NEW YORK, NY — The New York Knicks opened the new year with a flat performance at Madison Square Garden in front of a crowd of 19,812, falling 111–99 to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in a game that exposed the toll of injuries, fatigue, and defensive breakdowns.
Playing without superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, along with key contributors Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, and Landry Shamet, the Knicks struggled to generate consistent offense and failed to control the paint for much of the night.
Atlanta, despite being without Trae Young, used physical defense, strong ball pressure, and steady interior scoring to seize control early and never fully relinquish it.
The Knicks fell to the Hawks by a final score of 111-99 Friday night at Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: NBA
The Hawks jumped ahead in the second and third quarters, building a lead that ballooned to as many as 26 points—the largest deficit the Knicks have faced this season. New York trailed 60–47 at halftime after an especially disjointed second quarter that saw the Knicks settling for rushed perimeter shots and a total team meltdown defensively.
“Our defensive player of the game tonight was OG Anunoby,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said postgame. “But overall, we didn’t guard the ball, we didn’t defend in transition, and we allowed too many points in the paint. If the shots aren’t falling, we have to hang our hat on defense, and we didn’t do that.”
Atlanta finished with 58 points in the paint and repeatedly punished New York off dribble penetration and fast breaks. Brown noted that the Hawks’ physicality disrupted the Knicks’ offensive rhythm throughout the game.
“They came in and were very physical with us and took us out of what we wanted to do offensively,” he said. “We were stagnant. Against a long, athletic team like that, you have to play with pace and touch the paint with quick decisions.”
The Knicks were unable to get it going on offense, failing to score 100 points and only recording 46 points in the paint compared to the Hawks’ 58 – Image Credit: NBA
The Knicks showed brief signs of life in the fourth quarter, opening the period on an 11–0 run capped by an Anunoby three-pointer that cut the deficit to 11. However, the comeback stalled as Atlanta answered with timely baskets, including an and-one finish by Jalen Johnson over Anunoby.
Jalen Brunson led New York with 24 points and five assists but struggled from long range, part of a broader shooting slump that saw the Knicks go just 9-for-44 from three-point distance, their worst percentage of the season.
“We let shot-making affect our overall gameplay,” Brunson said. “That can’t happen.”
The Knicks’ strong December was powered by Jalen Brunson, who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month after averaging 30.6 points and 7.1 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three. New York went 10–4 during the month, and the honor marked Brunson’s third career Player of the Month award and his first since March 2024, further strengthening his growing MVP case.
Ariel Hukporti provided a rare bright spot for New York, recording 17 rebounds—including seven on the offensive end—along with four blocks in his second career start. His activity helped the Knicks stay competitive on the glass, but the absence of Towns and Robinson loomed large.
Mikal Bridges, who finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists, with two steals, echoed Brown’s sentiments postgame, pointing to a lack of energy and defensive sharpness.
“There’s no excuse,” Bridges said. “We’ve just got to be better. Learn from it and be ready tomorrow.”
Mikal Bridges finished with 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Knicks’ loss to Atlanta Friday night at MSG – Image Credit: NBA
The loss dropped the Knicks to 23–11 and marked their second straight defeat for only the second time this season. Brown emphasized perspective, noting the grind of the calendar between New Year’s Day and the All-Star break.
“This group has been built to handle these moments,” he said. “The downs don’t last long. We believe in what we’re doing, and we’ll get it fixed.”
New York will look to respond quickly as it hosts Philadelphia in the second leg of a back-to-back on Saturday night.
Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content
Instagram: @latinosportsoficial
Facebook: Latino Sports
Twitter: @latinosports
