The New York Knicks secured a 110-107 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night, marking their biggest comeback victory of the 2025-26 season. Although rallying back from a 21-point deficit is impressive, Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson had some key observations regarding his team’s performance.
During his postgame interview, Jalen Brunson didn’t seem as pleased with the result. While addressing the last few minutes of the game that saw the Knicks turn the tide, he stated:
“They [the Warriors] were playing great all game. We were able to fight back, but regardless of who’s in for them, they’re going to fight back no matter what. So just a way to stay poised… There was a big lead early. We just knew we had to chip away. By the third quarter, we got the lead, but it was never comfortable.”
Jalen Brunson acknowledged that Sunday night’s win wasn’t pretty by any means, but there was a lot for the team to learn from it.
“We all learned that our starts matter,” he added. “So, we’ve just got to be better at being in the game.”
The Knicks started off the game on a relatively poor note, something that is becoming a bit of a trend for the team. After giving up a 35-21 lead in the first quarter itself, New York had no alternative but to claw their way back into the game.
“We’ve just got to be ready to go,” Brunson continued. “Can’t ease into games no matter who’s on the court… If we play better from the start, we don’t have to play catch-up. So, it’s definitely something that we need to get better at, and it has to be our focus.”
While it is noteworthy that the Knicks secured a victory in this game, it is certainly not becoming of one of the top teams in the East. Given that they were facing a shorthanded Warriors unit without the likes of Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, Jalen Brunson, the players, and the coaching staff have every reason to be disappointed.
Still, there were some positive takeaways from the game.
Jalen Brunson led the scoring charge for the Knicks, notching 30 points and nine assists on 9-20 shooting from the field. He was supported by Karl-Anthony Towns, who added 17 points and 12 rebounds to the winning effort.
While the contributions from the rest of the starting lineup weren’t as impressive, off the bench, Jordan Clarkson (14 PTS, 6-11 FG) and Landry Shamet (10 PTS, 3-10 FG) proved vital.
With this win, New York extended its streak to three games, improving to 44-25 on the season. Although they remain third in the East, the Knicks are now only one game behind the Boston Celtics in second place.
For the most part, New York remains a solid contender, boasting a 7-3 record in its last 10 games. However, when factoring in their average of 29.4 points per game in the first quarter this season (13th in the NBA), the Knicks may benefit from addressing this issue right away.
