The New York Knicks finally won a game after losing fourth straight by taking care of business at home against Los Angeles Clippers, 123-111. It was a close game but the hosts stepped on the plate by the second half. What changed? Jalen Brunson thinks they played desperate.
“For the most part, we played a little desperate tonight. We needed a win,” the NBA Cup finals MVP told reporters after the game.
“The way we competed, the way we played, even if we were down in the first half, was Knicks basketball.”
Jalen Brunson 26 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 1 BLK, 9/12 FG, 4/5 3FG, 94.5% TS vs Clippers https://t.co/lhFGpowwJY pic.twitter.com/LIQDNZ4r2Y
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 8, 2026
Brunson scored 26 points and had 7 rebounds in the win while Karl-Anthony Towns, who played poorly in the last loss, redeemed himself by putting up an almost triple double of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
The win also spoiled strong outing from Kawhi Leonard and James Harden who scored 25 and 23 points, respectively. Clippers recently had a great run but are now 1-2 in their last three.
New York Knicks were ‘connected’
All members of the starting five scored in double digits and head coach Mike Brown thought this showed how connected they were.
He singled out Brunson and Towns for their leadership to prevent themselves from suffering a 5th straight defeat.
Mike Brown on tonight’s win vs. the Clippers:
“I applaud our guys. We hit some adversity. One of our standards is [to] stay connected. It’s up to me, and KAT and Jalen to keep the group uplifted and connected, as well as everyone else in that locker room” pic.twitter.com/bWbMGIO1P0
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 8, 2026
The win brought Knicks back to 2nd place in the Eastern Conference standings after the Boston Celtics lost to Denver Nuggets on the same day.
For the latest Basketball Content
Make sure you are always updated on your favorite basketball players and teams. Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
