The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the New York Knicks on Friday night, winning at Madison Square Garden by the final score of 126-101. The Thunder

If the Knicks’ first Thunder test spiraled into a collapse, then this was a flop. A shellacking. And a drastic one, too.

Former Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein shared a hilarious pregame moment before facing each other as opponents.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s MVP candidate, is an All-Star lock. Williams — who is second on the team in points and assists, third in rebounds and is a versatile cog in their top-ranked and historically disruptive defense — is their only other true candidate. That might be Williams’ simplest case.

Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 points and 18 rebounds and Josh Hart went for 11 points and 9 boards as the Knicks, the No. 3 seed in the East, improved to 26-14 and 3-4 in 2025. Cam Payne scored 18 off the bench.

Oklahoma City boasts the top defense in the NBA, holding opposing teams to just 103.5 points per game with a league-best 103.4 defensive net rating. They’re doing it on the back of a stable of dominant perimeter defenders, which include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Oklahoma City Thunder’s Isaiah Joe (11) drives past New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby (8) and Jalen Brunson (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II ...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a 39-point masterclass Friday night in the Thunder's 126-101 win against the Knicks.

While the NBA and its fans are focused on the upcoming trade deadline, the games keep coming — and the best keep separating themselves from the rest. 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-7, Last Week No. 2).

You ask Jalen Brunson about what you know you saw: Contact that had him hobbled late in the game. It was a foul earlier in the game where D’Angelo Russell raked down across his head and the Knicks begged officials to review it for a flagrant foul.