Suddenly the Knicks are in a rut. Suddenly, a potential roadblock for the Eastern Conference could emerge as a matchup problem.
They were flat and out of sorts for the second straight night, falling to the 76ers 130-119 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. After dropping both legs of this back-to-back – just their third and fourth losses at home all season – the Knicks are stuck in their first three-game skid since late October. That was the only other time they lost consecutive games this campaign.
After winning eleven of twelve games, including their NBA Cup victory, the Knicks are 4-5 in their past nine games and 5-5 since winning the Cup. Two of those losses came at MSG to the 76ers, who certainly seem capable of making some noise in the East.
“We’re in an area that we’re not used to, where you’ve had a little bit of adversity,” coach Mike Brown said. “I’ve never been part of a team that hasn’t had adversity throughout the year, whether we won it at the end of the season, were in the finals or had a decent season. Every team is going to make it.”
“For us, it’s about: How do we respond? How do we get out? This is a great opportunity for us to see what we’re made of as we go through this journey.”
The young and explosive 76ers backcourt of rising star Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in the draft, has given the Knicks fits. On Saturday, Maxey recorded 36 points, while Edgecombe added 26. The Knicks had no answer for either, allowing them to penetrate the lane at will and find quality looks from deep.
Teams with quick and athletic guards are the ones that have caused the Knicks the most trouble this season. The 76ers have two of the best.
When the Knicks cut their deficit to nine points a few minutes into the fourth quarter, Edgecombe blocked Mikal Bridges’ 3-pointer and then went coast to coast, beating the Knicks to the floor for a wide-open dunk. When the Knicks got back within 12 with 4:26 left, Maxey hit a step-back 3. When the Knicks were within 10 with just over a minute left, Edgecombe stole an inbounds pass and got to the rim for an open layup after a timeout. They were ruthless.
“Just the effort,” Bridges said. “The first attempt may be there, but after that just play – the second attempt is not there.”
The Knicks should have gotten a boost with their two best big men, Karl-Anthony Towns (illness) and Mitchell Robinson (load management), returning to action. But neither made much of an impression. Towns had just two points in the first half and finished with 23, many of which came late. He spent most of the night complaining to the officials about the lack of a whistle, for which he earned a technical award in the first quarter.
Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 31 points, but his co-stars played more like role players.
Josh Hart’s continued absence is palpable. The lack of its all-encompassing impact and stimulating power is glaring.
Joel Embiid played at the Garden for the first time since becoming a Knicks villain during the 2024 playoffs. This time, however, he returned less as an MVP-caliber superstar and more on the same level as Maxey and Edgecombe. But, healthy again, he added 26 points and 10 rebounds, outscoring Towns and Robinson.
“Stay together,” Brunson said of how the Knicks can get out of their slump. “Not pointing fingers, feeling sorry for ourselves or trying to find a quick solution instead of working through it for the long term. Just being there for each other, I think that’s the most important thing.”
The 76ers used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to pull apart, building a 19-point lead in the third quarter. The Knicks made things interesting in the fourth quarter, but never seriously threatened a comeback and never got closer than seven points.
The Knicks next travel to Detroit to take on the first-place – albeit now without Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris – injury-ravaged Pistons for their first game of the year. However, it doesn’t matter who’s rooting for the Pistons if the Knicks keep playing like this.
After their previous three-game losing streak, the Knicks reeled off five straight wins. This will be another test of their courage.
“I hope history repeats itself,” Towns said. “For history to repeat itself, we have to hold on and be ready for the next game. It doesn’t get any easier for us.”
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