The New York Knicks suffered a 114-97 defeat to the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden, marking their ninth loss in 11 games. Star guard Jalen Brunson reportedly initiated a players-only meeting during the game to address the team's struggles. Coach Mike Brown acknowledged fans' boos, while players like Josh Hart called for urgent soul searching.
The New York Knicks' season has taken a sharp downturn, culminating in a humiliating 114-97 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. Despite the Mavericks missing seven players due to injuries, they dominated, with Max Christie hitting eight of 10 three-pointers, including six in the first half where Dallas scored 75 points. This defeat extended the Knicks' skid to nine losses in their last 11 games, prompting visible frustration from fans who booed the team off the court.
In a rare mid-game huddle during the second quarter, Jalen Brunson gathered his teammates for a players-only meeting, urging them to "find answers" rather than relying on the coaching staff, according to ESPN. The session highlighted the team's internal urgency amid what Josh Hart described as "embarrassing basketball."
"I think we all need to do some soul searching, some looking in the mirror and figuring out what we're going to do individually, what we're going to do as a team, what our identity is right now," Hart said post-game. "Right now we're playing embarrassing basketball. We're not executing on the offensive end and defensively we've been abysmal. We've really been terrible defensively all year."
Brunson echoed the need for immediate action, noting the soul searching "should've started a couple weeks ago."
"We got to start tomorrow. We've got to figure this out fast," Brunson said.
Coach Mike Brown supported the fans' reaction: "I'm OK with the boos. If we're playing crappy, boo. If I was in the stands, I'd probably boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the game."
The Knicks sit at 25-18, third in the Eastern Conference, but their defense ranks 18th overall and 27th over the last 15 games. Since a 21-9 start after Christmas, they've gone 4-9. Only the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and New Orleans Pelicans have worse defensive records since January. With the trade deadline on February 5 approaching, discussions include potentially moving Guerschon Yabusele for fresh talent, as the team grapples with defensive liabilities from key offensive players like Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Hart emphasized desperation: "We have to play desperate, because that's what we are right now." Without quick fixes, the Knicks risk missing playoff expectations.
