New York Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting after the team was blown out at home by the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Jalen Brunson Held Meeting Amid Struggles
Per Shelburne, Brunson’s message to teammates “was that the Knicks needed to find answers for their poor play in January among themselves, rather than look to the coaching staff for solutions.”
After starting the season 23-9 and winning the NBA Cup in December, the Knicks have lost nine of their last 11 games and currently sit third in the Eastern Conference standings at 25-18.
New York is now on its second four-game losing streak of the season.
According to @ramonashelburne Jalen Brunson called a players only meeting pic.twitter.com/JTkbZUFV1M
— Big Knick Energy (@BigKnickEnergy_) January 20, 2026
Knicks fans especially are letting their voices be heard — that was evident when they booed the home team as it trailed 75-45 against the Mavericks at halftime.
It marked only the sixth time New York has allowed 75 points in an opening half at home.
“I’d be booing us too,” Brunson told reporters. “Straight up.”
Karl-Anthony Towns Understands The Booing
Karl-Anthony Towns, who is rumored to be dealt before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, also received boos from fans in the fourth quarter when he was subbed out of the game.
“Fans are doing their part and we’ve got to do our part,” Towns said. “You come, you spend, what, $140 bucks to represent your favorite player with a jersey? And you come to MLK Day here at the Garden and tickets are twice, three times the price.
“And to come here and spend your hard-earned money, money that you’ve saved up to bring your family to this game and for us to come here and obviously, not only [not] win — which is disappointing — but not really have a chance, I’d be disappointed too.
“The fans who spend their hard-earned money, they give us so much love and motivation to go out there. They expect the results. And so do we. The fans are doing their part. And we’ve got to do our part.”
Knicks Hope To Do Some Soul-Searching
Monday was supposed to be the perfect time to celebrate, as Brunson was named an NBA All-Star starter earlier in the day, then he and fellow starter Josh Hart were cleared to return from ankle injuries.
However, the Knicks right now are showing why some fans aren’t taking the NBA Cup seriously.
“We all need to do some soul-searching,” Josh Hart said after Monday’s loss. “Right now, we’re playing embarrassing basketball. We’re not executing on the offensive end. Defensively, we’ve been abysmal. We’ve been terrible defensively all year.”
The Knicks host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
