Skidding Knicks’ toughest East challenge yet comes twofold
NY Post
DETROIT — The Knicks are returning to the site of the biggest shot of Jalen Brunson’s Knicks career, the place he silenced those profane chants from Detroit fans by sending Ausar Thompson stumbling out of the frame with a crossover.
Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks conquered Little Caesars Arena in the first round just eight months ago.
Now, they’re coming back Monday night as underdogs and facing, arguably, the biggest threat to their goal of reaching the NBA Finals.
The Pistons (26-9) are three games clear of the Knicks (23-12) for first in the conference, boasting Cade Cunningham, who — along with Boston’s Jaylen Brown — can stake legitimate claim against Brunson for the East’s best player this season.
It’s a showdown with extra oomph, the first Pistons-Knicks head-to-head of the season: No. 1 in the conference vs. No. 2.
But all coach Mike Brown can think about is getting his team in a better place.
PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds left, and the Steelers beat the Ravens 26-24 on Sunday night when Baltimore’s Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired, giving Pittsburgh the AFC North title.
DETROIT — The Knicks are returning to the site of the biggest shot of Jalen Brunson’s Knicks career, the place he silenced those profane chants from Detroit fans by sending Ausar Thompson stumbling out of the frame with a crossover.
Aaron Rodgers went through every emotion possible on his way back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season, when he was still with the Packers.
It didn’t take long after Adam Fox’s shoulder injury for his absence on the power play to — again — become glaring. The Rangers had just started to make strides with their first unit after struggling to start the year before Fox exited their Nov. 29 loss to the Lightning and didn’t return for a month.
The Yankees are taking another flier on a veteran to bolster their infield depth.
More like head-banned.
The Raiders clinched the first-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft before they even took the field on Sunday.
Matt LaFleur might have work to do to keep his job.
Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers became one of the NFL’s feel-good stories of the year when he returned midseason for the Colts after a nearly five-year retirement.
As if Matthew Schaefer’s rocket-fueled rookie season needed another signature moment, here it came Saturday night. The 18-year-old spent all day feeling under the weather, then took a shot to the ribs in the third period that sent him to the tunnel, thinking he might’ve broken something.
Is there a better way to ring in the New Year than the annual Serby Says 2025 NFL Awards?
He was some amalgamation of Wilt Chamberlain and Ivan Drago, breaking scoring records and opposing spirits, standing 7 feet tall and pushing 300 pounds, seemingly intent on picking a fight with anyone in orange and blue.
The Rangers preserved their perfect outdoor record on the backs of marquee players.