News & Blogs
New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls Live Score and Stats – February 22, 2026 Gametracker – CBS Sports
Knicks 105, Bulls 99: Scenes from a clutch KAT finish – Posting & Toasting
Knicks’ Mike Brown dedicated to evolving offense, finding best fit for top scorers – SNY
Game Thread: Knicks at Bulls, February 22, 2026 – Posting & Toasting
How to watch Knicks vs. Bulls: TV channel and streaming options for February 22 – The New York Times
Guerschon Yabusele on amending Knicks contract to facilitate Bulls trade: ‘The passion is more than just the money’ – SNY
Knicks at Cavaliers Preview w/ Justin Rowan | PREGAME POD | Knicks Film School – Knicks Film School
Knicks Weekly: KAT Bounces Back | Landry Shamet Heating Up | Knicks BIG Test – Knicks Fan TV
The Run.down Knicks vs Bulls Postgame Show – The Strickland
YT News
44 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2026.02.24)”
Not quite a rubber meets the road game tonight, but I would really love to see KAT continue to play well on a night when he’s going against a good and big defensive center in Allen. If KAT is genuinely back offensively, a whole lot of this roster slides neatly into place. If he goes back to the wilderness, we’re in big trouble.
Agree. Optimal Offense ( with full effort Defense/Avoiding Dumb Fouls)KAT is the most important variable in the Knicks going beyond the ECF.
This is a pretty big regular season game. CLE will be looking to flex its muscles after the Garland-Harden swap, and we are trying to keep the momentum going after a couple of promising wins. Both teams are jockeying for position in the standings.
It will be interesting to see how Mike Brown goes about matchups.
Good thing we have Cavs destroyer, Mitch, available tonight.
Big game. Let’s win it!
6 of the next 7 games are difficult to really difficult. But then, the schedule gets pretty nice for a while:
@Clippers
@Jazz
@Pacers
Warriors
Pacers
@Nets
Wizards
Pelicans
Hornets
With no B2Bs (edit: in fact, the first game @Clippers is the second night of a back to back, but both games in LA).
Go 4-3 in the next 7, and they should be in a good spot.
Good article in The Athletic on Dejounte Murray. Worth a read for those who subscribe. Never took to him, mostly influenced in hindsight that the 2 times he was being considered, we first chose Jalen (phew) and then passed when he was traded to the Pellies in an Atlanta swindle. Tastycakes also mentioned that he was not a great locker room guy in SA. But every player has a human story–wish him all the best.
Good test tonight.
“Good test tonight.”
Perfect timing. A win with an engaged KAT has the double benefit of getting us on track and casting early doubts on the wisdom of the Harden trade.
I hope Mitch gets all of the offensive rebounds over Allen and Mobley yet again.
Does feel like a night for Brown to go back to the double-big lineup more frequently than he’s done in quite some time, doesn’t it?
Two fun nuggets from Macri this morning, first the Brunson to KAT connection:
“Compare those 11 dimes in four games to the 40 assists that came in the prior 44 games they played together, and it seems pretty clear that Jalen is making something of an effort to get his fellow All-Star more involved.”
Then the getting him going early, especially down low:
“These were Karl’s first three baskets against the Rockets, two of which came early in the first quarter. Why is that notable? Because it was the third time in four games that KAT had made multiple 2-point field goals in the opening period. That might not seem like a big deal, but you have to go back nearly a month prior, to the Kings game on January 14, to find the last time he made more than one 2-pointer in the first quarter.”
I wonder if this is a larger-scale version of how the first Bulls dynasty would make an effort to get Bill Cartwright a few shots early in the first quarter so he’d be engaged for the rest of the game. KAT is a sensitive guy who needs his ego massaged. If it takes making sure to get him some early buckets so we get the full Good KAT experience for the rest of the game, I’m all for it.
Was it ego with Cartwright? I thought it was a way to get the defense to pay attention to him and let Jordan operate more freely from the midrange. An early version of spacing.
You might be right, darules. But I have vague memories of Bob Costas and other announcers saying that the Bulls did it specifically to keep Cartwright — a former top offensive option now reduced to a tiny role on that end — feeling valued.
Yeah, Riley did that same thing with Charles Smith, too. Establish the 3rd option early was an actual strategy back then.
I haven’t been able to watch all of the last few games but my thoughts on KAT’s good stretch -> many fewer drives from the top of the key. More back-to-basket post-stuff as opposed to facing up against smaller defenders. And more KAT setting picks for Jalen than before.
This helps prove the point I have been making that it wasn’t a KAT issue. It was a Brunson and Brown issue.
IMO it was not an accident that despite a way inferior skillset, KAT looked better with Kolek than Brunson. Kolek is trying to generate good looks for his teammates. Brunson is trying to generate good looks for himself.
We need both of those things because Brunson is elite at generating shots for himself and making them under pressure, but we also need Brunson to make his teammates better. He has to be more selective about when we need him to step up and when we need him to run the team.
KAT was in a huge in the biggest slump since his rookie year, I had no doubt the pendulum was going to swing and this bubble was looking for a pin to pop. Who cares if its, Shaq, more post ups, early 2s or making more threes. This was/is a blessing in disguise and personal growth for him, JB and MB. More adversity the go through, they tougher they’ll be in the playoffs.
KAT is no Charles Smith or Bill Cartwiright and his offensive role is not to be diminished. We need him to dominate and actually limit FGAs of all others. Especially in non JB minutes. Tired of watching bench guys chuck shots and try to generate offense during first 5 minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters.
So Bill Cartwright walks into a bar…
In fact he did just that, a long, thin, crowded railroad-style bar on the upper east side one evening, I was toward the back at a bar stool and I remember seeing him enter and thinking “That’s Bill Cartwright!”, and then he continued toward me and kept growing like some monstrous CGI apparition until he passed me. A very out-of-body experience, not that it was Bill, but that he kept coming and getting bigger and bigger.
I may have been a few cups in, as well, but it’s a memory that’s stuck with me.
I remember being a kid and making Bill Cartwright jokes when he was the bulls center because he was so old by then and seemed so unimportant to the team’s success in my young eyes.
Gotten older and looked into his career and he was quite the center in his day. One of those overlooked guys.
Was KAT missing open shots at a career high rate because he was angry about Brunson not giving him the ball more?
Really. Can we please stop with the idea that Brunson is somehow “freezing out” KAT? The Knicks are ALWAYS trying to get him the ball in their offensive sets, sometimes he hands off to Brunson, sometimes he does one of his flailing drives to the hoop and sometimes he launches a 3. Which up until a few games ago never went in.
I just don’t see any evidence at all that the Knicks are ignoring KAT on offense
Facts. Was JB responsible for KAT leading the league in offensive fouls?
Folks, KAT bears the overwhealming majority of the responsibility for his slump. MB is 2nd behind him. A tiny small percentage is on the team captain.
it’s the where and the when regarding KAT’s offensive touches…
mike brown’s offense seems to favor wings or guards standing around the arc…
KAT has an incredibly quick shot for any one at any size, but I don’t think the offense MB has tried to install was doing KAT any favors, at all…
hopefully this renewed focus on getting el grande gato better and more looks hangs around for a while, or at least we remember it come playoff time…
mikal was right last year reference the minutes thing, KAT was right this year about him getting shut out offensively…
at this point it’s on MB to adjust, which he has…
Edit: fuck that egalitarian everyone eats bullshit…feed him…
kinda remember back in december, maybe november it was already a little obvious…
I liked Kat’s game the other day. Mixed post-ups, took open 3’s, and took some mid-range shots. Even a hook shot. But perhaps most important was he made quick decisions. Also, didn’t try to drive to the basket from the 3 point line and flay his arms and body all over and take a wild shot and end up on the floor while the other team has a fast break the other way. All while arguing with the ref. It was a big improvement.
From Underdog NBA:
The Knicks and Cavs, last 15 games:
Knicks:
12-3 record
No. 1 defense
Cavs:
12-3 record
No. 1 offense
New York at Cleveland tonight.
I have a bad feeling tonight is gonna be one of those games where the other team is going to be way more motivated than the Knicks. Knicks already have clinched the season tiebreaker vs Cleveland, I’d be pleasantly surprised if the Knicks come out tonight extra motivated like they did last time at Boston. They’re gonna have to be willing to play 48 mins of defense cause if not Cavs will probably light them up.
Knicks 2025, that’s very cool. I know its super early but I’m looking at Cleveland as the favorite in their 4vs1 seed match up against Detroit.
Also, think this roster is ultimately built to beat Boston, – so finishing as 2nd seed and going up against the Celtics is the ideal spot to end up in.
Would hate to play either Detroit or Clevelad in the 2nd round. Even if Knicks win, good chance team is beat up going into conference finals.
Bill Cartwright eh?
OG is a frustrating player on offense but I love his defense, like DJ Zullo. Wish he had posted that steal where OG just ripped the ball off someone on the right block.
https://x.com/DJAceNBA/status/2026350831801438636?s=20
So I certainly don’t think Brunson was freezing out KAT, but I also don’t think he was actively trying to feed the bear. Less than one assist to KAT over 40 games to almost three assists to KAT during the recent Townaissance is an actual thing.
My armchair psychologist perception is that KAT’s overall game vastly improves when he gets early touches, and the best early touches are down low. He gets to feel involved (I don’t think this is a Jordan-like pissy ego thing, I think it’s more a “Whee, this is fun!” thing), and it also opens things up for everyone, including himself, meaning he may find himself a bit more open for threes later on.
Townsaissance. I like it.
Exactly! Big KAT’s gotta eat!
It’s the PG’s job to get others involved, especially your big man who can’t just dribble the ball up themselves each possession and dribble around. He’s skilled but he’s not a PG. Get him some touches down low, get some easy baskets, everything opens up for everyone (including Brunson).
Rope a dope. KAT hits them with the body blows early and then JB delivers the head blows late to knock them out.
I think we’re clearly on one of those chicken and egg situations, has KAT got better because he is getting more touches, or is KAT getting more touches because he is playing better? I say who cares, what matters is the team is functioning a lot better and i hope they can build from this.
Jonathan Macri
@JCMacriNBA
According to Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks are now 10.7 points better per 100 possessions with Karl-Anthony Towns on the court this season.
That ranks 1st among 45 players who have seen at least 1600 minutes of court time.
BODO!!! BODO!!!!! BODO!!!!!
Mad scenes in Milan, can’t believe Inter just lost twice to a team that plays above the Arctic Circle.
Unreal!
Great achievement for Bodo, indeed. 🙂 Wow, i wasn’t aware that Bodo is above the arctic circle. I follow a team that is clearly above the arctic circle – Tromso – and i thought they were the only team above the arctic circle. Always learning from you guys. 😉
Various KAT stats with Brunson on and off the floor (1,024 shared minutes, 670 KAT-only minutes:
TS%
Brunson on: .610
Brunson off: .590
eFG%
Brunson on: .539
Brunson off: .524
3PT%
Brunson on: .378
Brunson off: .349
2PT%
Brunson on: .525
Brunson off: .525
At Rim FG%
Brunson on: .604
Brunson off: .609
I could go on and on, but you get the point. There is no empirical backing whatsoever for the Dastardly Jalen Brunson theory. The guy is missing shots he used to make, very much including last season, when he also played with the Dastardly Jalen Brunson.
Could Brunson do a better job of getting him looks? I mean, sure, no one’s perfect and it may well be something that needs to be specifically emphasized in light of KAT’s struggles. But to the extent we have to deviate from what would otherwise be optimal to “feed KAT” or whatever, that’s a fault of KAT’s, not Brunson’s.
Hopefully we can now retire this ridiculous theory and acknowledge that KAT needs to make the ol’ play better adjustment.
Yeah, really, enough with the drama. KAT has. KAT problem.
That said, I also agree that Brunson needs to continue work on finding ways to make his teammates better, like the truly great players/leaders tend to do. Only 6 asts/game from its starting PG is just not enough for a team like this. I get that KAT’s stats are pretty constant when JB is on or off, but they should actually be significantly better when JB is on. Brunson has gravity, which theoretically should make it so that KAT has more space. That doesn’t seem to be happening.
Hopefully they are finding things and there will be improvement in this area. Tonight is a good test.
Not sure where this amusing Dastardly Jalen Brunson theory comes from. Not from me, certainly. My points, based on Macri’s tiny sample sizes so far and thus filled with caveats, is that when Brunson assists KAT more, like lately, good things happen. And when anyone assists KAT close to the basket in the first quarter, good things happen.
Maybe social media is filled with Dastardly Jalen theories, but they’re also filled with lunatic conspiracy hypotheses and incel manifestos, so it’s not a great straw man to hold up and whack.
Signing up for another effing free one-week trial for Peacock. I hate that the Knicks are good again.
The “Knicks aren’t tough” is this year’s “the Knicks can’t beat good teams”.
Cronin!!!!
Where is the “feeling great about 58” ?? 😀
Brian, if you were tapping a post out throw it up. Lot of construction outside of KB headquarters…
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