Oct 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives by Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives by Boston Celtics guard Jordan Walsh (27) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Just two games into the new season, it’s abundantly clear the New York Knicks are not where they want to be right now. Fresh off their championship victory in May, they knew to expect heightened resistance, but these first two games have been brutal so far. On Tuesday, it was a 106-100 loss to the 76ers, and today it was a 107-103 loss to the Celtics. The back-to-back losses now have them winless on the season at 0-2.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for his team, dropping 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists on 69.2% shooting from the field. OG Anunoby wasn’t far behind with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists on 45.5% shooting from the field. Off the bench, Miles McBride added 20 points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal on 66.7% shooting. Jalen Brunson, meanwhile, had a relatively quiet night with 19 points, two rebounds, four assists, and two blocks on 41.2% shooting.
On paper, this looks like the type of game the Knicks should win. They had balanced contributions from their stars and a nice spark off the bench. That alone was enough to make a push in the second half, which could have flipped the game. In the end, however, too many things went wrong for the defending champions, and they just couldn’t close the gap when it mattered.
Now at 0-2, the Knicks should seriously consider some tweaks to the game plan, lest their streak gets even longer. It doesn’t have to be major, but some flaws were exposed tonight that need to be addressed if they want to defend their title.
Sloppy Basketball Cost Valuable Possessions
The start of the season is often when a team is at its worst. As players and coaches shake off the rust from a long summer, it can take time before things start to click again. For the Knicks, this appears to be the case, as their offense has looked disjointed and disconnected through the first two games. Tonight, they committed 16 turnovers, leading to 19 Celtics points. The number is extra concerning given that the Celtics aren’t known for forcing a lot of turnovers.
It’s tough to pinpoint what exactly the problem was tonight, but they did not play like the Knicks team that won the title a few months ago. Between poor decisions and miscommunications, they barely managed to squeak out 103 points, proof that they have kinks to iron out this season. The hope is that, with time, they will clean up these mistakes and get back to their usual rhythm.
Mikal Bridges Was A No-Show (Again)
With averages of 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 49.0% shooting from the field last season, we saw how important Bridges could be for this team. In this campaign, however, he’s been M.I.A., leaving the Knicks searching for answers in the backcourt. On Tuesday, Bridges dropped four points on 25.0% shooting, only to play even worse against the Celtics. Today, in 21 minutes, he went scoreless on the floor, finishing with only a rebound, four assists, and one steal on 0-8 shooting.
As someone who played an important role in their title run last year, Bridges needs to be better for the Knicks to have any chance of a repeat. The issue is, nobody is quite sure what’s holding him back. Whether it’s rust from the offseason, an undisclosed injury, or simply an early shooting slump, Bridges’ recent offensive struggles have been tough, and it definitely hurt the Knicks tonight. What’s weird is that he’s taking his normal shots — it’s just that nothing is falling.
No Sense Of Urgency
This early on in the season, you don’t expect teams to fight like their playoff lives are on the line. Even so, we’ve come to expect better from the Knicks than the kind of effort they showed today. Under head coach Mike Brown (and even under Tom Thibodeau), the team’s identity was built around physicality and mental toughness, two qualities that were noticeably absent from their game today. Throughout the game, the urgency and passion were lacking, leading to lazy plays and missed opportunities.
What makes it worse for the Knicks is that every game will be a dogfight now, with opponents ready to give the defending champs their absolute best. If the Knicks aren’t prepared to match that, they will get left behind, as we saw today. As much as they tried to stick around until the end, they never really had control of the game, and it almost looked like they didn’t want it.
Major Defensive Failure
Defense was a major part of the championship formula last season, and it opened up everything else on the floor for them. That’s why, if they want to win it again this year, they will need that defensive brilliance to carry over into this season. So far, however, that hasn’t been the case, and tonight was just flat-out ugly as the Knicks played a step behind all night long.
As head coach Mike Brown pointed out after the game, his team particularly struggled in transition as they were seemingly slow to react to everything on the floor. By the fourth quarter, when the game began to tighten, the Knicks had no answers for the Celtics star duo, who simply had their will against the defense. The only saving grace for the Knicks is that they somehow won the rebound battle (44-37), giving them some advantage in the paint.
Jayson Tatum Was The Best Player On The Court
Jalen Brunson may be the reigning Finals MVP, but he certainly didn’t look like it tonight. His shot was off the whole game, leaving the Knicks to rely on other sources of scoring. While guys like Towns and Anunoby tried to step up, it wasn’t enough to make a difference, and it turned every possession into a struggle.
Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum was dominating at TD Garden, torching New York for 36 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists on 53.8% shooting. The scoring came easily to him in this game, resulting in his best performance of this young season. For the Knicks, it’s hard to win when your best guy is being outplayed to the degree he was tonight.
Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media.