Knicks’ streak snapped by Thunder in late 117-107 loss

The New York Knicks’ impressive nine-game winning streak came to a halt in Oklahoma City as they fell 117-107 to a resilient Thunder team.

Despite strong performances from Mikal Bridges, who scored 24 points, and Jalen Brunson, who added 22 and 9 dimes, the Knicks couldn’t hold off a relentless Thunder squad that dominated the fourth quarter to secure the win.

For three quarters, the Knicks looked like they were in control. They led 88-80 heading into the final period, with Karl-Anthony Towns asserting his dominance on the boards (17 points and a staggering 22 rebounds) and Josh Hart chipping in 19 points.

But the fourth quarter told a very different story. The Thunder exploded with a 12-3 run to start the quarter, erasing the Knicks’ lead, and then sealed the game with a 10-2 burst in the final three minutes. Over the last 3:46, the Knicks could muster only six points compared to the Thunder’s 17, a collapse that proved fatal.

The turning point came with 2:26 left in the game. Trailing 105-101, Brunson made a costly bad pass that Aaron Wiggins turned into a dagger three-pointer. From there, the Knicks never managed to cut the deficit below five points, and the Thunder, who boast one of the best home records in the league, made sure to keep it that way.

“We’ve got to execute a little better, especially in that fourth quarter. We know it. We’ve got to find it. You can’t rely on anything else. We’ve got to make sure we go out there and execute and play our game.”

– Josh Hart

Oklahoma City’s fourth-quarter heroics were led by Wiggins, who scored 15 of his 19 points in the final frame, hitting four clutch three-pointers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his All-Star-level play with 33 points, while Jalen Williams added 20.

The Thunder bench was the game’s X-factor, outscoring the Knicks’ reserves 44-5. Even former Knick Isaiah Hartenstein made an impact, grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 7 assists despite scoring just 4 points.

The Knicks’ struggles in the fourth quarter were compounded by their limited rotation. With Miles McBride sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Tom Thibodeau relied on an eight-man lineup that seemed to run out of steam in the final minutes. The disparity in bench production was glaring, as the Knicks got almost no help from their second unit, a stark contrast to the Thunder’s depth.

Up-next: The Knicks (24-11) will take on the Bulls (15-19) in Chicago tonight from 8:00 pm.