The Brooklyn Nets (1-8) visit the New York Knicks (5-3) tonight for a Sunday night matchup at Madison Square Garden between two teams on very different trajectories.
Brooklyn is deep in a rebuild. They’ve stockpiled draft picks and the current roster is loaded with recent first-rounders, but the payoff hasn’t shown yet.
With second-leading scorer Cam Thomas out 3–4 weeks with a hamstring strain, rookie Egor Demin will now get an extended look in the starting backcourt.
The immediate product on the floor has been rough: the Nets have a bottom-five offense and statistically the worst defense in the league. Their 1–8 start is in line with expectations for another lottery season, where the hope is finally landing a true franchise centerpiece rather than more mid-first-round depth pieces.
The Knicks, meanwhile, have won three straight — one against the lowly Washington Wizards and two strong wins over the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
In their 137–114 blowout of Minnesota, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart were again standouts. Anunoby scored 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting. This season, he’s averaging 18.1 points while hitting 41.4% from beyond the arc.
Hart added 18 off the bench and has been back to his efficient, high-impact form that made him a fan favorite at MSG, shooting 58.6% from the field over the past three games.
That production helps balance the offense and reduces the need for Jalen Brunson to carry every possession, though he remains their top scorer and facilitator (28.3 PPG, 6.1 APG). It also takes pressure off Karl-Anthony Towns (19.8 PPG, 12.8 RPG) to force shots, and allows him to showcase his excellent passing skills.
The Knicks rank 13th in scoring at 118.9 points per game, but they’re trending upward, averaging 127.3 over their last five. Against the NBA’s worst defense, they should comfortably exceed that again.
Prediction
New York has the better form, depth, and defensive structure. This is a clear mismatch. The margin may narrow if Knicks coach Mike Brown takes out the starters early.
Prediction: Knicks 139, Nets 112
Injury Report
Brooklyn Nets
Cam Thomas — Out (ankle) — Expected Return: Dec 18
Haywood Highsmith — Out (knee) — Expected Return: Dec 18
New York Knicks
Kevin McCullar Jr. — Questionable (ankle) — Expected Return: Nov 12
How to Watch Nets vs. Knicks
Tip-off for tonight’s Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks game is set for 6:00 PM Eastern / 5:00 PM Central at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
The game airs live locally on MSG and YES Network and streams on the Gotham Sports app and website.
Out-of-market viewers can stream the game on NBA League Pass for free on Amazon Prime Video with a 7-day free trial here.
Amazon also offers a discounted subscription that starts at $12.74 for the first two months (then $16.99/month). The subscription also includes access to NBA TV.
Fans can also choose a Team Pass to follow one team’s games for $13.99 per month.
Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks
Date: Sunday, November 9, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM Eastern / 5:00 PM Central
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City
TV: MSG, YES Network
Streaming: Gotham Sports, NBA League Pass (out-of-market)