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.
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets’ 2025 failing (one of them anyway) might be their big strength now.
The discourse has gone on for two seasons now. But it doesn’t exactly match reality.
Where were the grownups for Team USA?
The Rangers reconvened after the Olympic stoppage wanting to find some successful combinations that had been largely absent through much of a disappointing last-place season.
SALT LAKE CITY — There was no sugarcoating an ugly first-half performance from the Knicks in the locker room, and the harsh words during the break helped spur a comeback in Wednesday’s 134-117 victory over the Jazz.
Team USA’s fate is out of its hands.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jasson Domínguez’s first-inning at-bat against Tanner Banks on Tuesday featured a different result and a different swing than “The Martian” had been accustomed to against lefty pitching.
Maxx Crosby isn’t looking in the rearview after a wild 24 hours.
Bam Adebayo occupies a new spot in the NBA history books.
Jets fans have been waiting for months to put the 2025 season in the past and start building a new roster.
SALT LAKE CITY — Leon Rose tried to address the bench in the summer. It didn’t work. He got a redo at the trade deadline with Jose Alvarado and Jeremy Sochan.
If Isaiah Likely was the most … er … likely former Raven to follow head coach John Harbaugh to the Giants, Patrick Ricard wasn’t far behind.
The deal that brought Aidan Thompson to the Rangers didn’t create the ripple effects that the Artemi Panarin trade did because of who departed the organization. That was only Derrick Pouliot, a 32-year-old defenseman more than two years removed from his last NHL game. It didn’t create the waves like one for, say, Vincent Trocheck, would have because of current NHL players or draft capital the Blueshirts received in return, either.