While on one hand, the comfort of a Madison Square Garden matinee on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is something all New York Knicks fans can embrace, there’s still something stressfully off about the squad’s current situation.
Losers of 8 of their last 10 games, the Knicks hit the home hardwood again to take on the Dallas Mavericks on MLK Day.
Jan. 19, 2026: Matchup
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Knicks’ soul searching
Mike Brown’s most immediate task is to right the ship. New York has been without Jalen Brunson for the last two games and Josh Hart in its most recent 106-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns, but the team’s multi-week swoon has traveled far beyond the lack of manpower.
Dating back to the loss that kick-started this 8-of-10-loss stretch — Dec. 31, 2025, against the San Antonio Spurs — the Knicks have shot 35.1% from downtown, which ranks 18th in the NBA. They also averaged 40.7 three-point attempts over the same stretch, placing them 8th.
On the other side of the coin, from Nov. 2, 2025, through Dec. 18, 2025, the Knicks enjoyed a torrid stretch, posting an 18-4 record. Brown’s three-point-eager team shot an absurd 38.8% clip from beyond the arc (fourth in the NBA), while also hoisting up the eighth most attempts (38.9).
To put it in a clearer perspective on screen, here’s how those two stretches shake out (along with the season average):
- Nov. 2 – Dec. 18 (22-4 record): 38.8 3P% (4th) on 38.9 3PA (8th)
- Dec. 31 – Jan. 18 (2-8 record): 35.1 3P% (18th) on 40.7 3PA (8th)
- Entire season (25-17 record): 37.6 3P% (3rd) on 40.0 3PA (8th)
While on some level, winning basketball games correlates with shooting well, this iteration of the Knicks has taken it to extremes. It shouldn’t be surprising to anybody, really.
Clear intent to change
When New York replaced Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown, the talking points were clear. The organization announced its intent to win an NBA championship and felt like its roster was up to snuff.
Brown’s mission was to up to tempo to some degree, while having his team jibe more with the realities of today’s NBA. In short, that meant shooting more threes through ball movement and action.
Brown’s Knicks certainly achieved those goals to some degree, yet it’s come at the cost of a lack of team identity. The baseline consistencies that could be relied upon in previous years have evaporated.
The Knickerbockers’ defensive effort and intensity have dropped, and it makes sense given the possible symptoms that come with increasing the pace a tick and shooting more from downtown. A complete deficiency in transition defense represents the worst symptom to hit the team this season.
It would certainly be nice for the Knicks to find their outside shooting touch again, but even league-best percentages won’t save them over the long haul. Brown must find an ace in the hole that the squad can rely on when the three-point shooting isn’t spectacular.
However, some ask the most basketball obvious question: Does it make sense to push this type of identity with this particular roster? After all, let’s not pretend these Knicks can hang with the Association’s elite squads in the athletic department.
Injury update
The Knicks’ injury situation seems to be trending in a positive direction. By most indications, it appears that Josh Hart will be back in the lineup on Monday.
Hart, who missed eight games before returning for the Knicks’ road win against the Portland Trail Blazers last week, is officially listed as questionable.
However, it’s assumed that his DNP in Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns was more precautionary, whereas Jalen Brunson’s status is a bit more iffy.
Nonetheless, both players are questionable to play for the Knicks on Monday, per SNY’s Ian Begley.
For the Dallas Mavericks, young Cooper Flagg has been dealing with a left-ankle sprain that has kept him out of the last two games.
Although it’s still early, and he’s officially listed as questionable (recently upgraded from out the day prior), the feeling is trending in the positive direction on the Duke youngster.
Game details
Tip-off between the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks is slated for 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday.
As of a few hours before the start, FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Knicks as 10-point home favorites (-114). The moneyline on the Knicks is currently -450, while the Mavericks are +350.
The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC, along with the friendly confines of MSG Networks.
