NBA: New York scores historic 54-point win over Brooklyn

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The New York Knicks’ 2025–26 roster made NBA history after recording the franchise’s most lopsided win on Jan. 22, 2026, at Madison Square Garden.

Fuming after an alarming four-game losing streak, New York took out its frustrations on the Brooklyn Nets, decimating them by 54 points, 120–66, to return to the NBA regular season’s win column after a week.

The massive victory surpassed the Knicks’ 48-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers in April 1994, along with previous franchise records set in 1972 and 1968.

A day before their Eastern Conference clash against Brooklyn, multiple reports confirmed that superstar Jalen Brunson called for a “players-only” meeting to address minor issues within the squad.

That meeting helped iron out concerns for the Knicks, who regained their lost dominance and raced ahead from the opening minute of the first quarter.

Bolstered by efficient shooting and much-improved defensive communication, New York quickly jumped to a comfortable 18-point lead after the first 12 minutes, 38–20.

The quartet of Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges spearheaded New York’s blistering start, capped by an offensive punch from the bench mob led by Landry Shamet, who knocked down late three-pointers to extend the Knicks’ cushion to 18.

Brooklyn attempted to recover behind a brief scoring surge from Michael Porter Jr., but Brunson and the Knicks closed the second quarter with a 6–0 run to build a 22-point halftime lead, 60–38.

The Nets had no answers for an inspired New York team that flaunted its depth, scoring firepower and defensive presence in the paint. The third quarter mirrored the opening period as the Knicks outscored Brooklyn, 28–18, before delivering the final blow in the fourth while limiting the visitors to just 10 points.

As the lopsided affair continued, Brooklyn opted to rest its starters after New York established its largest lead of the game at 59 points.

Brunson led the resurgence for New York with 20 points in just 30 minutes, along with five assists and four rebounds.

Shamet, who provided a scoring spark while the starters rested, finished with 18 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

New York looks to sustain its momentum on Jan. 25, 2026, when it travels to Philadelphia to face the 76ers in another Eastern Conference showdown.