Daily Report – 2/12/26
Yankees
Some injury news came out of training camp today. Aaron Boone announced that Cam Schlittler, the rookie pitcher who captured the hearts of Yankees fans last postseason, is dealing with mid-back inflammation. It is a mild case, and he will continue his throwing program away from the mound.
Schlittler decided to take to X to reassure Yankees fans. He emphasized that his left lat is sore, although he is “not concerned at all.”
Recall that during Spring Training last year, then-reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffered a high-grade lat strain that took him off the mound for six months. He was not the same pitcher at any point last season. All this to say that lat strains can range widely, so Schlittler must proceed with caution so as not to worsen his lat. Thankfully, his injury is not on the side of his throwing arm.
Knicks
Can these Knicks be trusted? That remains unclear, but they are clearly trying to earn our trust, because last night’s 49-point triumph in Philadelphia was the perfect response to a disgraceful defeat against Indiana. The Knicks could not have drawn up a better way to end the first half of the season.
In a season that has repeatedly been deemed the most anticipated in over three decades, the Knicks are entering the All-Star break with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. They sit half-a-game behind Boston and six games behind Detroit. For a team with championship expectations, the standings do not paint an ideal picture. But if the Knicks can enter the second half with tenacity and grit, then perhaps they can deliver what New York City deserves.
Tenacity and grit. These two words will define the rest of the Knicks’ season. They will not be able to reach the promised land without those traits. Currently, nobody on the team is embodying that mindset better than the newest Knick, Jose Alvarado. In addition to the 26 points, five steals, and four assists he posted in 19 minutes yesterday, he maintained a high level of aggression throughout the Knicks’ blowout win.
In Charlotte on Monday, several Detroit Pistons players got into an altercation with a swarm of Hornets. The NBA penalized many of these players for their actions, but the Pistons’ energy and willingness to fight for their teammates show why they are the best team in the East.
Yesterday, in Philadelphia, something similar happened in the final minute of the first quarter. It didn’t escalate to the level of Monday’s fight, but by standing up for his teammates, Alvarado earned New York City’s respect. After stealing the ball back after missing a three-point shot in front of the Knicks’ bench, Alvardo missed another, and Mitchell Robinson battled for the offensive rebound. In the mix, Trenton Watford slammed the seven-foot center to the deck.
Alvarado, noticeably shorter than Watford, began pestering him in defense of Robinson. As Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart tried to cool the temperature, Andre Drummond, who was not involved in the initial scrum, entered the fray and shoved Hart. He wasn’t happy, nor was Alvarado, who continued arguing with Watford as the official broke up the gathering. That’s when Nick Nurse ran down the court and got involved, along with half of the Knicks’ bench.
And if this doesn’t tell you how the Knicks were feeling last night, then look at Brunson’s face after Drummond shoved Hart:
You do not want to frustrate the Knicks captain. Ever. After that, the Knicks could not be stopped. They embarked on a 27-9 run and led by as many as 52 points, never surrendering.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen this before. We had 48 baskets and 41 assists,” said head coach Mike Brown. “Unbelievable night in that regard.”
If a team wants to win a championship, then all of its players must be on the same page at all times. There cannot be any individual agendas. Personal accolades must be wiped away. And nobody, not even the team’s best player, can hog the ball. It is pretty telling that Brunson only scored eight points yesterday, and he allowed his team’s instigator, Alvarado, to lead the Knicks in scoring. Whenever their enforcer was on the court, the Knicks outscored the Sixers by 35 points.
“That’s what we need,” Hart said. “That’s what we want from [Alvarado]. Obviously, that toughness, ability to help us get organized, and ability to knock down shots. And defensively, bring energy, bring physicality, get in the passing lanes, those kinds of things. That’s why he’s here.”
Robinson, who missed Tuesday’s game for load management purposes, was once again impactful off the bench, netting 11 points, six rebounds, and a team-high four blocks. In addition to Alvarado, he shared the bench’s defensive efforts with rookie Mohamed Diawara, who scored 14 points and finished with a +19 rating.
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges combined for 43 points in the starting lineup, and Towns’s +29 rating was the best among Knicks starters. It was a bounce-back defensive night for KAT, who fouled out in overtime on Tuesday before his team could score.
Towns was proud of Alvarado. “To see that guy in the same jersey as you is something special,” he said. Like his team’s president, Leon Rose, Towns knew the Knicks needed to acquire an enforcer at the deadline. Alvarado is here to protect everybody, including Towns, who will join Brunson in representing the Knicks at the All-Star Game in Los Angeles this weekend.
“They are a resilient group of guys,” Brown said. “We’re not going to go up the whole year. Everybody expects us to go up the whole year and win it all. But this is a process. We’re going to go up, we’re going to take a step backward, we’re going to figure it out. That’s why there’s coaching, that’s why there’s practice, that’s why there are shootarounds.”
The Knicks will take a break from practice and shootarounds for a week, and they will return to the court next Thursday to host the Detroit Pistons. It will be far from the warmest of welcomes for the Knicks when they return to MSG.
Schedule
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CST): The Olympic Zone; WNBC
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CST): The Games of the XXV Winter Olympiad (Milano Cortina) – Primetime in Milan – Luge, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding; NBC, Peacock
11:35 PM (10:35 PM CST): The Games of the XXV Winter Olympiad (Milano Cortina) – Olympic Late Night – Snowboarding, Freestyle Skiing; NBC, Peacock
