Daily Report – 3/24/26
Knicks
On Sunday afternoon, Tyler Kolek set the G-League Westchester Knicks single-game scoring record with 44 points. On Sunday night, he scored 11 points in five minutes off the NBA Knicks’ bench as his team defeated the Washington Wizards 145-113. Kolek finished the day with 55 points.
Because of his smooth ball movement and precise passing, Kolek quickly became a fan favorite early upon making his NBA debut. The Knicks drafted him from Marquette in 2024. On Christmas Day, Kolek made his presence felt with 16 points and a team-high nine assists, including several clutch buckets, in a massive comeback win against Cleveland. His performance that day earned him a consistent spot in the Knicks’ bench rotation.
Due to an injury to Miles McBride, Kolek became Jalen Brunson’s backup point guard. However, when Jose Alvarado arrived on Deadline Day, Kolek fell out of Mike Brown’s usual rotation. The ambiguity around his role on the team was probably difficult for young Kolek to handle, but he didn’t show it.
Not on Sunday, at least.
“Our biggest thing is making our opponent feel us,” Brown said after Sunday’s win. “I thought, overall, it was a lot better than what we’ve done in a couple of games.”
Despite a surprisingly close game in Brooklyn on Friday – the Knicks beat the Nets by a single point – Sunday’s 32-point win over Washington helped the Knicks secure their sixth straight dub. With it, they have moved within half a game of the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks already own the tiebreaker over their Beantown rivals, so if they catch them in the standings, it would mean home-court advantage if they face each other in the playoffs. Both teams are already guaranteed at least a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
After handing the Wizards their 16th straight loss in New York’s sixth of seven straight games against sub-.500 teams, the Knicks are enjoying an easy stretch of their schedule, which continues tonight against the 25-47 New Orleans Pelicans. However, the Knicks are not afraid of the competition awaiting them, and their push toward the playoffs will go up a notch on Sunday night in Oklahoma City.
“The higher the seed, the better,” Brown said. “Mainly because the [home] fans are awesome, and playing in this environment during that time, you couldn’t ask for anything better. But at the end of the day, if we truly believe that we are THAT team, it truly doesn’t matter where we’ve got to go and who we’ve got to face.”
The Knicks hope to enter the postseason with a win streak, and while they will not face the likes of Brooklyn or Washington again this season, wins against top teams matter more than those against bottom-feeders. They are the types of victories that build confidence, which is key in April, May, and hopefully June.
Against Washington on Sunday, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He went 9-for-13 from the field and earned his NBA-leading 50th double-double of the season. Since the All-Star Break, Towns has elevated his game, becoming a much more reliable scorer and physical defender.
Towns’s 801 rebounds this season lead the NBA, and he has gotten into significantly less foul trouble lately. He finally seems to be performing under Brown’s system.
The Knicks’ only weakness on Sunday was the 19 three-pointers they allowed. However, the Knicks currently possess the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA, and on Sunday, the NBA’s fifth-best rebounding team out-boarded Washington by 20. Towns’s 16 rebounds led the Knicks, and behind him, Mitchell Robinson posted 10.
But guess what? Because Robinson also scored 10 points, both Knicks big men notched double-doubles. Robinson was one of three bench scorers to reach double figures, along with every Knicks starter aside from OG Anunoby, who came close with nine points.
Tonight, the Knicks will look to win their seventh straight game – and fourth straight at home – as Jose Alvarado faces off against his former team, the Pelicans, for the first time since being traded (7:30 PM, 6:30 PM CDT – MSG, Gotham Sports).
Schedule
7:30 PM (6:30 PM CDT): NYK vs. NO; MSG, Gotham Sports
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Knicks
