The New York Knicks, after recording seven consecutive wins, are crashing back down to earth a bit. On Tuesday night, they suffered another defeat against a good team, this time a 111-94 loss to the Houston Rockets, and this defeat marks their third consecutive. Their lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third spot in the East standings is down to half a game as a result.
From the jump, the Knicks got outplayed and outhustled by the Rockets. They were outscored by 16 points in the first quarter (37-21), and were playing from behind all night long as a result. New York's largest lead on the night was one point, as they barely stood a chance on the road against a Rockets team that was locked in.
After the game, Knicks head coach Mike Brown expressed his disappointment over his team's lack of preparedness to do battle on the road, and he said as much that this is not the first time he's done so this season.
“Obviously, we got down big to start the game. I hate to sound like a broken record, but you do that against a good team and it’s hard to come back,” Brown said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
Mike Brown: “obviously, we got down big to start the game. I hate to sound like a broken record, but you do that against a good team and it’s hard to come back.”
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) April 1, 2026
Knicks have disastrous night on the road against the Rockets
The Knicks' starting five played with so much lethargy, and almost all of them had rough outings, which is simply a recipe for disaster. Jalen Brunson scored just 12 points on 5-14 shooting from the field and was a minus-26 on the night, while OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges combined for 15 points on 6-13 shooting. New York's bench did not fare much better.
The good news for the Knicks is that a battle against the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow night awaits; the Grizzlies have been tanking since the trade deadline, so that should be a game where New York gets itself back on track.
