<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/how-knicks-loss-heat-serve-lesson-3-point-shot-selection');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Knicks’ loss to Heat can serve as lesson on 3-point shot selection');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/How-Knicks-loss-to-Heat-can-serve-as-lesson-on-3-point-shot-selection.jpg"></figure><h1>How Knicks’ loss to Heat can serve as lesson on 3-point shot selection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T11:16:28-07:00">October 27th, 11:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T11:16:28-07:00">October 27th, 11:16am</time><address><a>Drew Maresca</a>Drew Maresca is a NY-area writer and researcher who has covered the NBA for more than 5 years. Prior to joining ClutchPoints to cover the New York Knicks, Drew wrote for Basketball News and Basketball Insiders. Drew has conducted interviews inside NBA locker rooms including Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and the Kia Center, and he covered the 2019 NBA Draft in-person from Brooklyn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/how-mike-browns-new-look-knicks-offense-could-get-them-over-championship-hump">New York Knicks’ new offensive philosophy</a> has been on full display through the team’s first three games this season. New head coach Mike Brown has encouraged the Knicks to shoot, pass, and run more freely. And the players have been listening—especially when it comes to shooting. New York is shooting significantly more 3-pointers so far this season. But its recent loss against the Miami Heat demonstrates exactly why the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/knicks-news-why-mike-brown-hasnt-installed-new-york-plays">Knicks would benefit from a little more structure in their offense</a>.</p><h2><b>Knicks live and die by the 3-pointer</b></h2><p>The Knicks shot an eye-popping 46 3-point attempts in their first outing of the 2025-26 season. They doubled down in its second game, hoisting 45 3-pointers. New York connected on 35% and 38%, respectively. And not surprisingly, both of those games were wins.</p><p>But in its third game against Miami—its first road game this season—the Knicks made only 28% of its 54 3-point attempts. It seemed like the Knicks either lacked the patience to look for other shots or forgot how to do so. And therein lies the problem with having an eternal green light to shoot and limited offensive plays to rely on.</p><p>For context, the Knicks shot 34 3-pointers per game last season, 27th in the NBA, despite making 37% of them (eighth in the league). That was pretty obviously too few, considering how regularly they made their attempts. But New York may have gone too far in the other direction through the first few games of 2025-26.</p><p>Granted, there are other reasons the Knicks lost to the Heat.  They shot poorly from the free-throw line. They gave up 31 free throws. And they surrendered 31 fast break points. But when possessions count as much as they do in the NBA, teams must consistently generate points. And when you shoot as poorly as the Knicks did against the Heat, you have to adjust—or you lose.</p><h2><b>Knicks must figure out how to use 3-pointers—but not rely on them</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jalen-Brunson-shoots-the-basketball-against-the-Miami-Heat-during-the-fourth-quarter-of-a-115-107-loss.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It comes down to being more selective. When New York makes its 3-pointers, it works well. Obviously, if you can make approximately 40% of nearly 50 3-pointers, it behooves a team to shoot it.</p><p>But when you make only 28% of your 3-point attempts, you must look elsewhere for offense. And if you are overly reliant on threes, it becomes more difficult to organically find ways to score. Striking that balance will be vital for the Knicks’ success this season. Thankfully, it’s early enough in the season to expect it to work itself out.</p><p>The shift toward shooting more 3-pointers has been underway throughout the NBA for some time, and it’s continued this season. In 2025-26, 10 teams are averaging 40 or more 3-point attempts per game. Only four teams averaged 40 or more last season. That’s an intuitive result of a preference for an increased pace. But there’s a pretty obvious difference between good shots and bad ones.</p><p>New York leads the NBA in 3-point attempts per game. But they must avoid falling into the bad habit of looking for 3-pointers too quickly. Instead, they must look at the 3-point shot as a weapon, shooting when open but using the space that’s created by playing five-out lineups to attack to basket.</p><p>Losing a relatively close game early in the season after winning your first two games should by no means signal time to sound the alarm. It’s probably a good lesson for Brown and his team to learn. But Brown must impart exactly how important it is to look for other ways to score when 3-pointers don’t fall. And the Knicks have to remember what its identity has been in the recent past and how it’s generated points. Striking a balance between what the Knicks have been and what Brown wants to do is probably a best-case scenario for a team that’s needed more offensive creativity—but that obviously should want to keep its gritty persona.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Knicks’ loss to Heat can serve as lesson on 3-point shot selection

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-new-york-injury-report-celtics-hope');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ injury report vs. Celtics offers hope');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Karl-Anthony-Towns-faces-off-against-Jarrett-Allen.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ injury report vs. Celtics offers hope</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T08:40:02-07:00">October 24th, 8:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T08:40:02-07:00">October 24th, 8:40am</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks are 1-0 as they prepare to host the Boston Celtics on Friday. Despite some injuries, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba">Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111</a> to start the season on a good note. As they prepare to play Boston, their injury report offers some hope with some updated news on OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson.</p><p>The injury report for the game against the Celtics <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-10-24_11AM.pdf" rel="noopener">lists four players</a>. Significantly, Anunoby is probable to play as he deals with a left ankle sprain. The Knicks have upgraded Hart to questionable due to a lower back injury and lumbar spasms. Towns has a right-quad strain that he is dealing with. Lastly, Robinson has a left ankle injury that he is tending to, and the Knicks have already ruled him out.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-karl-anthony-towns-fans-respect-injury-move-cavs">Towns played through his injury</a> and produced decent results, scoring 19 points on 5-for-12 shooting while hauling in 11 rebounds. Before the contest, the team noted his injury, but he still played. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mitchell-robinson-josh-hart-ruled-out-for-opener-vs-cavs">Hart and Robinson did not play,</a> leaving the Knicks shorthanded in their starting lineup and on their bench.</p><p>Hart has not played yet this season and is looking to get his first regular-season game action. Last season, he played a major role in the Game 2 victory over the Celtics, leading the team with 23 points as they rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit. While the Celtics are also dealing with their own ailments, namely the injury of Jayson Tatum, they still have a team that is capable of winning in the Garden.</p><p>While Hart has a chance to play, Robinson remains out. This means that the Knicks must monitor Towns’ minutes. Ultimately, this means they will likely rely on Guerschon Yabusele, who played 12 minutes off the bench against the Cavs. Trey Jemison III also played seven minutes against the Cavs, and the Knicks might call on him in case Towns needs a breather. The Knicks hope to weather the storm as they host the Celtics, looking to go to 2-0.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ injury report vs. Celtics offers hope

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-coach-minutes-approach-translate-nba-playoff-success');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Knicks coach’s minutes approach might translate to additional NBA Playoff success');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/How-Knicks-coachs-minutes-approach-might-translate-to-additional-NBA-Playoff-success.jpg"></figure><h1>How Knicks coach’s minutes approach might translate to additional NBA Playoff success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T11:34:22-07:00">October 23rd, 11:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T11:34:22-07:00">October 23rd, 11:34am</time><address><a>Drew Maresca</a>Drew Maresca is a NY-area writer and researcher who has covered the NBA for more than 5 years. Prior to joining ClutchPoints to cover the New York Knicks, Drew wrote for Basketball News and Basketball Insiders. Drew has conducted interviews inside NBA locker rooms including Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and the Kia Center, and he covered the 2019 NBA Draft in-person from Brooklyn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025-26 New York Knicks are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/how-mike-browns-new-look-knicks-offense-could-get-them-over-championship-hump">clearly different than last season’s iteration of the team</a>. New York’s talent has not been the problem in the recent past. But coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/mike-brown-knicks-tom-thibodeau-nba-title">Tom Thibodeau’s unwillingness to play his bench</a> might have created a degree of burnout among starters. Well, coach Mike Brown talked a big game about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-final-roster-decisions-bolster-title-push-now-future">wanting to utilize a number of reserves</a>.</p><p>Despite being without two major rotation players on opening night, Brown put his money where his mouth is in his first regular-season win, 119-111, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And if the trend of Brown playing reserves for longer stretches continues, it could foreshadow a major improvement for the Knicks.</p><h2><b>How Mike Brown succeeded in utilizing his bench </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jordan-Clarkson-makes-a-move-against-Cleveland-Cavaliers-guard-Sam-Merrill-during-the-fourth-quarter-of-opening-night-of-the-regular-season-at-Madison-Square-Garden.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Brown succeeded in using his bench in a way that fans clamored for from Thibodeau. After stating to the media in the pre-season that he hoped to play nine or 10 guys per game, Brown ended up playing a whopping 11 players—in a game that came down to the final minute. Furthermore, 10 of those players played 10 minutes or more.</p><p>In total, the Knicks’ bench scored 35 points in last night’s win. For comparison’s sake, New York’s bench ranked last in the NBA in bench scoring last season, averaging 21.7 points per game.</p><p>With Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart out for the game, Brown turned to the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Ariel Hukporti, to start at center. He also played Miles McBride 26 minutes, Jordan Clarkson 13 minutes, and Guerschon Yabusele 12 minutes. Second-year guard Tyler Kolek received significant time, as well, collecting seven points and two assists in 14 minutes. Landry Shamet also played a meaningful 14 minutes. And even center Trey Jemison III logged time (eight minutes).</p><h2><b>How does Mike Brown’s strategy help raise Knicks’ ceiling?</b></h2><p>Brown’s strategy should yield near-immediate results by way of allowing the starters to play fewer minutes are remain rested for important games later in the season. For example, Knicks’ captain Jalen Brunson played only 34 minutes, compared to 35.4 last season. Mikal Bridges played 33 minutes compared to the 37 he averaged in 2024-25. And Towns (game-time decision due to a quad strain) played 31 minutes—or three fewer than he averaged last year. Only OG Anunoby played more (38 minutes vs. 36.6 in 2024-25).</p><p>Ironically, it was Anunoby who addressed the bench’s role on opening night.</p><p>“We have a deep team,” Anunoby said after the game. “Everyone who came in is capable of making an impact. That showed (tonight).”</p><p>This could have a meaningful impact. In the 2025 playoffs, Robinson, Hart, and Towns were all dealing with various ailments, which presumably hurt their ability to execute. And the 2024 playoffs were even bleaker, as Anunoby, Brunson, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-new-york-gets-brutal-mitchell-robinson-injury-update-amid-pacers-series">Robinson all suffered injuries against the Indiana Pacers</a>. But this season, the Knicks could be fresher come the playoffs—and that would be bad for the rest of the Eastern Conference.</p><p>The Knicks are hopeful that this season could be the one in which they finally end their 52-year championship drought. And coach Brown is ready to help them achieve exactly that by putting his stamp on the team. For what it’s worth, recent NBA champions have leaned into their depth. And Brown seems to firmly understand the importance of doing so.</p><p>Granted, the NBA season is long. And a lot can happen that is out of a team’s control (e.g., injuries). But the Knicks appear to finally grasp the importance of relying on their bench. And that could pay major dividends come the 2026 NBA Playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Knicks coach’s minutes approach might translate to additional NBA Playoff success

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-ben-stiller-hyped-posts');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks are back and winning games again, so it’s time for Ben Stiller’s hyped posts');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Ben-Stiller.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks are back and winning games again, so it’s time for Ben Stiller’s hyped posts</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T08:27:40-07:00">October 23rd, 8:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T08:30:28-07:00">October 23rd, 8:30am</time><address><a>Andrew Korpan</a>Andrew Korpan is the lead entertainment editor and film critic for ClutchPoints. He's also an award-winning author and Ken Jeong's best friend.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025-26 NBA season is here, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-og-anunoby-monstrous-mike-brown-reaction-beating-cavs">New York Knicks opened it with a win</a> over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and known <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-ben-stiller-watching-summer-league">superfan Ben Stiller</a> was hyped up.</p><p>Stiller frequently posts about his favorite NBA team on X, formerly Twitter. <a href="https://x.com/BenStiller/status/1981178907266060736" rel="noopener">He was hyped up</a> after the Knicks won their season opener, their first win under Mike Brown.</p><p>“LETS GOOOOO,” Stiller wrote on X.</p><p>He then quote-posted a video from SportsCenter where ESPN’s NBA crew made a bold prediction about the Knicks’ 2025 season. They thought the Knicks were going to the 2025 NBA Finals. While Stiller didn’t necessarily agree, he knows it’s a long season and to take it one game at a time.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="qst">1-0 <a href="https://t.co/61q2fSywEs">https://t.co/61q2fSywEs</a></p><p>— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStiller/status/1981323913503064092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>“1-0,” he responded.</p><h2><b>Ben Stiller was along for the ride with the Knicks in 2024</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ben-Stiller-at-Knicks-Pacers-game.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><p>Stiller has been a fan of the Knicks for years, but he was especially vocal during the 2024-25 season. He attended several games, and he was a fixture of their playoff games, traveling on the road for some of them.</p><p>Ultimately, the Knicks’ 2024-25 season ended with disappointment. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>Now, they are hoping to climb the mountain top and win the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973. They are off to a promising start after beating the Cavaliers.</p><p>The Knicks did not play well against the Cavaliers in 2024. They were swept in their four matchups against Cleveland during the 2024-25 season, so it is important that they got a win in their first encounter during the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Stiller is an acclaimed actor and director known for his roles in the Meet the Parents, Madagascar, and Night at the Museum franchises. He is also known for his roles in comedies like Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Along Came Polly.</p><p>He made his directorial debut in 1994, directing Reality Bites. Since then, he has directed Tropic Thunder, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Zoolander 2. Stiller is an executive producer and director of episodes of Apple TV+’s Emmy-winning series Severance.</p><p>His most recent project was directing Stiller &amp; Meara: Nothing Is Lost, a documentary about his parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. It was released in theaters on October 17.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks are back and winning games again, so it’s time for Ben Stiller’s hyped posts

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-tom-thibodeau-felt-betrayed-knicks-firing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Why Tom Thibodeau felt so ‘betrayed’ by firing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Knicks-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Why Tom Thibodeau felt so ‘betrayed’ by firing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T06:33:55-07:00">October 23rd, 6:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T06:33:55-07:00">October 23rd, 6:33am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After leading the New York Knicks to their deepest playoff run in 25 years, Tom Thibodeau’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-process-replace-tom-thibodeau-shouldnt-confuse-fans">tenure with the Knicks ended</a> in a way that sources close to him described as both shocking and painful. According to The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor, the former Knicks head coach <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6738319/2025/10/22/james-dolan-fired-tom-thibodeau-risk-knicks-future/?source=athletic_user_shared_article_twitter&amp;smid=tw-share-ta" rel="noopener">felt betrayed</a> by people <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-leon-rose-championship-welcome-mike-brown">within the Knicks organization following his dismissal</a>.</p><p>“When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings,” a source close to Thibodeau said to The Athletic.</p><p>Thibodeau spent five seasons in New York. He compiled a 226-174 record and guided the franchise to four playoff appearances. His leadership helped transform a team that had been a consistent underachiever into a legitimate contender. Their biggest highlight was last season’s trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. In that run, the Knicks eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics. But they eventually fell to the Indiana Pacers in six games.</p><h2><b>Tension was building for the Knicks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Knicks-2.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite the success, internal tension reportedly began to build. Thibodeau was reportedly philosophically misaligned with members of the front office. That also included team president Leon Rose, who had previously shielded him from the scrutiny of owner James Dolan. By season’s end, Rose and others were “done stepping in front of the bus” for the coach.</p><p>Dolan, who attended player and staff exit interviews, reportedly influenced some to act in self-preservation, which further isolated Thibodeau. Though not without flaws, Thibodeau had been widely respected for helping players and assistants advance their careers and stabilize a once-dysfunctional franchise.</p><p>The decision to dismiss him came only a year after he signed a $30 million extension, marking a bold gamble for Dolan and the Knicks’ leadership. Veteran coach Mike Brown, formerly of the Cavaliers, Lakers, and Kings, was hired to take over a roster expected to contend again this season.</p><p>New York began its new era at Madison Square Garden with a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Regardless, Thibodeau’s firing may have closed one chapter of Knicks basketball. Now, the next one begins under the weight of lofty expectations and lingering questions about loyalty and leadership.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Why Tom Thibodeau felt so ‘betrayed’ by firing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-og-anunoby-monstrous-mike-brown-reaction-beating-cavs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ OG Anunoby draws monstrous Mike Brown reaction after beating Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/OG-Anunoby.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ OG Anunoby draws monstrous Mike Brown reaction after beating Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T05:06:40-07:00">October 23rd, 5:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T05:06:40-07:00">October 23rd, 5:06am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Mike Brown <a href="https://x.com/sny_knicks/status/1981179944014127120" rel="noopener">couldn’t hide his admiration</a> for OG Anunoby after the New York Knicks opened the 2025-26 season<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba"> with a statement win over the Cleveland Cavaliers</a>.</p><p>“OG was a monster… he was our defensive player of the game,” Brown said postgame. “He guarded multiple guys tonight, and his energy on both ends set the tone for us.”</p><p>Anunoby was indeed everywhere, finishing with 24 points and 14 rebounds in a dominant two-way performance that powered the Knicks to a 119-111 victory over the Cavs on Wednesday night.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🏀 WEDNESDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏀</p><p>OG Anunoby's double-double and defensive efforts propel the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> to 1-0!</p><p>Jalen Brunson: 23 PTS, 5 AST<br>Karl-Anthony Towns: 19 PTS, 11 REB<br>Mikal Bridges: 16 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK<br>Miles McBride: 15 PTS, 4 3PM <a href="https://t.co/LdvgPjmcEZ">pic.twitter.com/LdvgPjmcEZ</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1981238335868981417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>His defensive versatility was key in containing Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland down the stretch, while his rebounding activity created multiple second-chance opportunities for New York.</p><p>The night marked a new era for the Knicks, their first game under Mike Brown after the surprise offseason firing of Tom Thibodeau, and the team wasted no time making an impression.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jalen-brunson-admits-spike-lee-snub-caveat">Jalen Brunson scored 23 points</a> and Karl-Anthony <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-karl-anthony-towns-fans-respect-injury-move-cavs">Towns added 19 points and 11 rebounds</a>, as the Knicks displayed a balanced attack and renewed defensive intensity under their new head coach.</p><p>New York jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half, only to watch it evaporate as Mitchell fueled a Cleveland comeback in the third quarter. But with the game on the line, the Knicks’ defense clamped down and their stars delivered, led by Anunoby’s relentless effort and Brown’s sharp adjustments.</p><p>A 14-0 run early in the fourth quarter sealed the win for a Knicks team determined to build on last season’s Eastern Conference Finals run.</p><p>“OG’s impact doesn’t always show in the box score, but tonight it did,” Brown said. “When you have someone who can defend multiple positions like that and still give you 24 and 14, it changes everything. He and KAT really anchored us tonight.”</p><p>The Knicks will now look to ride this momentum into their home opener on Friday against the Boston Celtics, where Brown will get another chance to test his new defensive identity against one of the league’s most explosive offenses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ OG Anunoby draws monstrous Mike Brown reaction after beating Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jalen-brunson-admits-spike-lee-snub-caveat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ Jalen Brunson admits to Spike Lee snub, but with a caveat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jalen-Brunson_c99954.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ Jalen Brunson admits to Spike Lee snub, but with a caveat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-22T21:20:22-07:00">October 22nd, 9:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-22T21:20:22-07:00">October 22nd, 9:20pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks are back—and so is Spike Lee, who once again screamed his lungs out at courtside as his beloved team hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.</p><p>Lee went home happy as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba">the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers</a>, 119-111. New York was led by OG Anunoby, who finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals. Jalen Brunson scored 23 points but only shot 5-of-18 from the field. He also had four rebounds and five assists.</p><p>After the game, Brunson was asked by a reporter if he got the usual pregame hug from Lee, who’s widely known as the Knicks’ biggest fan. His response had <a href="https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1981188531683770374" rel="noopener">a bonus tidbit</a>.</p><p>“I did not get that, but Spike got my mom a nice—one of those Brunson puff jackets, so we’re even,” said Brunson with a smile, as shown in the video posted by SNY.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jalen Brunson was asked if he got a hug from Spike Lee before his first game, like Mike Brown did tonight:</p><p>"I did not get that, but Spike got my mom a nice one of those Brunson puff jackets, so we're even" 😂 <a href="https://t.co/aLujfELyQ8">pic.twitter.com/aLujfELyQ8</a></p><p>— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1981188531683770374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Lee has always been close to the players, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he gifted Brunson’s mom a cool jacket. The acclaimed filmmaker, meanwhile, has been spotted wearing Brunson’s jersey during games.</p><p>The 68-year-old Lee rarely misses a game at Madison Square Garden, even jawing at opponents from courtside. His undying passion is a reflection of the Knicks’ fanbase, which is starving for a championship.</p><p>The team has gotten close, reaching the conference finals last season, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.</p><p>Now, they’re off to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-darius-garland-hints-return-toe-injury-pretty-close">good start with the win over the Cavaliers</a>, who topped the Eastern Conference last season and remain a top contender.</p><p>The Knicks will host the Boston Celtics on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson admits to Spike Lee snub, but with a caveat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-karl-anthony-towns-fans-respect-injury-move-cavs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns wins fans’ respect after gutsy injury move vs. Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Knicks-Karl-Anthony-Towns-wins-fans-respect-after-gutsy-injury-move-vs.-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns wins fans’ respect after gutsy injury move vs. Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-22T21:03:56-07:00">October 22nd, 9:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-22T21:03:56-07:00">October 22nd, 9:03pm</time><address><a>Jayesh Pagar</a>Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content, delivering in-depth analysis and breaking news coverage across multiple platforms.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Karl-Anthony Towns earned massive respect from New York Knicks fans after pushing through a painful quad injury to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba">lead the Knicks to a 119-111 season-opening victory</a> over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.​</p><p>After the game, Towns <a href="https://x.com/sny_knicks/status/1981190020070285601" rel="noopener">opened up about</a> his decision to play despite dealing with a Grade 2 quad strain.​</p><p>When asked if he tweaked something after his status changed, Towns explained his mindset. “Yeah, I mean, I’ve been banged up and haven’t really got a chance to practice or play in those last two preseason games. I don’t want to disappoint the fans, right? Dealing with a grade two class rate it’s not something that teams need to do. We made it happen tonight and a lot of the fans respected it,” the New York star said, via SNY Knicks.</p><p>The big man also praised his teammates for supporting his decision.</p><p>“After I put in the play tonight, my teammates really did send some shout out to them. They supported me in understanding the situation,” he added.​</p><p>When asked how he felt physically during the game, Towns kept it simple.</p><p>“It was great. It helped,” he responded.​</p><p>Several fans <a href="https://x.com/AllAccessNYKNYM/status/1981195488113414189" rel="noopener">showed concern over his decision</a> to play through the injury, with one commenting, “You don’t have to prove nothing to no one. Please sit.”</p><h2><b>How did the Knicks pull off a win despite injury chaos?</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-karl-anthony-towns-injury-status-season-opener-cavs">Towns’ availability remained uncertain</a> throughout the day. He was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded to doubtful just hours before tipoff.</p><p>However, Towns ultimately suited up despite the Grade 2 quad strain that had kept him out of New York’s final two preseason games. His last preseason action came on October 9 against Minnesota.​</p><p>Towns delivered an impressive performance despite the pain. He finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. He came up clutch in the fourth quarter, hitting a tiebreaking three-pointer during a crucial 14-0 run that helped the Knicks pull away.​</p><p>OG Anunoby also battled through an ankle injury to post 24 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Brunson contributed 23 points while Mikal Bridges added 16.​</p><p>The Knicks played shorthanded without Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, making Towns’ decision to play even more critical for the team’s success.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns wins fans’ respect after gutsy injury move vs. Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks HC Mike Brown’s take on win over Cavs ought to scare the NBA');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mike-Brown-2.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks HC Mike Brown’s take on win over Cavs ought to scare the NBA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-22T20:07:33-07:00">October 22nd, 8:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-22T20:07:33-07:00">October 22nd, 8:07pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor, NFL and NCAA Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks got their 2025-26 season started off on the right foot on Wednesday night, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/deandre-hunter-to-miss-season-opener-vs-knicks-knee-injury">taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers</a> 119-111 in a season opener between two Eastern Conference contenders. Both teams came into the game shorthanded, but the Knicks staved off a second-half push from the Cavs and pulled away with a late spurt of their own.</p><p>This was certainly an impressive win for the Knicks, who are hungry coming off of a heartbreaking loss in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers last season. However, new head coach Mike Brown <a href="https://x.com/JLEdwardsIII/status/1981178103528575240" rel="noopener">thinks they can get even better</a>.</p><p>“We got a lot of room to grow, and that’s what is exciting,” Brown said, via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.</p><p>After finishing as the No. 3 seed in the East last season and upsetting the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, the Knicks have even higher expectations coming into the season. Many people have tabbed them as a possible No. 1 seed in an Eastern Conference that has been weakened by serious injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton.</p><p>Brown knows those expectations are there, but <a href="https://x.com/IanBegley/status/1981181923893379434" rel="noopener">he and his team are embracing it</a>, via Ian Begley of SNY.</p><p>“Everyone has expectations. I don’t know if their expectations are any higher than the guys in that locker room,” Brown said. “So we’re good with that, we embrace that.”</p><p>The Knicks played on opening night <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mitchell-robinson-josh-hart-ruled-out-for-opener-vs-cavs">without Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson</a>, leaving them shorthanded against a big Cavs team on the front line. However, the Knicks still finished plus-16 on the glass and dominated the interior, notching 42 points in the paint to the Cavs’ 30.</p><p>It was a team effort from New York in the scoring department on Wednesday night, as five Knicks scored in double figures. OG Anunoby led the way with 24 points and Jalen Brunson added 23 despite not having his best on the offensive end.</p><p>Being able to get a win like this over a very good Cavaliers team despite not playing their best basketball on either end of the floor is a great sign for a Knicks team that has championship aspirations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks HC Mike Brown’s take on win over Cavs ought to scare the NBA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-karl-anthony-towns-injury-status-season-opener-cavs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Karl-Anthony Towns ‘expected’ to play season opener vs. Cavs after Knicks’ injury report marathon');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Knicks-Karl-Anthony-Towns-2.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Karl-Anthony Towns ‘expected’ to play season opener vs. Cavs after Knicks’ injury report marathon</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-22T11:25:02-07:00">October 22nd, 11:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-22T14:27:17-07:00">October 22nd, 2:27pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks will play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night to begin their season. New York is in a respectable position at home, but the team does have some injury uncertainty. Karl-Anthony Towns is among the players dealing with injury concerns heading into the game. So, is Towns playing tonight vs. the Cavs?</p><p>The Knicks big man has a right quad strain. New York is monitoring the situation ahead of tip-off. The last thing the Knicks want to do is rush Towns back. However, they would also love to have him on the floor against a talented Cavaliers squad.</p><p>With all of that being said, here is everything we know about Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury status for Wednesday’s game vs. the Cavs.</p><h2><b>Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury status vs. Cavs</b></h2><p>After initially being listed as questionable to play entering Wednesday, Towns was downgraded to doubtful in the afternoon. Since then, Towns has been upgraded to questionable again, and the Knicks are <a href="https://x.com/IanBegley/status/1981106597041520787" rel="noopener">expecting</a> their All-Star big man to be available, according to Ian Begley of SNY.</p><p>Despite all the fluctuations in New York’s injury report, Towns is expected to play in the Knicks’ season opener against Cleveland.</p><p>Towns is still <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-10-22_04PM.pdf" rel="noopener">currently listed as questionable</a> on the NBA’ official injury report leading up to pregame warmups. Meanwhile, OG Anunoby (left ankle sprain) is probable. Josh Hart (lower back lumbar spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mitchell-robinson-josh-hart-ruled-out-for-opener-vs-cavs">both been ruled out</a> for Wednesday’s matchup.</p><p>Ariel Hukporti is expected to start in place of Robinson, according to Begley.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/karl-anthony-towns-bold-predictions-2025-26-knicks-season">Towns is hoping to have a big season</a>. An injury to begin the new campaign is far from ideal, but his questionable status is important. He still has a chance to play in the season opener as of this story’s writing.</p><p>Updates will continue to be provided as they are made available. The Knicks will host the Cavs at 10 PM EST in New York in a contest between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>When it comes to the question of if Karl-Anthony Towns is playing tonight, the answer appears to be trending in a positive direction.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Karl-Anthony Towns ‘expected’ to play season opener vs. Cavs after Knicks’ injury report marathon

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mitchell-robinson-josh-hart-ruled-out-for-opener-vs-cavs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart ruled out for season opener vs. Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Mitchell-Robinson-Josh-Hart-ruled-out-for-season-opener-vs.-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart ruled out for season opener vs. Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T14:23:56-07:00">October 21st, 2:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T14:23:56-07:00">October 21st, 2:23pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris used to manage the betting team at ClutchPoints and now contributes about the NFL, MLB, NCAA Sports, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025-26 NBA season is here! Two games will tip off tonight as a majority of the league will begin their season tomorrow and Thursday. The New York Knicks will begin the season taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. This contest could be a very early preview of the Eastern Conference Finals in the summer of 2026.</p><p>The defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, begin the season against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets tonight, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Golden State Warriors. These four teams will be in the playoffs in the Western Conference this season, and it’s a great way to kick things off.</p><p>The Knicks will be without two stars against the Cavs on Wednesday night. Josh Hart and Michell Robinson have <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1980741010729890113" rel="noopener">already been ruled out</a>. Hart is one of the top defenders in the game and is known for his ability to do it all on the court, even rebounding at a high level. Robinson is an elite rebounder and can score the rock if given the opportunity. Not having these two against a Cavs team that excels in the regular season is not a good thing to start the season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-fans-clowning-mitchell-robinson-load-management-day-season-opener">Fans are already clowning Robinson</a> for being out.</p><p>Mike Brown is now the head coach for the Knicks. He has tough shoes to fill as the Knicks let go of Tom Thibodeau after the Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, in shocking fashion. Brown will coach a very talented Knicks team with expectations of getting back to the NBA Finals. Anything shy of a Finals appearance is a failure for this roster.</p><p>Jalen Brunson will play like an MVP as he has in the last few seasons. The backcourt now has Jordan Clarkson coming off the bench, providing much-needed scoring in that area. With Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Clarkson, plus Hart and Robinson, this team is going to be dangerous all season long.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart ruled out for season opener vs. Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-final-roster-decisions-bolster-title-push-now-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Knicks’ final roster decisions bolster title push now… and for the future');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/How-Knicks-final-roster-decisions-bolster-title-push-now-%E2%80%94-and-for-the-future.jpg"></figure><h1>How Knicks’ final roster decisions bolster title push now… and for the future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T13:50:03-07:00">October 21st, 1:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T13:50:03-07:00">October 21st, 1:50pm</time><address><a>Drew Maresca</a>Drew Maresca is a NY-area writer and researcher who has covered the NBA for more than 5 years. Prior to joining ClutchPoints to cover the New York Knicks, Drew wrote for Basketball News and Basketball Insiders. Drew has conducted interviews inside NBA locker rooms including Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and the Kia Center, and he covered the 2019 NBA Draft in-person from Brooklyn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks have officially wrapped up their 2025-26 preseason slate. Shortly after their last preseason game, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-ny-waive-hawks-sharpshooter">Knicks announced that they had released Garrison Matthews</a>, as well as a few other players. In doing so, and in conjunction with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-malcolm-brogdon-retires-2025-26-season">Malcolm Brogdon’s unexpected retirement</a>, New York made the decision to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-sign-ben-simmons-someone-else-final-roster-spot">stick with Landry Shamet</a>.</p><p>Now, the Knicks’ bench is seemingly set as it prepares for opening night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But New York’s roster decisions accomplish more than just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/new-york-knicks-2025-26-season-predictions">prepare them for success this season</a>. They also ensure depth and continuity in seasons to come.</p><h2><b>Why keeping Landry Shamet was the right move for this season</b></h2><p>Waiving Alex Len and Matt Ryan was probably mildly difficult. But letting Matthews go was probably a challenging decision for the Knicks. Matthews is a 3-point threat. He connected on seven of his 1741% of his 3-point attempts in four preseason games. But Shamet can shoot it, too. He made 39.7% of his 3-point attempts last season and has a career 3-point shooting percentage of 38.5%.</p><p>But Shamet remaining with the team was probably about more than just whether or not he is a better shooter than Matthews. Shamet is well-liked by his teammates. He brought a unique grit and resilience in the 2025 playoffs, demonstrating an ability to defend in some of the most critical moments. And he happily accepted his role. Those are all important attributes for a role player.</p><p>So, the Knicks are fairly set in terms of depth. Coach Mike Brown plans to use nine or ten guys. Most nights, Shamet will be the team’s tenth man–although situationally, Tyler Kolek or Pacome Dadiet could jump him in the rotation. Assuming New York’s roster remains mostly healthy, Shamet should have a consistent role in most games.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/knicks-news-how-first-rounder-pacome-dadiet-impressed-mike-brown.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h2><b>Keeping younger players over Garrison Matthews was the right move</b></h2><p>Having another shooter is usually preferable regardless of who else is on the team. Matthews would have further ensured that the Knicks were able to put shooters on the floor at all times. But keeping him would have meant moving someone like Kolek or Dadiet for next to nothing. So, while shooting is great. Keeping a shooter as your 11th man is less desirable when it entails leveraging your future.</p><p>Granted, Kolek, Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, and Mohamed Diawara will all play limited minutes – unless disaster strikes. And none appear to have star potential. But keeping relatively affordable, young players is always a best practice for contenders. The affordability alone is highly desirable, as keeping an NBA-caliber player who makes less than $3 million allows you to fill out your roster with players who are additive in practice and, at times, in game situations.</p><p>But there’s also an element of development. Competing against Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson will make Kolek, Dadiet, Hukporti, and Diawara better. And given their current mental makeup and willingness to put in work and do whatever needs to be done, it’s fair to assume that at least one will develop into a long-term fit.</p><p>Developing homegrown talent in that way is always better than overpaying a free agent or chasing older, more established players looking to chase a championship. Sure, adding those guys helps, too. But all good teams need a balance of youth and veterans. And the Knicks’ youth is just entering a place in their respective careers where they are actually playable.</p><p>The Knicks roster is well-built and features lots of talent and versatility. And while top-level talent is most important, keeping younger players provides additional flexibility now and in the future. And flexibility is key, regardless of whether it’s in chasing another star player via trade – e.g., Giannis Antetokounmpo – or pursuing your first championship in more than 50 years. So, kudos are due to the Knicks’ management, as they successfully navigated this challenging roster decision. Now it has to materialize on the basketball court.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

New York
Knicks NEWS

Knicks News: Get the latest New York Knicks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Knicks News

How Knicks’ loss to Heat can serve as lesson on 3-point shot selection

Knicks’ injury report vs. Celtics offers hope

How Knicks coach’s minutes approach might translate to additional NBA Playoff success

Knicks are back and winning games again, so it’s time for Ben Stiller’s hyped posts

Knicks rumors: Why Tom Thibodeau felt so ‘betrayed’ by firing

Knicks’ OG Anunoby draws monstrous Mike Brown reaction after beating Cavs

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson admits to Spike Lee snub, but with a caveat

• Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns wins fans’ respect after gutsy injury move vs. Cavs

• Knicks HC Mike Brown’s take on win over Cavs ought to scare the NBA

• Karl-Anthony Towns ‘expected’ to play season opener vs. Cavs after Knicks’ injury report marathon

• Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart ruled out for season opener vs. Cavs

• How Knicks’ final roster decisions bolster title push now… and for the future

New YorkKnicks NEWS

Knicks News: Get the latest New York Knicks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Knicks News

How Knicks’ loss to Heat can serve as lesson on 3-point shot selection

Knicks’ injury report vs. Celtics offers hope

How Knicks coach’s minutes approach might translate to additional NBA Playoff success

Knicks are back and winning games again, so it’s time for Ben Stiller’s hyped posts

Knicks rumors: Why Tom Thibodeau felt so ‘betrayed’ by firing

Knicks’ OG Anunoby draws monstrous Mike Brown reaction after beating Cavs

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson admits to Spike Lee snub, but with a caveat

• Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns wins fans’ respect after gutsy injury move vs. Cavs

• Knicks HC Mike Brown’s take on win over Cavs ought to scare the NBA

• Karl-Anthony Towns ‘expected’ to play season opener vs. Cavs after Knicks’ injury report marathon

• Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart ruled out for season opener vs. Cavs

• How Knicks’ final roster decisions bolster title push now… and for the future

New York
Knicks NEWS