New York Knicks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Thompson, Confidence, Cunningham, Stewart

April 30th, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

Blood clotting issues ended Ausar Thompson‘s rookie season and delayed his sophomore campaign. However, the second-year wing emerged as a starter this season and played an integral role in the Pistons‘ 106-103 Game 5 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday. Thompson supplied 22 points, including a key late bucket, along with seven rebounds and two blocks as the Pistons staved off elimination.

Thompson was also the primary defender on Jalen Brunson, who was limited to 4-for-16 shooting and seven assists, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes.

“We did a great job of getting to our spots and executing the stuff we knew we could get to that created an advantage for us,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It all started with Ausar and his defense. He was phenomenal defensively tonight. Offensively obviously he came up with 22 points, but I think it started with his defense and a lot of credit should be given to him.”

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Many people thought Detroit couldn’t recover from a controversial Game 4 loss in which the team blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead and was victimized by an official’s no-call in the closing seconds. The Pistons came to Madison Square Garden more determined than ever, Bickerstaff said. “I’m not surprised,” he said, per Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. “This is what they’ve always shown to be and this is what we expected from them tonight.”
Did Cade Cunningham offer a veiled guarantee of a Game 6 home victory on Thursday night? According to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post, Cunningham declared the series would return to New York for Game 7. “We’ll be back,” he said. Cunningham said the team thrives in hostile environments. Both of its wins in the series have come on the road. “It’s everything you dream of. Playing with a full arena, a bunch of people booing you, that’s everything you dream of,” he said.
The Pistons have been able to keep the Knicks under control despite the absence of their interior defensive stopper. Isaiah Stewart missed his fourth consecutive game due to right knee inflammation, as Sankofa relays. The Pistons have used Paul Reed off the bench in his absence with Jalen Duren getting the bulk of the minutes when he’s been able to avoid foul trouble.

Former Knicks Guard Dick Barnett Dies At 88

April 28th, 2025 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Dick Barnett, a former NBA guard who won a pair of championships with the Knicks, has died at age 88, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.

The Knicks, who announced Barnett’s death on Sunday, didn’t provide any additional details, but said in a statement they were “terribly saddened” to learn of his passing (Twitter link).

“Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on and off the court,” the team stated. “He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history.

“His jersey will forever hang in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and his play throughout his career will forever be a part of Knicks fans memories.”

A star at Tennessee A&I College (now Tennessee State University), Barnett won three NAIA titles from 1957-59 and was selected fourth overall in the 1959 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals (the future Philadelphia 76ers). He spent two years in Syracuse, then a single season with the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League before joining the Lakers in 1962 and eventually the Knicks in 1965.

Barnett’s most memorable NBA seasons came in New York, where he averaged a career-high 23.1 points per game in 1965/66, made an All-Star team in ’67/68, and won championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973.

Barnett appeared in a total of 971 NBA regular season games from 1959-73, averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 29.8 minutes per contest. He ranks ninth on the Knicks’ all-time scoring list with 9,442 points, putting him right between former teammates Earl Monroe and Bill Bradley. He had his No. 12 jersey retired by the organization in 1990.

Barnett was enshrined twice to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, first as a member of that three-time champion Tennessee A&I College team in 2019, then as a player in 2024.

Our condolences go out to Barnett’s family and friends.

Stephen Curry Named 2024/25 Teammate Of The Year

April 28th, 2025 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors star Stephen Curry has been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year for the 2024/25 season, the league announced today (via Twitter).

The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment to his team,” per the NBA.

The award isn’t voted on by media members. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner. Players receive 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place.

Curry just narrowly won this season’s vote ahead of Rockets center Steven Adams.

Here are this season’s full voting results, according to the NBA, with the player’s point total noted in parentheses:

Stephen Curry, Warriors (1,257)
Steven Adams, Rockets (1,237)
Jalen Brunson, Knicks (925)
DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets (897)
Nicolas Batum, Clippers (868)
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (850)
Al Horford, Celtics (834)
James Johnson, Pacers (751)
Jaylin Williams, Thunder (690)
Brook Lopez, Bucks (657)
Tobias Harris, Pistons (648)
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies (552)

It’s the first Teammate of the Year award for Curry, though it’s the seventh time in a row that a point guard has earned the honor.

The award, which was introduced in ’12/13, had gone to either Mike Conley (2019 and 2024) or Jrue Holiday (2020, 2022, and 2023) in five of the past six seasons, with Damian Lillard claiming it in 2021.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Towns, Bridges, Payne, Thibodeau

April 28th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Hart has maximized his value to the Knicks by putting aside any personal dreams of stardom, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Throughout his career, which included stops with four teams in six years before he found a home in New York, Hart always believed he could be more than just a scrappy player who tends to make the right play at the right time.

He told Edwards that he adopted a new mindset this season and is now focused on finding ways to make his high-profile teammates better. That led to setting a franchise record with nine triple-doubles during the season and averaging career highs of 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists along with 13.6 points per game.

“I think it’s realizing … for me, I feel like I’ve grown in my faith more,” Hart said. “I’ve been trying to take on that servant mentality. I want to make sure I can cater to these guys and make sure that they’re successful and put in the right positions to blossom.”

Edwards states that Hart often points to Celtics guard Jrue Holiday as an example of sacrificing individual glory for the greater good. Holiday was a two-time All-Star who accepted a reduced role in Boston’s offense to help produce a championship, and he’s in a unique position to understand Hart’s value to the Knicks.

“Even though people might say, like, he doesn’t shoot the ball well enough or do whatever, he makes plays, and he makes the game easier for everybody else based off his play,” Holiday said. “And it’s not just his effort. He’s really smart. He gets to the basket. He offensive rebounds. Things that guys don’t really want to do, he’s excellent at it. Guys who really take that to heart and can really play that type of game, I feel like you can be in the league as long as you want to if you play that way.”

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Karl-Anthony Towns scored eight of the team’s final 10 points in Sunday’s win at Detroit, and one of the clutch shots was a fadeaway he developed while working with Kyrie Irving last summer, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns said Irving taught him the finer points of the shot, including where to hold the ball and how to launch it above the defender “It’s something that I never really had,” Towns said. “And it didn’t look as good. And I was able to iron my game out watching a great like him. One of the most talented players the NBA has ever seen and just did it as best I could to add my little flavor to it. It may not look as good as his — I ain’t going to lie, I think it’s pretty damn ugly — but it’s effective when I need it to be.”
Mikal Bridges hit two late three-pointers Sunday after shooting just 1-of-10 from the field in the first three quarters, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Bridges said he drew inspiration from his teammates, particularly Cameron Payne, who has seen limited playing time since scoring 14 points in the series opener. “I think the biggest is Cam Payne,” Bridges said. “He’s big on voicing, helping me out. Sometimes, him calling me some not good names helps as well. It just feeds off that.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau deserves more credit for the adjustments he has made throughout the series, including getting more shots for Towns after he was shut down in Game 2, contends Ian Begley of SNY. Begley notes that Thibodeau’s job might have been in jeopardy with a first-round loss, but he has responded with a high-level coaching performance.

Pistons Notes: Hardaway Jr., Missed Call, Inexperience, Cunningham, Game 5

April 27th, 2025 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Game 4 of the Knicks–Pistons series on Sunday afternoon ended in controversy, with a missed call potentially costing upstart Detroit the victory. Crew chief David Guthrie admitted afterward that a foul should have been called against the Knicks’ Josh Hart on Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s missed three-point try just before the final buzzer. The Knicks came away with a 94-93 win and a 3-1 lead in the series.

“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” Guthrie told the pool reporter, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “After post-game review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.”

Hardaway said the missed call was “blatant” and coach J.B. Bickerstaff was equally frustrated.

“You go back and look at the film, the guy leaves his feet and there’s contact on Tim Hardaway’s jump shot,” he said. “I don’t know any other way around it. There’s contact on his jump shot. The guy leaves his feet, he’s at Timmy’s mercy. And repeat, there was contact on his jump shot.”

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The game shouldn’t have come down to the last play, Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press notes, as the Pistons gave away a double-digit lead in the final eight minutes. The true difference in the series has been poise, and the ability to make the small plays, according to Windsor. Detroit’s 3-1 deficit can largely be chalked up to a lack of playoff and overall experience in these moments.
Cade Cunningham racked up a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists along with four blocks. However, Cunningham also made seven turnovers and missed a mid-range shot seconds before Hardaway’s attempt. “He got to his shot, and had the shot that he liked and that we all like,” Bickerstaff said. “I trust Cade to take that shot 100 times in a row.”
The Pistons are now on the brink of elimination heading back to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday. “We have to get ready for the next game, ready to play, bring it back here,” sixth man Malik Beasley said. “That’s all we can do. That’s the message.”

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Returns After Game 4 Ankle Injury

April 27th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2:13 pm: Brunson has returned to the hardwood after receiving treatment in the visitors’ locker room. He had been wearing a brace on his right knee, but removed it before returning to action, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

2:09 pm: Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson, who missed a month down the stretch of the 2024/25 regular season with an ankle injury, appeared to suffer some bad health luck again late into the third quarter of New York’s ongoing Game 4 matchup against the Pistons.

With 2:52 remaining in the third period, Detroit guard Dennis Schroder landed on the right foot of Brunson. The Knicks guard was on the ground for a while, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic tweets, and crawled to the sideline.

According to Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media, Brunson appeared to aggravate an ankle injury that cost him 15 games in March and April. The 6’2″ Villanova alum left the floor and was replaced by reserve Cameron Payne, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Detroit has capitalized on the absence of New York’s lead play-maker, and currently leads the Knicks, 71-64, early in the fourth quarter. Brunson had been leading the Knicks as a scorer with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, plus nine assists and five rebounds.

Through his first three games in the series, Brunson had been on fire offensively, averaging 33.7 points, 8.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 41.0 minutes per night.

After splitting the opening two contests in Madison Square Garden, New York bested Detroit on the road and leads the Pistons in the series, 2-1.

Pistons Notes: Schröder, Beasley, Stewart, Ivey, Game 3

April 27th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran guard Dennis Schröder struggled with his shot after the Pistons traded for him in February, averaging 10.8 points on .378/.302/.833 shooting in 28 regular season games (25.2 minutes per contest).

However, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes, the 31-year-old has played a critical role for the Pistons in the playoffs, making timely shots and serving as a secondary ball-handler alongside All-Star Cade Cunningham. Through three playoff games (28.3 MPG), Schröder is averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds on .556/.615/.800 shooting.

“He’s played in so many big games, and when you go back and watch his history, he’s clutch in big games,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after Game 2, when Schröder made the winning basket, securing Detroit’s first playoff victory in 17 years. “We talked about it early on when he got here, he’s just fearless. There’s no moment, there’s no crowd, there’s no noise that’s too big or that’s gonna rattle him. Works his tail off on his game, but a lot of people in that situation don’t have the courage and he’s got the courage to take big shots.”

Schröder will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Sankofa notes.

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While Schröder has caught fire in the playoffs, the opposite has been true for Malik Beasley, another impending free agent. After averaging 16.3 points and converting 41.6% of his three-point tries in the regular season, the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up has posted 13.7 PPG while shooting 30.0% from long distance thus far in Detroit’s first-round series vs. New York. “I think he’s getting his looks. They just haven’t fallen for him … we know he’s capable of making those shots,” Bickerstaff said of Beasley (Twitter link via Sankofa).
Big man Isaiah Stewart battled through a right knee injury in Game 1 and missed the second and third games of the series. He’ll also be sidelined for Sunday’s Game 4 due to ongoing right knee inflammation, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
Although the Pistons technically didn’t rule out Jaden Ivey for the remainder of the postseason when they provided an update on his status last night, Bickerstaff sounded skeptical about the third-year guard’s chances of playing again in ’24/25, per Patterson (Twitter video link). “Our aim will always be to protect our guys,” Bickerstaff said. “This would just be a very difficult situation for a guy to come back into after dealing with the injury. … The more he progresses, we’ll take a look.” Ivey is recovering from a broken fibula in his left leg.
Both the Pistons and Knicks were frustrated by the officiating following a controversial ending to Game 3, writes Chris Herring of ESPN. Detroit was livid that Jalen Brunson wasn’t called for a backcourt violation in the closing seconds, though the NBA supported that non-call, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. The Knicks, meanwhile, were angered that Detroit got possession of the ball after Brunson intentionally missed a free throw with 0.5 seconds left.
Despite finding themselves in a 1-2 hole, the Pistons remained positive after the Game 3 loss, as Patterson writes for The Athletic. “We won’t be deflated,” Bickerstaff said when asked about the mood in the Pistons locker room. “Our guys are too committed to one another. We’re not results-driven. We’ll show up Sunday and we’re going to lay it on the line. We’re going to fight like hell and see what happens.”

Knicks Notes: Towns, McBride, Anunoby, Brunson, Robinson

April 26th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks came away with a close win in Game 3 against the Pistons facing a loud Detroit crowd. It’s no coincidence that as the Knicks played faster, Karl-Anthony Towns had his best offensive game of the series, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes.

Towns scored 31 points on 10 made field goals, including a handful that came with over 14 seconds still left on the shot clock, according to Edwards, who says Towns was purposeful and imposed his will.

“In transition, KAT is someone I’m definitely trying to look for and find while he’s flowing into the half court, where he can knock down shots trailing or able to attack,” teammate Josh Hart said.

In a separate story, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that Jalen Brunson and Towns ran 17 pick-and-rolls in Game 3, their second-highest single-game total since January. New York was able to take advantage of Jalen Duren guarding Towns as opposed to a wing.

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In the same story for The Athletic, Katz analyzes the play of both Miles McBride and OG Anunoby, opining that New York needs more from McBride in order to help secure a series win over the Pistons. McBride isn’t playing much, but New York’s reserves have only scored 39 points in the series, and that will likely need to change to keep the starters fresh. As for Anunoby, Katz explains why he’s prone to defensive ‘heat checks’ and why his attention to detail is standing out. Jared Schwartz of the New York Post observes that Anunoby helped hold Cade Cunningham to 10-of-25 shooting from the field in Game 3.
The Knicks were able to rely on their reserves in a come-from-behind Game 1 win, with Cameron Payne in particular standing out. Like Katz, Zach Braziller of the New York Post observes that New York’s depth has been outshone in the two games since then. With the Pistons getting massive contributions from reserves like Dennis Schröder and Malik Beasley, the Knicks’ lack of depth could become an issue, Braziller suggests.
Brunson reacted well to Detroit crowd berating him with derisive chants and responded with an impressive 30-point game to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds, Ian Begley of SNY writes. “I don’t think crowds understand, especially with pros and guys that are really good, they’re probably going to be really good when you’re chanting they’re name,” teammate P.J. Tucker said. “When you’re saying what they said, it probably gives them a little incentive to play a little better, play a little harder.”
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson missed Saturday’s practice due to an illness, but Thibodeau believe the big man “should be fine” for Game 4 on Sunday, according to Begley (Twitter links). Thibodeau added that Robinson is no longer on a minutes restriction.

Knicks Notes: Game 3 Adjustments, Toughness, Hart, Brunson

April 24th, 2025 at 6:25pm CST by Tristan Tucker

All eyes are on Tom Thibodeau ahead of the Knicks’ Game 3 against the Pistons, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes in a subscriber-only story.

New York should theoretically have an advantage as a team that went all-in on its roster last offseason against a less experienced Detroit squad. At the time of writing, the Knicks went on a quick early run to get ahead of Detroit. The series is tied at 1-1 entering Thursday’s game, though the Knicks were a late Mikal Bridges three-point attempt away from tying Game 2.

“If that [Bridges] shot goes in, we’re probably not talking about the other stuff. But that’s playoff basketball,” Thibodeau said. “And then, what do you learn from the game, and how do you reset and get ready for the next one. And I think all that stuff is important. Each game, take what happened in the previous game, study and get ready for the next one.”

As Bondy writes, the Pistons were able to exploit the Knicks with hard screens and box outs in Game 2, and so the onus is on Thibodeau to counter those moves. One suggestion Bondy adds is for Thibodeau to turn to the big pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson more often. Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is out for Game 3, per The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson (Twitter link), and so going big could help counter Detroit.

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The Pistons’ run to the playoffs after being the worst team in the league last year is a testament to their grit and strength, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post opines. So far in their first-round series against the Knicks, they’ve out-muscled New York. Detroit’s Tobias Harris implied that the difference in the two teams’ physicality is a core tenet of the team’s playoff game plan, and the Knicks will need to respond appropriately in Game 3.
Josh Hart took accountability for part of what went wrong for the Knicks in Game 2, Bondy tweets. Hart said he needed to stop complaining to the refs as often due to it distracting from the game. “It definitely takes you off your game,” Hart said. “I think controlling it that just comes from within, kind of focusing on controlling what you can control. We can’t control what they’re calling. … We can just control how we respond to it. Last game I responded terribly. I have to make sure I fix that, [Towns] fixes that, and move on from it.“
Star guard Jalen Brunson won the Clutch Player of the Year award on Wednesday after averaging the most clutch points in the league. He spoke on the honor to SNY’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). “It means a lot,” Brunson said. “It’s a credit to us winning close games and my teammates and coaches having my back.”

Knicks, Sixers To Play Preseason Games In Abu Dhabi

April 24th, 2025 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Sixers will participate in the NBA’s Abu Dhabi Games 2025 this fall, the league announced today in a press release.

New York and Philadelphia will play a pair of preseason contests at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 2 and Saturday, Oct. 4.

The NBA had never played in the United Arab Emirates prior to 2022, but this will be the fourth straight year that the league has held preseason games in Abu Dhabi.

It will be the first time that the Knicks have played a game outside of North America since they faced the Wizards in London, England for a regular season game in January 2019. The 76ers haven’t played overseas since they squared off against Dallas for a pair of preseason matchups in China (Shanghai and Shenzhen) in October 2018.

The Abu Dhabi Games are the third international preseason contests announced by the NBA ahead of the 2025/26 season. The Nets and Suns will be playing in Macao on Oct. 10 and 12, while the Pelicans will face teams from Australia’s National Basketball League in Melbourne on Oct. 3 and 5.