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Nets Vs. Knicks Preview: Nets Look To End The Streak

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 18: Roman Reigns and Jalen Brunson look on in ring during Saturday Night's Main Event at Madison Square Garden on July 18, 2026 in New York, United States. (Photo by Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images) | WWE via Getty Images

Maybe that one win in Indy will change things for the Brooklyn Nets. Maybe the cross-town rivalry will get the New York Knicks out of their lethargy. But at the moment, the Nets, despite their awful opening, are 1-5, only a game behind the 2-4 world champions. Indeed, if the Nets should upset the Knicks, the two would be tied!

Of course. 2026 has been the year of the New York Knicks as everyone’s still riding high from their NBA championship win over the summer. They’ve gotten off to a poor start this season at 2-4 and lost a close one, 98-93, to LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night in Philly.

Game info and broadcast details

Matchup: Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks
Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM EST (6:30 PM CST)
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
TV/Streaming/Radio: YES Network, MSG Network, DAZN, ESPN Radio, WFAN

Nets vs. Knicks: Who’s out?

Brooklyn Nets

Egor Dëmin: OUT — Right leg bone bruise
Joshua Jefferson: OUT – G League Assignment
Ben Saraf: OUT – G League Assignment
Tyler Bilodeau: OUT – G League (Two-Way)
Grant Nelson: OUT – G League (Two-Way)

New York Knicks

Jose Alvarado: Questionable — (left ankle sprain)

The Game

This isn’t Julius Randle’s first game back at MSG after the big trade a few years ago. But it is his first game back after they won the championship. Should make for an interesting evening for him.

Perhaps that will help the Nets in their years long quest to finally beat the Knicks. Brooklyn has not won a game against their crosstown rivals since January 2023 when Randle was a Knick and Kyrie Irving was a Net. Time flies, doesn’t it?

For Randle, he’ll look to find his shot. Randle hasn’t shot above 50% from the field since the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second game of the season. Brooklyn needs a lot from Randle when it comes to the quality of shots he can generate and when it comes to holding on to the ball. Randle is sixth in the NBA in turnovers per game at 4.2 a night, and for a Nets offense that has had its struggles, you can’t live with that.

Day’ron Sharpe and Mo Wagner will look to put a good outing together against one of the best bigs in basketball. Sharpe collected his first double-double of the season last night in Indiana and for the first time this year, it felt like he was a real presence on the boards. That will be critical going up against Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT has been tremendous as a Knick and is a center that expands the floor and forces opposing bigs into touch choices. Towns hasn’t reached the best version of his game yet this season, but the signs are there and with a few tweaks, the Knicks offense is due to take-off sooner rather than later.

The forward matchup ought to be fun. OG Anunoby made himself a household name during the playoffs, but he’s been great for a long time. OG does a bit of everything and will get his fair share of matchups against elite wings. He’ll draw Michael Porter Jr tonight, and MPJ will look to keep Anunoby off-balance. If the game is close late, Porter Jr’s ability to get his own shot will keep the Nets in it and give them a chance to pull off the upset. It’s been a long time since the Nets beat the Knicks, and today would be as good of a time as any to make a change.

Player to Watch: Jalen Brunson

Life is good when you’re the King of New York. Jalen Brunson was already a beloved figure, but the championship has taken him into the rarified air that few players ever reach. Saturday Night’s Main Event was built primarily on his presence (with a special surprise shout out to KAT and Danhausen!). He’s got a guest appearance on Law and Order: SVU this week. And his NBA Finals run featured some of the greatest guard play you’ll ever see.

Brunson’s shooting numbers haven’t joined the party yet this season. His shooting splits are down across the board in his first six games, but give it about a month and a half and he should be back to where his career numbers are. He’s drawing a lot more contact and is getting to the free throw line at the highest rate of his career. Drawing fouls is an art and being a good free throw shooter that can get your own shot and get to the line is worth its weight in gold.

Mikel Brown Jr is back and we’ll see how many minutes he plays tonight. Who knows how long the Nets will be managing his minutes, but hopefully they let him loose in his pro debut at the Garden. We’ll see if he gets minutes next to Nolan Traore tonight. Nolan was a bright spot against the Pacers last night and knocked down four three-pointers. His development will go a long way in determining what a future may look like for the Nets, and the more good minutes he puts on the board, the more optimistic Nets fans should feel about his game going forward.