In what might have been his final game at the Garden, LeBron James did not get to have his way with the Knicks. He scored 22 points, unable to best the 33 he posted at the Garden last season. Although Luca Doncic broke loose for 30 points and 15 rebounds, it was not enough to combat the Knicks’ production.

The Rangers’ embarrassment never seems to end. Last night at the Garden, they fell 2-1 to the Islanders, marking the first time in eight years the Islanders have swept them in the season series. The Rangers were outscored 14-3, including two shutout losses, across four games against the Islanders this season.

This game will be remembered as the night Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby carried their shorthanded team to a victory. And in many ways, they were the cover athletes of the night. But none of their achievements would have been possible without Landry Shamet.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Knicks earned their third consecutive victory yesterday, beating the bottom-feeding Sacramento Kings 103-87 at Madison Square Garden. DeMar DeRozan was the no-namer selected to explode, and his 34 points accounted for 42.5% of his team’s total scoring.

In front of several Legendary Blueshirts from the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning team, rookie defenseman Matthew Robertson played hero yesterday as the Rangers overcame a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins in overtime.

The Knicks were lucky to escape Philadelphia alive on Saturday. Leading by 17 points with 8:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Knicks looked like they had put the 76ers to bed. But an 18-4 run by Philadelphia put them within three points with two minutes remaining.

There always seems to be one team that helps an ailing opponent get a much-needed win. For the Knicks, their best friends live right across the East River. In their 13th consecutive win over Brooklyn, the Knicks achieved their highest margin of victory in franchise history, winning by 54 points.

Cody Bellinger is returning to the Yankees on a five-year, $162.5 million contract. The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus, a full no-trade clause, and opt-outs after the first and second seasons.

Boos. That was all the Knicks have been hearing for weeks. Two duds in one weekend, in which they scored fewer than 100 points at home, did not help. In any other season in the Jalen Brunson era, the Knicks would be fighting flesh and bone for their lives. This year, with nine losses in their past 11 games, they seem perfectly content with sucking.

The Knicks rank 19th in defensive rating, and they have posted the NBA’s second-worst defensive rating this month. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games, tied for the worst record in the league in that span, and they have dropped three straight games.

The Rangers haven’t earned a regulation win at home since November 24. Today is January 16, and with an 8-4 loss to Ottawa on Wednesday, the Rangers have lost a season-high five straight contests, and nine of their previous 11. They haven’t even won a game indoors since December 23.

The Rangers are not going to rebuild. They are going to retool. Chris Drury sent a letter to fans today explaining that many beloved players will be departing soon in exchange for “players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree.” The Rangers are now focusing on “obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space.”

In the words of the legendary Steve Somers, Sacratomato is a great place to live if you’re a vegetable. Hopefully, the veggies didn’t eat Jalen Brunson, who exited yesterday’s game midway through the first quarter with a non-contact injury to his right ankle, the one that’s bothered him for years. The Knicks went on to a lowly 112-101 loss in Mike Brown’s return to Sacramento.

John Harbaugh is coming to New York. In a monumental move for the franchise, the Giants convinced Harbaugh, whom they deemed their guy, to become their next head coach.

The Rangers haven’t earned a regulation win at home since November 24. Today is January 13, and the Rangers’ five wins in 21 home games are the second-fewest in the NHL. New York has now tied its season-high four-game losing streak, and the Rangers have lost seven of their previous eight games.

The Rangers were like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. They lacked brains, heart, and courage. They didn’t play defense. They only blocked nine shots. They gave the puck away 20 times. They only scored two goals. And two different goaltenders combined to allow 10 goals for the first time in franchise history since 2009.

Everything was going right for the Blueshirts in the third period. Head coach Mike Sullivan deemed it their “best period in a while.” Vincent Trocheck cut a two-goal deficit in half 51 seconds into the frame, slamming the puck five-hole past rookie goaltender Colten Ellis. The Rangers finished the period with a 14-3 shots on goal advantage. At one point, they were outshooting Buffalo 10-1.

Abracadabra! The Knicks snapped their four-game losing streak last night, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 123-111 at Madison Square Garden. Karl-Anthony Towns was the key to the Knicks’ success. When they were losing, Towns was struggling. Last night, for the first time in many games, Kitten Towns played like a Lion.

Something is awry in Knick Land. The Knicks have lost four straight games, most recently on Monday, when they fell 121-90 to the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons in Detroit. The Knicks blew an opportunity to gain traction in the Eastern Conference while Detroit avenged their first-round playoff loss from last season.

Everything the Rangers built at the Winter Classic on Friday seemed to go up in smoke yesterday when Igor Shesterkin went down with a lower-body injury. This afternoon, it was announced that he will be placed on injured reserve, but the plot thickens – the Rangers are also moving Adam Fox back to long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury.