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

During the 2022 offseason, Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein both joined the New York Knicks together. Brunson was coming off a career year with the Dallas Mavericks while Hartenstein had a strong season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

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

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.

If the Knicks’ first Thunder test spiraled into a collapse, then this was a flop. A shellacking. And a drastic one, too.

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.

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.

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.

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.

(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 ...

Jalen Brunson scored 44 points (shooting 5-of-10 on 3-pointers) with five rebounds and six assists to lead New York. He might have gotten 50 if he hadn't left the game with a shoulder injury in the third quarter. The Knicks also got a star performance from Karl-Anthony Towns with 30 points and 18 rebounds.

MVP chants echoed as Jalen Brunson walked straight to the scorer’s table, checked himself back into the game, and got back to business: getting buckets.