The New York Knicks couldn’t defeat a short-handed Dallas Mavericks team on Monday at Madison Square Garden. It was a disappointing performance for New York, as they suffered an embarrassing 114-97 loss. They were expected to win against the Mavericks, since they didn’t have a healthy squad. Ahead of the contest, the Western Conference team had eight players in the injury report.
Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, PJ Washington, Dante Exum, D’Angelo Russell, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford were all listed as out. Rookie forward Cooper Flagg was listed as questionable, although he eventually played.
New York, meanwhile, had a healthy squad. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were both listed as questionable. Ultimately, both players suited up. However, the team was unable to defeat an injury-plagued team despite having a healthy roster.
Following the game, comedian Ben Stiller couldn’t hide his disappointment over the loss. On X, the loyal fan posted this:
“This is a team issue not a player issue.”
This is a team issue not a player issue.
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) January 20, 2026
The Knicks are now on a four-game losing streak and have fallen to 25-18 this season. Since the New Year, New York has struggled to win games. The team has played 10 games since the start of 2026, but has only won twice.
Knicks fans booed the team
It has been a tough stretch for the Knicks. After winning the Emirates NBA Cup, the team hasn’t seen much success. Against the Mavericks, the fans had enough and booed the team in the second quarter.
Coach Mike Brown addressed the boos the team received from the fans.
“I’m okay with the boos. If we’re playing crappy, boo,” Brown said. “If I was in the stands, I’d probably boo too. You pay hard money to come to the game.”
Brown admitted that the team didn’t display good basketball, and they deserve the boos. Even star guard Jalen Brunson shared the same sentiment as his coach with the fan reception.
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