The Knicks' guard has missed just the game on New Year's Day this season and was on court Monday night to face Detroit.

When adversity strikes, leadership is critical. For the New York Knicks, who were in desperate need of a leader, their captain rose to the occasion. Jan.

On Friday night, the New York Knicks hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks were blown out by a score of 126-101. Jalen Brunson

The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the New York Knicks on Friday night, winning at Madison Square Garden by the final score of 126-101. The Thunder

Jalen Brunson gave fans an injury scare in third quarter but returned seemingly unhurt to the game. Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points with 18 rebounds to the victory.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points and 18 rebounds and Josh Hart went for 11 points and 9 boards as the Knicks, the No. 3 seed in the East, improved to 26-14 and 3-4 in 2025. Cam Payne scored 18 off the bench.

The Knicks have let a few too many winnable games slip away, including Friday’s 116-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jokic is posting MVP-caliber numbers for the Denver Nuggets. He's averaging 31.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor. However, with the Nuggets ranked fourth in the Western Conference, other players, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, may now be ranked higher on the MVP ladder.

Brunson now boasts 17 games with at least 40 points as a Knick, tying him with Carmelo Anthony for the third most in franchise history. Patrick Ewing, who achieved the feat 30 times, and Bernard King, who did so 23 times, are the only players in Knicks history with more 40-point games.

Oklahoma City boasts the top defense in the NBA, holding opposing teams to just 103.5 points per game with a league-best 103.4 defensive net rating. They’re doing it on the back of a stable of dominant perimeter defenders, which include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s MVP candidate, is an All-Star lock. Williams — who is second on the team in points and assists, third in rebounds and is a versatile cog in their top-ranked and historically disruptive defense — is their only other true candidate. That might be Williams’ simplest case.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Joe (11) drives past New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby (8) and Jalen Brunson (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II ...