Welcome to the wild ride of the 2025-26 Knicks season-a journey that kicked off with a dramatic shift: the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau after their Eastern Conference Finals run, and the hiring of Mike Brown.
The transition hasn't been smooth. Despite returning eight players from last year's roster, the Knicks look like a different team in their quest for a title.
Their third-quarter performance in Cleveland might just be their roughest patch in years. Offensively, they hit a low point while trying to adapt to Brown's new strategies, which were designed to spark a dynamic offense and an aggressive defense that thrives on transition play.
Both aspects faltered in their 109-94 loss to the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Knicks stumbled out of halftime, shooting a dismal 3-of-24 from the field and 1-of-12 from three-point range, managing just 11 points in the third quarter.
Those explosive 40-point quarters feel like a distant memory. The Knicks only mustered 40 points in the entire second half against Cleveland, with a disappointing 10-of-37 from beyond the arc.
The 11 points in the third tied for the Knicks’ second-lowest scoring quarter since 2020. It’s the fewest they’ve managed since bringing Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges on board two summers ago.
Both stars seem to be struggling in Brown's system. Bridges went 6-of-17 for 18 points, missing several easy layups. Towns, who had been on a scoring tear, was limited to just five shots-four in the first half and one in the fourth-finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Jalen Brunson, expected to shine against a Cavs backcourt featuring James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, shot 6-of-19 for 20 points. The Knicks were outscored by 20 points during Brunson's 36 minutes on the court.
In the third quarter, Brunson scored just one point, missing all six of his shots-a rarity in his Knicks tenure when taking five or more shots in a quarter.
Mitchell led all scorers with 23 points on 5-of-18 shooting, while Harden added 20 points and four assists. Jarrett Allen chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Cavs secure their ninth win in ten games.
With the playoff race heating up, the Cavaliers are brimming with confidence, much like the Detroit Pistons. The Eastern Conference standings are tight, with the Celtics, Knicks, Cavs, and Raptors separated by just 3.5 games.
A potential No. 2 vs. No. 3 second-round matchup isn’t off the table.
The Knicks hold a 2-1 record against the Cavaliers this season, with their only loss coming after trades that sent Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter out, bringing in Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis. They’re winless in three games against the Pistons, with an average defeat margin of 28 points, and have a 2-1 record against the Boston Celtics, tallying a 4-5 record against the top-four seeds in the East.
Out West, the Knicks are 0-1 against the San Antonio Spurs (excluding their NBA Cup Final win), 1-0 against both the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets. They’ve yet to face the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
After a win in Chicago against the Bulls, the Knicks are 1-1 on their current road trip. They’ll have two days off for some crucial practice before facing the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.