Daily Report – 11/3/25
Knicks
Revenge is a dish best served cold! A tough NBA Cup match loss to Chicago on Friday night extended the Knicks’ losing streak to three games, but yesterday, they tamed the Bulls with a 128-116 win.
Jalen Brunson is the captain. Jalen Brunson es el matador. He scored 31 points for the Knicks, including 19 in a spirited 34-point first quarter that set the tone for the rest of the game. Since the Knicks never lost four straight games last season, Brunson and his teammates understood how important it was to win yesterday.
“You can see the potential on both ends of the floor,” said head coach Mike Brown. “The first half against Milwaukee [on Tuesday] was good. The second half in Chicago was good. Tonight, we were closer to playing a 48-minute game on both sides of the ball. We had some hiccups early and got a little sloppy in the second half, but we settled down and closed out the game the right way.”
This game featured speed, consistency, and depth. The Knicks went 20-for-42 (47.6%) from three-point range, were perfect on free throws, and held a 24-19 fastbreak points advantage. Also, their 128 total points included a season-high 46 from the bench. Jordan Clarkson netted 15 and Josh Hart added 14 to help the Knicks rekindle their winning ways.
Most of the first quarter felt like a shootout, and in the second quarter, the Knicks surrendered a double-digit lead. However, in the third quarter, they stayed ahead of Chicago the entire time before eventually gaining a 25-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Mikal Bridges was one of the best – if not the best – players on the floor last night. Despite scoring just 10 points, he contributed a career-high nine assists. While keeping his team in check defensively, he maintained a speedy pace of play. Although he is not a top-tier scorer, Bridges is a crucial member of this team. He is a positive playmaker who never runs out of energy.
“Mikal was one of the guys who was here with the young guys early in the summer, getting reps in August and September,” Brown said. “He’s way ahead of the curve.”
Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson shone bright. He is not the sharpest shooter, but he knows how to time his shots effectively. He got extra playing time after Brown pulled Guerschon Yabusele in the first quarter because of a poor foul call. In that moment, Brown did a good job of holding Yabusele accountable for his transgressions, and it had a positive impact on the rest of the team.
“This group is more than capable of playing fast,” Brown said. “We scored 128 points and probably could have scored a few more. […] I still think our ceiling is a lot higher.”
Five minutes into the third quarter, Josh Hart missed a three-point field goal from the top of the key and retrieved his own rebound. He then traded places with Jalen Brunson, moving to the paint to give him plenty of space to attempt a three-point shot. The basketball shimmied its way through the basket, and it marked Brunson’s 9,000th career point.
The Knicks are now one game into a seven-game homestand, and they will play again tonight at 7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT) against the Washington Wizards (MSG, Gotham Sports).
Schedule
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): NYK vs. WSH; MSG, Gotham Sports
8:15 PM (7:15 PM CDT): Monday Night Football (MNF), Week 9 – Arizona Cardinals (2-5) at Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1); ABC, ESPN
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): Progressive Monday Night Kickoff; ABC, ESPN
