when Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are on the ice together, considering how much that trio has accomplished over the last 20 seasons. 

With all of that in mind, let's look at the five best Penguins' on-ice moments from this year. 

Alex Nedeljkovic scores

Tristan Jarry made Penguins history by becoming the first goaltender to ever score for the franchise in 2023, and Alex Nedeljkovic became the second back on Jan. 17. 

The Penguins were beating the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 when Nedeljkovic played the puck behind the net and launched it all the way down the ice for his first goal. His teammates immediately mobbed him after leaping into the bench. 

Nedeljkovic also recorded an assist in this game, becoming the first goaltender in NHL history to record a goal and an assist in the same game. 

Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) celebrates his first career NHL goal with the Penguins bench against the New York Rangers during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The kids get their first NHL goals

The Penguins have gotten strong contributions from their kids throughout the year, making them more fun to watch. 

Rutger McGroarty scored his first NHL goal on Apr. 3 against the St. Louis Blues after he was called back up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. McGroarty tied the game with 23.5 seconds left in the third with a great play in front of the net. Fellow rookie Ville Koivunen got the primary assist on the goal, which sent the game to overtime. 

Harrison Brunicke notched his first NHL goal against the New York Islanders on Oct. 9. He was coming down the middle in the offensive zone and buried a shot past Ilya Sorokin after Filip Hallander dished him the puck. 

Ben Kindel got his first NHL goal on Oct. 11 against the New York Rangers with a blistering shot past goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He has gone on to score seven more goals since then and has been fantastic in his first NHL season. 

Koivunen had been snakebitten to start his NHL career before finally scoring his first goal on Dec. 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He took a feed from Kris Letang and buried the puck into the back of the net. 

Letang notches his 600th assist

Letang hit a significant milestone on Oct. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks. In the Penguins' 5-1 win, which raised their record to 5-2-0 at the time, Letang notched his 600th assist. 

He's now the fourth active defenseman with 600 assists, joining Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Victor Hedman. Letang is also the 20th defenseman in NHL history to accomplish this feat. 

Letang is getting closer to another milestone: his 800th point. He's only nine points away from hitting it, and once he does, he will be the 20th defenseman ever to do it. 

Crosby passes Gretzky for PPG record

Alex Ovechkin wasn't the only one trying to break a Wayne Gretzky record this year. Crosby was tied with Gretzky for 19-point-per-game seasons and broke his record on Mar. 27 against the Sabres when he notched his 80th point. 

That point ensured that he would have his 20th point-per-game season in his 20th NHL season. He finished the season with 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games. 

He already has 21 goals and 40 points in 38 games this season and will notch his 21st point-per-game season if he keeps producing at this pace. 

Penguins Trade Tomasino To Flyers For ZamulaPenguins Trade Tomasino To Flyers For ZamulaThe Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers made a trade on Wednesday.

Crosby passes Lemieux in points

This had been slated to happen at some point this season, and Crosby finally did it on Dec. 21 against the Montreal Canadiens, his childhood team. He needed one point to tie Lemieux's franchise record in points and two to pass him, and accomplished both feats in the first period. 

His goal tied the record before his assist on Rickard Rakell's goal broke it, leading to his teammates mobbing him on the ice. Lemieux even had a beautiful message for Crosby after the latter broke his record. 

That assist got him to 1,724 points, good for eighth in NHL history. He's now up to 1,727 points and is 29 points away from passing Steve Yzerman for seventh on the all-time points list. He should be able to easily hit that mark in the second half of the 2025-26 season, assuming he stays healthy. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

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Flyers flat on New Year's Eve, suffer 5-1 loss to Flames

Flyers flat on New Year's Eve, suffer 5-1 loss to Flames originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers had a New Year’s Eve dud in Calgary, Alberta.

They were rolled by the Flames, 5-1, Wednesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Travis Konecny scored the club’s lone goal, which made it 2-1 near the midway mark of the game. But Calgary restored order with back-to-back power play goals before second intermission.

The Flyers (20-12-7) were held to one goal for the second time in three games since the holiday break. They were unable to build off their 6-3 win Tuesday night over the Canucks.

Since last season, the Flyers have gone just 3-13-3 in the second game of back-to-back sets (2-3-1 this season).

Rick Tocchet’s club was swept by the Flames (18-18-4) in the two-game regular-season series between the teams. Calgary beat the Flyers, 2-1, at Xfinity Mobile Arena toward the beginning of November when Aleksei Kolosov was in net.

• Samuel Ersson surrendered four or more goals for the sixth time in 15 starts.

He had 20 saves on 25 shots. The 26-year-old wasn’t sharp and the Flyers didn’t help with penalties.

The Flames answered Konecny’s goal with a 5-on-3 power play marker after Cam York was whistled for tripping and Christian Dvorak was hit with a high-sticking penalty four seconds later.

With 3:47 minutes left in the middle stanza, Jamie Drysdale put the puck over the glass and Calgary capitalized again on its man advantage. The Flames were then in full control and that didn’t change in the third period.

Calgary netminder Dustin Wolf faced 26 shots from the Flyers.

• For the 27th time, the Flyers fell down 1-0. They’ve done a good job at picking up points and being mostly competitive, but the slow starts have to be a tad concerning.

• Noah Juulsen saw his first game action in two and a half weeks as he entered the lineup for Emil Andrae.

Andrae’s absence was a healthy scratch, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. It was surprising because the Flyers were coming off a win in which Andrae was a plus-2 with four hits over 19:27 minutes.

We’ll see if the 23-year-old defenseman gets back in there against the Oilers.

• The Flyers open the 2026 calendar Saturday when they visit Connor McDavid and Edmonton (3:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Australia back injured stars as squad for T20 World Cup revealed

  • Cummins, Hazlewood and David named for India and Sri Lanka event

  • Matt Kuhnemann included in spin-heavy 15-player team

Matthew Kuhnemann is in line for a World Cup debut after being included as the biggest surprise selection in Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup.

As expected, Australia have named superstar pacemen Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, as well as swashbuckling Tim David, despite injury concerns.

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Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon reportedly agrees to restructure final year of his $245 million contract

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anthony Rendon has agreed to restructure the final year of his $245 million, seven-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Angels hadn’t announced any developments with Rendon, who didn’t play last season following hip surgery.

The team and Rendon have amended the deal to restructure the remaining $38 million owed to the third baseman in 2026, presumably spreading the money over time.

Rendon is still on the roster and continuing to rehab at home in Houston, but his horrendous tenure with the Angels could be over.

Rendon’s massive free-agent contract has paid almost no dividends for the Halos. The former Washington Nationals standout has been injured for the majority of the past five seasons and has played just 257 games in an Angels uniform, batting .242 with 22 homers, 125 RBIs and a .717 OPS.

If Rendon doesn’t play in 2026, he will have appeared in only about a quarter of the Angels’ total games during his seven seasons with the team.

Rendon led the majors in RBIs, earned an All-Star selection and won a World Series ring in 2019 to cap an outstanding four-year stretch for Washington. After playing fairly well for Los Angeles during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he was nowhere close to that player in the ensuing four years with the Angels, who haven’t made the playoffs or had a winning record during his tenure.

Rendon dealt with injuries to his groin, his left knee, his left hamstring, his left shin, his oblique muscles, his lower back, both wrists and both hips during the past five years.

Rendon also alienated Angels fans with public comments in which he appeared to say he doesn’t like baseball, although he attempted to clarify his connection to the game as a business relationship that isn’t as important as his family or his religion. Rendon had previously criticized the length of games and excitement level of baseball, saying he doesn’t watch the sport.

Luis Rengifo and Yoán Moncada largely played third base last season for the Angels. Both are currently free agents.

Rendon’s deal might top the long list of high-priced player acquisitions that have worked out terribly for the Angels during owner Arte Moreno’s tenure, including the signings of Gary Matthews Jr., Josh Hamilton and Zack Cozart and unsuccessful trades for Vernon Wells and Justin Upton.