Knicks called out for brutal stretch after loss vs Suns

The New York Knicks are in a slump—there’s no other way to put it.

Since winning the league’s NBA Cup tournament back in December, the Knicks have been playing through a post-cup hangover, which has them lined up with some of the worst teams in the league during the first stretch of the new year.

Since the calendar turned to 2026, the Knicks have been less successful than everybody but the Utah Jazz. Yes, the rebuilding squad from the Western Conference, that is loaded with a ton of young prospects.

Meanwhile, the Knicks are supposed to be posing a threat to the Eastern Conference. Statmuse's recent call-out shows just how much they've been struggling. 

via @Statmuse: The Knicks are 2-7 in 2026. Only the Jazz have a worse record in the New Year.

The Knicks’ two wins came against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers. Both teams are currently out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

A recent trip out West was too much for the Knicks to handle. While they collected a win in Portland, they fell short against the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and even the struggling Sacramento Kings.

@MillSportsMedia: can we restart 2026 pls?

@TruckBon: nba cup curse strikes again

@DJEon95: Cup curse is real

@dillyboyq: Pretenders LMAO

The Knicks hoped that a return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night would be enough to help boost them back on the right track, but a 106-99 loss against the Suns was in store. At this point, the Knicks have dropped three in a row, ahead of their Monday matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. 

On the bright side, the Knicks had a strong start to the year. Therefore, a 25-17 record is still good enough for the third seed behind the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. 

But the Eastern Conference is tight. The Knicks are just two games in front of the NBA Play-In picture. If the stretch continues on the same path, the Knicks could find themselves out of the top six within the next week.

Jalen Brunson getting healthy enough to return from his ankle injury should help soon, but the Knicks still have a lot of work to do. They have a chance to bounce back next week after getting Sunday off.