2026-10-12 · 6:30 PM CT · Preseason
New York Knicks53-29ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
Minnesota Timberwolves2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 118.0 | 7 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 44.1 | 13 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 26.1 | 16 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 14.1 | 19 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 8.7 | 12 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 5.8 | 2 / 30 |
| FG% | 48.1% | 9 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 37.0% | 6 / 30 |
| FT% | 75.2% | 29 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 55.9% | 6 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 12.4% | 18 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.285 | 7 / 30 |
New York Knicks2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 116.5 | 10 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 45.6 | 7 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 27.4 | 13 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 12.8 | 5 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 8.1 | 19 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 3.9 | 29 / 30 |
| FG% | 47.8% | 11 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 37.3% | 4 / 30 |
| FT% | 79.2% | 10 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 55.7% | 9 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 11.5% | 7 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.238 | 25 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
This is preseason. Use the team numbers as background and watch how the new lineups play together. No spread or Lab win probability is published for this game.
Last season 49-33 | 6th in the West | Conference semifinals loss to San Antonio, 4-2
2025-26 efficiency 115.6 offense | 112.5 defense | +3.1 net per 100 possessions
Minnesota finished sixth at 49-33, eliminated Denver and lost to San Antonio in six games. Its eighth-ranked defense was a more established advantage than its 13th-ranked offense. Anthony Edwards could produce difficult baskets, but the roster needed another creator who could give him more possessions that began with an advantage.
Tim Connelly acquired LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga while moving Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Mike Conley. Ball can initiate the offense and find Edwards away from the ball. That matters because Edwards made 49.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season, although the sample was 139 attempts. Kuminga supplies athleticism at forward and an opportunity to build a more defined role.
The concern is what Minnesota traded away from the frontcourt. Randle supplied regular-season scoring and Reid supplied flexible big-man minutes. Rudy Gobert remains essential to the paint defense, and the new roster has less room for him to miss time or lose effectiveness. Ball's availability and defensive fit also matter. Connelly improved creation, but left the replacement of dependable size partly to development and smaller combinations.
Projected finish is fifth in the West. We credit the new offensive partnership while leaving room for the fit to settle. Minnesota has a higher playoff ceiling than that place might suggest if Ball stays available and Edwards gets easier shots. The regular-season projection is more cautious because thinner frontcourt depth can cost ordinary games long before the best lineup is ready.
Last season 53-29 | 3rd in the East | Won NBA Finals
2025-26 efficiency 118.7 offense | 112.3 defense | +6.4 net per 100 possessions
The Knicks finished third at 53-29, then won the championship by beating San Antonio in five games. Their regular-season offensive rating was 118.7, and it improved to 119.9 in the playoffs. That is unusual evidence of a team getting better when opponents had time to prepare, rather than surviving only on regular-season volume.
Leon Rose retained the central group of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Andre Drummond replaces part of the center depth lost when Mitchell Robinson joined Boston. Mike Brown gets another season with a lineup that found highly effective offensive combinations during the title run. Continuity is a legitimate advantage against rivals introducing several major pieces.
The concern is frontcourt depth and whether last spring's shooting gains repeat. Drummond can rebound, but he does not reproduce every part of Robinson's defensive and offensive contribution. Anunoby's exceptional playoff shooting should not be treated as his new automatic baseline. Management has preserved a champion, yet injuries to a key forward could quickly push less established players into important minutes. A title does not make the rotation longer.
Projected finish is first in the East. The combination of strong measured offense, established roles and playoff execution gives New York the safest overall case. We expect competition from Boston and Cleveland. The repeat bid depends on preserving the defensive standard and enough frontcourt health, rather than expecting every hot stretch from June to last for six more months.
A matching published game video is not available in the verified archive yet.
