25-26 Knicks Get Blown Out in Houston By the Rockets
On March 31st, the New York Knicks traveled to Houston for a matchup with the Rockets. From the opening tip, the Knicks could not get a shot off, with the Rockets going on a 22-5 run from the 11:11 mark to 6:52 left in the first quarter. New York wasn’t able to come back from Houston’s fiery offense and would end up losing this one 111-94. This marks the third straight loss for the Knicks, as they fall in danger of giving up the third seed to the Cleveland Cavaliers with six games left on the schedule. Can this New York team find momentum in their final six games of the 25-26 NBA season?
Should McBride Be Left Out of the Rotation for the Rest of the Season?
After returning from injury in Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miles McBride has struggled to find his rhythm. In both the loss against OKC and Houston, the 25-year-old has made one of 12 shots from the floor, scoring three points, with four turnovers. While there have been some new additions to the roster, this team has had momentum on their side. That momentum was shown in the Knicks seven-game win streak. Yet the losses to tough teams such as the Charlotte Hornets, the Thunder, and the Rockets have halted that driving force this New York team carries. McBride needs to be the player he once was before the sports hernia in these final six games if the Knicks want to have the confidence heading into the First Round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Towns Needs to Have Great Consistent Scoring & Reboudning Outings
When it comes to Karl-Anthony Towns during the 25-26 season, he’s someone every NBA analyst wants to see with the ball in their hands. However, the six-time all-star doesn’t always look to score. He has shown flashes of his well-rounded scoring capabilities, as seen on March 9th when he dropped 35 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, and in back-to-back games on March 20th and March 22nd, Towns put up 26 points in wins against the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards. Yet, he scored 13 in the loss to Charlotte and 15 in the loss to OKC. The same could be said about his rebounding, too. During the loss to the Hornets, the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year pulled down just three rebounds. Two days later, in a loss to the Thunder, Towns grabbed 18 rebounds. If he can be the secondary scoring option every night while being the great rebounding big man he’s shown to be throughout his career, the Knicks could be a force to face on the court.
Are the Knicks a First Round Exit?
If the Knicks stay at the third seed within the Eastern Conference, they would face the Toronto Raptors in the first round. Yet, if they drop to fourth, they would play the Atlanta Hawks, who’ve been red-hot during the second half of the season. Both Toronto and Atlanta are teams the Knicks can be in a seven-game series, yet if New York doesn’t have the confidence or doesn’t establish themselves in the series, their hope for an NBA Championship may be all but lost once again. It’s crucial that the Knicks win out, even though they are playing teams such as the Hornets, Hawks, Raptors, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Chicago Bulls, and the Boston Celtics. Winning out brings chemistry and trust to a team in hopes of winning a championship.
