The New York Knicks, under steady head coach Tom Thibodeau and team leader Jalen Brunson, are focused on one goal for 2025: winning their first NBA title in over 50 years.
The Knicks will begin their push for a successful 2025 on Wednesday night when they play the Utah Jazz in their final regular-season meeting. Both teams had a break on New Year’s Eve after playing Monday night. The Knicks won 126-106 against the Washington Wizards, while the Jazz lost 132-121 to the Denver Nuggets.
The win against the Wizards was the Knicks’ eighth straight, and they finished 2024 strong. The team went 56-27 in the regular season during the year and made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. This was the Knicks’ deepest playoff run since 2000, when they reached the Eastern Conference finals.
New addition Karl-Anthony Towns, who joined the Knicks in October from the Minnesota Timberwolves, recorded 32 points and 13 rebounds in the win.
OG Anunoby, celebrating his one-year anniversary with the team after being traded from the Toronto Raptors, added 18 points and 8 rebounds. Mikal Bridges, another key addition from the Brooklyn Nets, contributed 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Brunson and Josh Hart also continued to play well, with Brunson scoring 18 points and adding 6 assists, and Hart posting a triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“We have a game plan, we just want to win, and we know we have a lot of weapons,” Brunson said. “That’s the goal, to win the game.”
On the other hand, the Jazz are struggling with injuries, which have interrupted their rebuilding efforts. Utah is 7-24 and on track for one of their worst seasons in franchise history. The Jazz’s worst season was in 1974-75 when they won just 23 games.
John Collins missed his fourth consecutive game on Monday due to a left hip injury. The Jazz were outscored 34-23 in the third quarter against the Nuggets and have now lost four straight games, all by 11 points or fewer. This season, they’ve lost 13 games by that margin.
“For whatever reason, our energy faded as the game ended, and that’s something we can control,” said Jazz head coach Will Hardy. “But I’m proud of some of the progress from our guys.”
Keyonte George, who had missed the previous four games with an ankle sprain, played 28 minutes and scored 7 points with 6 assists.
