Thursday Night PrimeTime Report – 2/13/25

Good evening,

Here is tonight’s Thursday Night PrimeTime Report:

Knicks

Under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, Trae Young proved to be unstoppable once again as he scored 38 points and dished out 19 assists in last night’s game. His performance evoked painful memories of Game 5 in 2021 for the Knicks – memories they thought were long behind them.

The Knicks initially led by 18 points in the first half and were ahead by six with just 9.1 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Hawks fought back and forced overtime. While the Knicks struggled defensively throughout the game, they managed to secure a narrow 149-148 victory.

“You feel like you’re doing a lot, then you feel like you gave the game up for your team,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 44 points and became the fourth Knicks player to record back-to-back 40-point games, joining the ranks of Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, and Carmelo Anthony. “Then you fight back to get it again.”

With 9.2 seconds left in regulation, Trae Young assisted Georges Niang, who hit a three-point shot from the right elbow to bring the score to 137-134 in favor of the Knicks. Under pressure, Towns took on an unusual role as the inbound passer, but his errant pass was intercepted by Dyson Daniels, who drew a foul with 7.7 seconds remaining. Despite his impressive 44-point performance, Towns almost cost the Knicks the win.

Daniels made his first free throw but missed the second, but Onyeka Okongwu grabbed the rebound, and the Hawks quickly moved the ball to Trae Young, who drew a foul of his own. With the Knicks leading 137-135 and only 2.9 seconds left in regulation, Trae Young visited the line and made both free throws, tying the game and sending it into overtime.

In overtime, the Knicks adjusted their strategy, with Mikal Bridges stepping up his defense against Trae Young. Although he struggled to defend Young for much of the second half, Bridges made crucial adjustments during overtime. The Knicks missed OG Anunoby, who is expected to return after the All-Star Break, as he would have been tasked with guarding Young. Nevertheless, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Nova Knicks showed resilience with the light of the All-Star Break peeking through the clouds.

“It just shows a lot of grit by our team to be in that position and still come out with a win,” Towns remarked. Jalen Brunson emerged as the hero in overtime, scoring a clutch two points with 11.1 seconds left, providing just enough of a lead for the Knicks to hold on for the victory. “It’s great to go into the break with a win, no matter how we got it or what happened,” Brunson said. However, Mikal Bridges proved to be the difference-maker in overtime; he has been the Knicks’ second-best defender all season, and in a key moment with OG Anunoby absent, he defended with remarkable intensity.

The Knicks will send Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to San Francisco this weekend to serve as starters in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game and participate in other All-Star Weekend festivities. I will provide more details on this in tomorrow’s report.

Giants

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

John Mara saw the banners flying over MetLife Stadium during two of the Giants’ home games in 2024 as the team battled through a challenging 3-14 record in their centennial season. “I’ve just about run out of patience,” Mara told reporters after the Giants finished one of their worst seasons in franchise history. Now, Mara and Steve Tisch have enlisted Moelis & Company to potentially secure a “minority, non-controlling stake” in the New York Football Giants.

However, there’s a catch. The Giants organization's decision may not be a direct reaction to the airplanes that flew over the stadium this season. Instead, it aligns with a new NFL rule passed last August that allows private equity firms to buy up to a 10% stake in franchises. While this could benefit the Giants financially, it has no other significant implications.

Here’s the thing, Mr. Mara: I’ve lost my patience, too. I’ve been rooting for my team to lose over the last two seasons, and that’s a disheartening feeling. Despite having a draft with two promising quarterbacks, the Giants couldn’t even manage to tank their way to a top-two pick. According to John Mara, tanking is more embarrassing than simply losing. Meanwhile, I watched Saquon Barkley, who wanted to stay with the Giants but accepted a more attractive offer from Philadelphia, set rushing records and win a Super Bowl with the rival Eagles. The enemy. While he was unlikely to find as much success in New York, it’s undeniably frustrating to see him thrive while the Giants have sunk to the NFL’s basement. And they can’t seem to find the light switch.

In contrast, the Washington Commanders intentionally tanked last season and were rewarded by drafting their future superstar quarterback, Jayden Daniels. He helped lead the team to defeat a generational pack of Detroit Lions and advance to the NFC Championship game. With the Commanders poised for years of success and a best-in-show flock of Eagles in the mix, it might take more than just a quarterback to transform the Giants into a playoff contender. As the NFL Draft approaches, the Giants have many questions to address.

Tune in tomorrow as I explore these questions and evaluate the best course of action for the Giants in the upcoming draft.

That will conclude this report. Have a good night.