The New York Knicks have a chance to create lightning in a bottle against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fresh off the end of a seven-game winning streak, the Knicks have a dangerous, if not lucrative, opportunity to get back on track when they continue a four-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a nationally-televised Sunday night showdown at Paycom Center.
Closing in yet another playoff berth (which they can secure on Sunday with a win), the Knicks were dealt a humbling blow in their last showing: the road trip opened with a 114-103 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets, one that saw Jalen Brunson put up 26 points and 13 assists in defeat. That was far from enough to clip the streaking Hornets, who enjoyed a near triple-double from rookie sensation Kon Knueppel.
New York will face the defending champion Thunder for the second time this season. Oklahoma City saw a 12-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday in Boston but they got back on the right track with a 131-113 shellacking of the Chicago Bulls on Friday. Ex-Knick Isaiah Hartenstein pulled in 16 rebounds while reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 25 tallies.
The Knicks were a victim of the Thunder’s aforementioned dozen-game streak, but certainly left an impression in the 103-100 defeat back on March 4 at Madison Square Garden. Victory was seemingly assured thanks to a three-point barrage from Chet Holmgren but the Knicks nearly erased a seven-point deficit in the final minute. The Knicks enter the week 1.5 games behind Boston, which faces Charlotte on Sunday, for second place on the Eastern Conference bracket.
Would-be equalizers from Brunson and OG Anunoby fell short at the buzzer, though the Knicks made a statement on the statsheet, outrebounding the Thunder by 10 on a night where Hartenstein and Alex Caruso had to leave the game early due to injuries. Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns united for 29 boards while Brunson had 15 assists on a night where he was 5-of-18 from the field.
Oklahoma City, one of three teams that has its 2026 playoff ticket punched, will go for its third consecutive sweep of its interconference couple with the Knicks. They’re currently two games ahead of San Antonio for the Western Conference’s best record with April looming.
What: New York Knicks (48-26) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (58-16)
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC
Who’s Favored: OKC -8.5 (o/u: 223.5)
Keep An Eye On: Jordan Clarkson
Time will tell if his sneakers touch the floor but Miles “Deuce” McBride (core muscle) finally has a designation other than “out” on the Knicks’ injury report. Though Landry Shamet (knee) remains out, there remains an open spot in the New York rotation with the postseason on the horizon.
This thus becomes a crucial stretch for Clarkson, who was a few days away from his Utah-based reintroduction when the Knicks last faced the Thunder. Clarkson has certainly given the Knicks plenty to think about: since his most recent DNP-CD against OKC, he’s averaging 10 points and shooting over 56 percent from the field. Those skills could’ve come in handy during the last showdown and time will tell if he (or McBride) prove to be a vital difference in handling such an elite foe.
Oklahoman to Watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Yes, we’re really taking a big swing by saying that the Knicks should keep an eye on the newly-crowned MVP of the Association. The NBA essentially belongs to SGA until further notice but his in-game dominance has been a talking point on the hardwood social scene due to a perception as a supposed “free throw merchant.”
The Knicks were one of the few opponents to directly call Gilgeous-Alexander on his the whistles: head coach Mike Brown took issue on both sides of the ball, claiming that he “does a great job of convincing the referees … that he’s getting hit.” It added to Brown’s issue that Gilgeous-Alexander should’ve been called for a third foul in the opening period, even if Holmgren’s outside prowess helped lift OKC over the threshold. How both of Gilgeous-Alexander’s observers—the Knicks and the officials—will not doubt stand as one of Sunday’s lasting narratives.
They Said It
“I feel like we kind of executed our game plan. We give them credit. Chet had a great game. Shai had a good game. Obviously, defensively they played well. That’s the main thing I remember. They’re good and I think we played very well, too.”—Josh Hart on the Knicks’ first meeting with the Thunder (h/t Denis Gorman, Newsweek)
“You realize how talented you are top to bottom. When you’re in it, you probably don’t notice as much until you’re on the court with a certain group. But we are extremely talented. That was really cool to watch. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to watch it from the sidelines anymore. But, from a team’s perspective, watching guys go into different roles and watch them blossom is really cool.”—Jalen Williams on what he learned about the Thunder while watching with an injury (h/t Jouse Pavon, ClutchPoints)
Prediction
Their detractors will try to avoid giving them their due thanks to the subpar competition, but the Knicks are in need of a statement after another shortcoming against a surging for from Charlotte. It’s hard to see that coming against the Thunder for the time being, especially with the defending champions still carrying so much to prove. The Knicks may yet get a long-awaited best-of-seven set against the Thunder … prevailing in the original couple, however, just feels like a little too much to ask for at this point in time.
