Daily Report – 4/6/26
Knicks
It’s pretty crazy to think that the Knicks haven’t beaten a team with a winning record since the Nuggets on March 6. It has been a difficult month for the Knicks, who are at risk of limping into the postseason. In their last two games, they defeated Memphis and Chicago by a combined 51 points, but last Tuesday, they fell far too short in Houston.
For added context, the Rockets are postseason-bound. The Grizzlies and Bulls are not. But as the Knicks trail Boston by three games with four games to play in the regular season, every win matters. Tonight against Atlanta, the Knicks are due to beat a playoff team.
“You always want your team to be playing at the highest of high cylinders,” said head coach Mike Brown after Friday’s win. “Do I think we’re there right now? No. Do I have belief in this team? Yes, I do.”
The Knicks have fallen victim to slow starts and three-point defensive mishaps whenever they face playoff teams. They often get trampled by the three-ball, and turnovers make it difficult to overcome high-scoring deficits. The Knicks’ 14% turnover percentage ranks 11th in the NBA, and their 36.1% opponents’ three-point mark ranks 20th – neither metric is ideal.
However, the Knicks permit the fifth-fewest points per game in the league this season, and their 112.3 defensive rating ranks eighth. Those statistics are solid, but for a Knicks team that sought to dictate the pace of play in every game this year, their 36.1% three-point rate against remains concerning.
“A lot of it has been our defense,” Brown said. “In the first quarter, we’re 19th [defensively], and in the fourth quarter, we’re first [in the league] by a mile. So, for us to bring that same sense of urgency to start the games defensively, it’s going to be big for us.”
The Knicks haven’t been healthy for months, though. They just got Miles McBride and Landry Shamet back from injury, and they are trying to integrate them back into their scheme. On paper, McBride and Shamet are the Knicks’ best on-ball defenders. Jose Alvarado foots that bill as well – on paper.
For the remainder of the regular season and in the playoffs, the paper gets shredded. The game becomes a function of roster depth, defensive skill, and mental toughness. To win the chip, you have to grind your way through two months of games, during which anything can happen.
But the Knicks’ postseason future still relies on reality. What happens now paves the way. Winning games matters, but wins come in many shapes and sizes. For the Knicks right now, it is all about building confidence and entering the playoffs with a style of play they can be proud of.
“Being able to lock in and be ready from the jump is key,” Jalen Brunson said on Friday. The Knicks took a 37-point lead into the locker room at halftime, their largest in franchise history, before destroying the Bulls 136-96.
“It starts with our preparation,” Brunson continued. “I think there are still things we can do better defensively. Obviously, getting out to a lead helped us play comfortably for the rest of the game.”
The Knicks led 38-16 after Friday’s first quarter and 78-41 after the second. It felt like, for the first time in weeks, they had started a game strong. The catch: it was against Chicago. But for all intents and purposes, despite my earlier argument about the importance of win quality while preparing for the postseason, let’s roll with the logic of “a win is a win.”
A shorthanded group of Knicks (missing Karl-Anthony Towns) took on a tanking gang of Bulls on Friday. In response to Towns’s absence, Mitchell Robinson stepped up, scoring 17 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting day. He also made three of four free throws, which was impressive because he tends to struggle from the stripe.
Robinson finished the game with a double-double, adding 11 rebounds to his spot on the box score. Jalen Brunson had a double-double as well, with 17 points and 10 assists, but OG Anunoby bested him and Robinson with a career-high-tying seven three-pointers and 31 points.
“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing,” Brown said. “At the end of the day, it’s about us. I thought the guys were really good with that.”
Brown is correct; it is all about them. When the Knicks play at their best, they are as good as anybody in the NBA, but in the playoffs, you aren’t going to be your best every night. As a player, if you trust yourself and your teammates, your team can go all the way. But if that trust is lacking, or if it is conditional and incomplete, then the whole ship will sink in the face of adversity.
Tonight, the Knicks seek another strong start as they try to win their first game against an over-.500 team since March 6. They will visit the Atlanta Hawks (7 PM, 6 PM CDT – MSG, Peacock, Gotham Sports).
Schedule
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): NYK at ATL; MSG, Peacock, Gotham Sports
8:30 PM (7:30 PM CDT): NCAA March Madness, Men’s Championship – No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Michigan
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Knicks
