Knicks 3-Pt-Shooting Offense Fails Again. Phoenix 106 NY 99

January 18, 2026 LouV 2025-26 0
KAT scores inside. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

The Knicks, without Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, didn’t hit enough buckets in the 4th quarter and went down in flames again — the 8th loss in their last 10 games — as Phoenix beat them 106-99 on a Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

It was a hard-fought game with both teams playing their heart out — but without Brunson the Knicks seemed to be a headless snake in the 4th quarter — firing up 3’s and mostly missing.

Tom Thibodeau must be watching from afar, chagrinned. Despite the new, much-ballyhooed offensive strategies that Mike Brown brought in, NY is just as reliant on Brunson, and their defensive-intensity isn’t what it was under Thibs.

Afterwards, coach Brown seemed unfazed about the loss, blaming it on shots that didn’t fall in the 4th, and offensive rebounds that Phoenix got that led to 2nd and 3rd chances. Of course this isn’t about Mike Brown vs Thibs — Brown didn’t ask for Thibs to be fired; and in fact the Knicks tried to hire 5 other coaches before hiring Brown; Brown is ‘the orphan-child coach’.

“Going 2-8 in the last 10, there’s concern there, but not to the point to where we’re going to overhaul everything,” said Brown afterwards. “We got to work; look in the mirror; see how we can individually help the group — start with me — and then we got to get in the gym, work as much as we can, and we got to keep trying to fight like we did tonite, and if we do we’re going to give ourselves a chance.”

Miles McBride and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 23 pts each — McBride shooting 5-12 from 3. OG Anunoby added 21 pts by attacking the rim all night, but only shot 1-7 from 3. Mikal Bridges added 15 pts on 6-12 shooting (3-6 from 3). Mitchell Robinson played a dominant role off the bench with 10 rebounds, a block, and several loose-ball snatches in 19 minutes. Tyler Kolek, who looked like a young Jalen Brunson 3 weeks ago, had another mostly ineffective game at the backup point with 1 assist, 3 turnovers and a -17 in 17 minutes.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 27 pts, and the Knicks were stung by point guard Collin Gillespie (11 pts) who hit big buckets in the 4th, Grayson Allen (16 pts off the bench, including 4-13 from 3), and Jordan Goodwin (13 pts off the bench on 5-6 shooting, 3-4 from 3).

NY falls to 25-17, in 3rd place in the East. Phoenix improves to 25-17, in 7th place in the West.

1. Knicks Jump Out to 27-19 Lead After 1

NY came out hot and looked like they might take this game with authority — payback for having lost to Phoenix in Phoenix last week.

NY spread the ball on offense — and Mohamed Diawara — starting due to Josh Hart being out — knocked down an early 3 for the Knicks’ first points.

Mikal Bridges followed with a 3, OG dunked off a McBride feed, and KAT knocked down a 3 and then scored inside for a 13-6 NY lead.

Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to add to the scoring and NY took a 27-19 lead after 1.

2. Phoenix Goes on 14-0 Run to Take Lead But NY Leads at Half

But Jordan Goodwin hit a 3 early in the 2nd, and right behind him Grayson Allen hit consecutive 3’s, Ryan Dunn hit a 3, and Goodwin hit another 3 and then a drive for a 14-0 Phoenix run and just like that Phoenix was up 36-31.

The Knicks pushed back with buckets by KAT and Tyler Kolek, and a deuce and a 3 by Deuce McBride to retake the lead.

OG’s 3 wasn’t falling but he was attacking the rim all night as he has been in recent games. Mikal Bridges added silky jumpers and NY took a 56-55 lead into the half.

3. Former Knicks Assemble at Halftime for Alumni Weekend

At the half over 50 former Knicks assembled for an Alumni Weekend reunion at midcourt. Almost everyone who is anyone was there spanning the last 50 years — from:

Everyone but Charles Oakley. And Bernard King who is normally at the Garden but wasn’t there — hopefully he is ok.

The Knicks do a phenomenal job of bringing back old Knicks to the Garden, as seen in the last few years in the playoffs. It is something NY leads the league — and all of sports — in.

4. Knicks Go on 14-0 Run to Gain 10-Pt Lead in 3rd

Collin Gillespie, Royce O’Neale, Devin Booker, and Mark Williams got buckets early in the 3rd to put Phoenix up 65-59 — but NY pushed back and went on a 16-0 run to take a 75-65 lead.

The run consisted of a drive by KAT, a 3 by McBride, a 3 by KAT, 2 more consecutive 3’s by McBride, and an OG drive.

5. Phoenix Goes on 13-0 Run to Gain Lead After 3

But Phoenix pushed right back with a 13-0 run of their own — Booker free throws, a 2 by Jordan Goodwin, a deuce by Goodwin, a 3 by Grayson Allen, and a drive-and-1 by Booker at the buzzer for an 80-77 Phoenix lead entering the 4th.

6. Phoenix Makes Buckets in 4th; Knicks Don’t

It was a close, hard-fought 4th quarter — with Phoenix edging out to a lead they did not relinquish. Collin Gillespie was a pain in the ass, making big buckets for the Suns — a step-back jumper, a technical free throw, a 10-foot fade away, and a 3 pointer to put Phoenix up 90-87.

Then Booker hit a drive-and-1, Mark Williams hit free throws, and Royce O’Neal hit a killer 3 off an offensive rebound by Mark Williams and Phoenix was up 9 — 98-89 — with 4:58 left.

NY got more offensive rebounds in the 4th than Phoenix did — with Clarkson, KAT, Mitchell Robinson, and OG combining for 6 offensive rebounds — but the Mark Williams offensive rebound that led to the O’Neale 3 was a killer.

NY could not counter as they kept missing open 3’s; without Brunson they didn’t have the driving force on offense.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810451

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