Daily Report – 11/17/25
Knicks
It’s prove-it time for the Knicks. With OG Anunoby out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury and Jalen Brunson day-to-day with an ankle injury, the Knicks will have to rely on unexpected sources to deliver necessary offense. With a five-game road trip beginning tonight in Miami, the Knicks seek their first road win of the season, and they’ll have to earn it without two of their best players.
On Friday night, the Knicks began their NBA Cup game without Brunson, and they lost Anunoby midway through the first quarter. However, they beat Miami 140-132.
Landry Shamet played hero, scoring a career-high 36 points off a Knicks bench that totaled 75. While the Knicks will miss their star wing player, Anunoby, Shamet took advantage of his opportunity on Friday and turned it into a memorable moment.
“It’s about the next man up,” said head coach Mike Brown. “Who that next man is gonna be, I don’t know. There was no way I could tell you that some of these guys were gonna score the ball the way they did [on Friday].”
Shamet’s performance was nothing short of unexpected. Anunoby’s best attribute is his elite defense, which could earn him All-NBA honors this season. But ever since he arrived in New York late last season, Shamet has showcased an impressive defensive skillset as well, and now, he’s found that coveted offensive component. Shamet scored points in a variety of ways on Friday, going 6-for-12 from three-point range and 12-for-19 from the floor.
“What makes this group special [is] we’ve got a lot of guys that just care about winning,” Shamet said. “Whatever it takes, we’ve got [Brunson] out, we lose [Anunoby] early there, and we got great contributions across the board from everyone. It’s the mentality we have to have, and we’ll continue to have [it]. It’s next man up. A lot of teams talk about that, but I think this group really embodies it, and will continue to.”
Without Brunson or Anunoby, the pressure on Karl-Anthony Towns will increase. He’ll get more touches, and on Friday, he scored a team-leading 39 points, including six three-point field goals. He has been struggling for weeks to shoot from distance, but he found his rhythm in the NBA Cup. At one point in the second quarter, Towns hit back-to-back treys as part of a solo 8-0 run. After Miami tightened up its defense on Towns in the second half, Shamet erupted.
The next-man-up mentality doesn’t just apply to players compensating for the missing production caused by injured players. It also applies to in-game situations. When Towns got double-teamed in the second half, other Knicks players had to step up. This time, it was Shamet who seized the moment.
Shamet’s performance wouldn’t have been possible without Towns, because in the second half, when he noticed changes in Miami’s defense, he changed his game plan to generate more scoring chances for his teammates. To be able to make those adjustments suggests Towns has the mindset of a leader, and he showcased the kind of in-game approach that turns stars into champions.
“[Brunson] was missing the game today and we all had to step up and contribute to our team,” Towns said. “So, I wanted to do my best to pick up the offense that he gives our team, and in the first half, I did a good job of that. In the second half, I wasn’t trying to force it. I’ve had those days, so I was just letting the game come to me, and Shamet is a big reason.”
Additionally, Josh Hart recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Also, Mikal Bridges had another strong defensive game, mustering seven steals, and Jordan Clarkson helped maintain the pace with a season-high 24 points off the bench.
For the Knicks, losing their leading scorer is tough. Losing their top wing defender might be even tougher. The Knicks are not, by any means, better off without Brunson or Anunoby, but their injuries force them, at the one-quarter mark of their most anticipated season in 30 years, to find new ways to win games. That will yield long-term benefits.
Tonight, at 7:30 PM (6:30 PM CST), the Knicks will play Miami again, but this time on the road (MSG, Gotham Sports).
Schedule
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CST): NYK at MIA; MSG, Gotham Sports
8:15 PM (7:15 PM CST): Monday Night Football (MNF), Week 11 – Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-7); ESPN, ABC
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CST): Progressive Monday Night Kickoff; ESPN, ABC
