Knicks Struck By Thunder in Isaiah Hartenstein's Return

The New York Knicks endured their worst loss of the season in Isaiah Hartenstein's return to Manhattan.

Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) controls the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks' quest to start a new winning streak ended as quickly as it began with an old friend in town.

It was a happy return to Manhattan for Isaiah Hartenstein, whose Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the Knicks by a 126-101 final on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The Western Conference-leading Thunder earned a two-game sweep of the Knicks after previously prevailing in a 117-107 home win last weekend.

Hartenstein had nine rebounds in his first visit to MSG since inking a three-year, $87 million deal with the Thunder, giving way to a dominant 39-point outing from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Isaiah Joe was equally prolific with 31 points off the bench, most of that built on a 8-of-11 mark from three. In contrast, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges went a combined 0-of-12 from deep, part of a brutal 4-of-32 showing overall.

Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) and forward Precious Achiuwa (5) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York (25-14) has now lost four of five, each defeat coming by at least nine points. Karl-Anthony Towns (23 points, 10 rebounds) and Josh Hart (16 points, 13 rebounds) were able to get their usual double-doubles in while Jalen Brunson led the way with 27 points. That was hardly enough to quiet the furious Thunder (31-6), who saw a 15-game winning streak end in Cleveland on Wednesday.

Unlike the first meeting, Friday's game was never close at any significant point. The Knicks held a scant lead during the offensively-challenged first six minutes but never led again after Luguentz Dort's three broke a 6-all tie with 5:23 remaining in the opening period. Oklahoma City ended the frame with a dozen unanswered over the final 2:07 and Gilgeous-Alexander was responsible for seven of those tallies, the last two coming on a coast-to-coast double off one of Bridges' many misses.

Thus faced with a 31-17 deficit after the first 12, the Knicks couldn't even get the margin back to a single digit from there on out. The lead, in fact, only inflated to 26 before the second quarter let out and even before the Knicks reached 30 on the night. Disbelief amongst the Garden crowd later turned into boos as things worsened, as Joe put 23 relief points in the first half alone. The 27-point deficit the Knicks faced at halftime was their worst in a game since December 2019.

Oklahoma City's massive lead more or less assured that the second half was a mere formality, as a good part of the Garden ventured out into the cold by the time the Knicks' reserves mustered a moral victory by winning the fourth quarter by three.

Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) fight for a loose ball Oklahoma City Thunder guards Aaron Wiggins (21) and Isaiah Joe (11) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Buried in the carnage was the return of Miles McBride, who played his first game of the calendar year after sitting out the first five with hamstring issues. McBride shot 3-of-9 from the field and was fruitless on four three-point attempts but did post five assists and rebounds each.

With eight threes in relief, Joe became just the fifth Knicks opponent to reach that tally off the bench and the first since Kevin Love of Cleveland in 2022. Friday's game continues a dangerous trend for the Knicks: save for two wins over the shorthanded Orlando Magic (who beat the Knicks on Monday), New York has not defeated an opponent stationed in the top six of its respective conference entering Friday play since Nov. 25 in Denver. The last such win at home came against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 8.

The Knicks' quest to get back in the win column doesn't get any easier, as they face the aforementioned Bucks on Sunday afternoon for a matinee at The Garden (3 p.m. ET, MSG).

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