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Apr 13, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek (13) goes to the basket after the game Brooklyn Nets forward Tosan Evbuomwan (12) in front of forward Tosan Evbuomwan (12) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks Look to Defend Home Court Against Brooklyn

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Anthony Rios | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 11:49 AM ET

The New York Knicks are currently in sixth place in an Eastern Conference that has caught the eyes of many.

Teams like the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls have started the season with a bang, catching the league by surprise. Although the Knicks are in sixth place with a record of 5-3, their five wins have been at Madison Square Garden. Following being off for three consecutive days, the Knicks look to move to 6-0 at home when their rivals across the bridge come to town.

Previewing Brookyln

The Brooklyn Nets are currently 13th in the East with a record of 1-8 and are in the middle of a rebuild, with their lone win coming against the Indiana Pacers, who have been decimated with injuries.

Although the Nets have their eyes set on the 2026 NBA Draft, the Knicks should not take their state rivals for granted. In the wonderful world of sports, rivalry games have more at stake: bragging rights. The Nets will love to play spoiler against the Knicks and be the first away team to win inside Madison Square Garden this season.

Unfortunately, the Nets will be without their second-leading scorer in Cam Thomas. Look for Knicks head coach Mike Brown to zero in on the Nets' leading scorer, Michael Porter Jr., who is averaging a career-high 23 points per game.

New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Look for the Knicks to find a way to get their all-star center, Karl-Anthony Towns, more involved within the new offensive scheme. The five-time All-Star is off to a shaky start this season, averaging just under 20 points per game on 41% shooting from the field and 34% from three.

Although the season isn't off to a great start for KAT, the perfect time to get out of this slump would be against the Nets. Towns has averaged 25.4 points, 12 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 16 career games against Brooklyn.

New York Knicks Center Karl-Anthony Towns Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Unlike his teammate, Towns, Knicks wing Mikal Bridges has started the season scorching hot. Bridges is averaging 16 points, with a career-high 4.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game on tremendous efficiency.

The two-way forward is shooting 52.8% from the field, 46.5% from three on 5.4 attempts per night. Bridges looks to continue his hot start against his former team, which traded him to the Knicks in June of last year.

New York Knicks Guard Mikal Bridges Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Lastly, Knicks superstar point guard Jalen Brunson is off to a MVP-caliber start. Brunson is averaging 28.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. Expect a big game from the two-time All-NBA point guard going against the team that is last in defensive rating, with a rating of 125.1. So far in his Knicks career, Brunson is averaging 25.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 11 games against the Nets.

New York Knicks Point Guard Jalen Brunson Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The last time the Nets defeated the Knicks was Jan. 28, 2023. Kyrie Irving was still a Net, and former league MVP Derrick Rose was still on the Knicks roster. The Knicks have ensured their dominance over the Nets for the past couple of years, but that does not mean they should take their foot off the gas. Look for the Knicks' All-Star duo to regain the chemistry they had last season. If that happens, expect the Knicks to move to 6-0 at MSG.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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