Honestly, the New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers matchup on January 11, 2026, felt like a heavyweight fight where both guys were exhausted but refused to go down. If you just looked at the final score of 123-114, you'd think it was a comfortable win for New York. It wasn't. Not even close. For three quarters, the Moda Center was rocking because Portland was riding a five-game win streak and looked like they were finally figuring things out under Tiago Splitter. Then Jalen Brunson happened. Again.
Brunson finished with 26 points, but it was those eight assists that really gutted the Blazers’ defense late in the fourth. The Knicks came into this game having lost five of their last six, looking like a team that had forgotten how to close. Portland, meanwhile, was the hottest team in the Northwest Division. It was a classic "trap game" for New York, especially with Josh Hart returning from an ankle injury he’d been nursing since Christmas.
Why the New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers Rivalry is Getting Weird
Most people think of this as a cross-country matchup that only happens twice a year, so who cares, right? Wrong. The trade history between these two is getting tangled. You’ve got Josh Hart playing against his old squad. You’ve got the draft-day trade for Tyler Kolek still fresh in everyone's minds. There’s a weird familiarity here that makes the games chippy.
In this latest 2026 meeting, the physicality was through the roof. Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III were basically wrestling under the rim. Robinson ended up with 11 rebounds and three blocks, but Williams III made him work for every single inch of paint. When Williams III threw down that dunk to tie the game at 92 in the fourth quarter, you could see the Knicks starting to sweat.
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The Return of Josh Hart and the "Villanova Knicks" Effect
The "Nova Knicks" thing isn't just a meme; it’s a tactical reality. Having Hart back in the lineup changed the entire geometry of the floor for New York. He didn't look like a guy who’d missed three weeks with a bum ankle. He dropped 18 points, grabbed a few boards, and played that annoying, high-energy defense that makes opposing guards want to retire early.
Mikal Bridges and Hart have this telepathic connection on the fast break. It’s almost unfair. Bridges finished with 18 points and six assists of his own, basically operating as a secondary playmaker when Portland tried to blitz Brunson. When you have three or four guys on the floor who all played together in college, the "read and react" stuff becomes second nature. Portland's young guards, like Caleb Love, struggled to keep up with the constant switching.
How the Knicks Snapped the Streak
So, how did New York actually pull this off? It came down to a three-minute stretch in the middle of the fourth. The Blazers were actually up by a point after a Deni Avdija floater. Avdija was a problem all night, putting up 25 points and looking every bit like the cornerstone Portland hopes he is.
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But then Miles "Deuce" McBride hit a pull-up three that silenced the crowd. That's the thing about this 2025-2026 Knicks roster—they are deep. Even when Karl-Anthony Towns isn't dominating (though he still had a quiet 20 and 11), they have shooters like McBride who can come off the bench and ruin your night.
- The 3-Point Gap: New York shot 37% from deep (17-for-46) while Portland lagged at 31%. In a nine-point game, that's the math right there.
- Transition Points: Portland’s live-ball turnovers in the fourth quarter turned into easy layups for OG Anunoby. OG had 24 points and played like a man possessed on the wings.
- The Glass: The Knicks out-rebounded the Blazers 45-39. Extra possessions are a killer when you're trying to mount a comeback.
Portland really missed Jerami Grant’s full workload. He’s been dealing with Achilles tendonitis and only played about 23 minutes. He’s their closer, and without him at 100%, the offense got stagnant exactly when it needed to be fluid.
What This Means for the Standings
Right now, the Knicks are sitting at 25-14. They’re chasing the Pistons for the top spot in the East, which is a sentence I didn't think I'd be saying in 2026. This win was massive because it stopped the bleeding. If they’d lost this one, the media narrative in New York would have been "Is the KAT trade a failure?" for the next 48 hours.
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Portland drops to 19-21. It’s not a disaster, especially since they’re still in the thick of the Play-In hunt in a brutal Western Conference. But losing a home game where you had the lead in the fourth quarter hurts. Especially against an East Coast team that just flew 3,000 miles.
Key Takeaways for Your Next Bet or Fantasy Lineup
If you're tracking these teams, keep an eye on OG Anunoby's usage. He’s becoming more than just a 3-and-D guy; the Knicks are actually running sets for him now. Also, for the Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe is starting to look like a legitimate All-Star. He had a few dunks in this game that belonged on a poster.
- Don't sleep on Mitchell Robinson: His blocks are game-changers, even if his PPG is low.
- Watch the injury report for Jerami Grant: Portland is a completely different team when he can play 35+ minutes.
- Jalen Brunson's durability: The guy plays 36 minutes a night and still has the legs to hit step-back threes in the final minute. He's a machine.
Moving forward, New York heads to Sacramento. That’s another tough road test. Portland has to lick their wounds and get ready for a stretch where they need to prove that five-game win streak wasn't a fluke. They have the talent, but they need to learn how to handle the "crunch time" pressure that veteran teams like the Knicks thrive on.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check the injury status of Jerami Grant before Portland's next game against the Lakers; his minutes restriction is the single biggest factor in their offensive efficiency. For Knicks fans, watch the chemistry between KAT and Mitchell Robinson in the "twin towers" lineups—it's becoming their secret weapon against smaller West Coast teams.