The Knicks’ 2025/26 season hit another low Monday with a 17-point home loss to an injury-depleted Mavericks team, writes Steve Popper of Newsday.
New York trailed by as many as 30 points in the first half and was down 28 at halftime, as Madison Square Garden fans “serenaded” the team with boos.
The loss was the Knicks’ ninth in their past 11 games, a steep drop from a 23-9 mark just three weeks ago that now has them flirting with play-in territory. Over the previous 10 games, Popper notes, New York posted the NBA’s second-worst defensive rating.
The performance was especially disappointing because the Knicks were at full strength. Jalen Brunson returned from a right ankle sprain and Josh Hart played through right ankle soreness, but the effort lagged.
“Guys are gonna be banged up, guys aren’t gonna be 100 percent, it’s the dog days of the season,” Hart said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
“But the effort, I think last year no matter what we did, the effort was there. I haven’t seen this kind of effort that we had today, it was embarrassing.”
Hart acknowledged before the game that his ankle is not fully healthy, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, and explained why he still suited up.
“I want to be out there to try to help the team as much as I can so (the team’s recent struggles) did (influence his decision) a little bit; a combination of that, there’s the competitiveness and the impatience that I display,” Hart said.
The slump follows comments from owner James Dolan two weeks ago expressing confidence the Knicks could reach the NBA Finals. Since then, they are 2-6.
Both Popper and Bondy note Dolan left his courtside seat at halftime and did not return.
Bondy is not advocating for head coach Mike Brown to be fired, calling that “reactionary and ill-advised,” but believes a major roster shake-up could be coming.
He says everyone except Brunson and Hart should be available, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges.
Towns was booed twice in the fourth quarter, per Popper, and said afterward that he understood the fans’ reaction.
“Fans are doing their part and we’ve got to do our part,” Towns said.
Popper adds that league “whispers” have begun about the Knicks possibly exploring a Towns trade, with discussions involving teams such as the Grizzlies, Magic and Hornets.
Bondy also floated a hypothetical deal sending Towns to Portland for Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant.
Knicks Have Talked To Multiple Teams About Trading Towns https://t.co/AUTqKGpAqL pic.twitter.com/83QneX4rIP
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 20, 2026
