The defending NBA Cup champion New York Knicks fell to 0-2 in East Group B following a 106-104 defeat against the shorthanded Indiana Pacers on Friday, November 13, 2026. Reported by Yahoo Sports, the loss all but eliminates New York from advancing to the in-season tournament knockout rounds, as no team with two group-play losses has reached the knockout stage since the tournament’s introduction in 2023. Beyond the NBA Cup implications, the defeat dropped the Knicks to 6-6 in the regular season, reflecting a sluggish start for a roster that returned nearly every contributor from the previous year’s championship run.
A Missed Comeback and Shorthanded Opposition
The Pacers secured the victory despite playing without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who remained sidelined due to a left hamstring strain. Indiana relied on a balanced offensive attack where every starter scored in double figures, led by Pascal Siakam with 19 points, alongside 29 points from the bench. That output proved sufficient to counter a stellar 33-point, 11-assist performance by Knicks captain Jalen Brunson.
The game nearly became another signature comeback for New York, which erased a 14-point deficit late in the third quarter to tie the score early in the fourth. However, the Pacers responded with a decisive 13-2 run to regain control. Down the stretch, the Knicks cut an eight-point deficit to two in the final two minutes and gained a late opportunity when an Indiana inbounds pass went awry. Karl-Anthony Towns attempted a game-tying shot in the closing seconds, but the attempt clanked away, sealing the victory for Indiana.
Persistent Shooting and Rebounding Struggles
Reporting from the New York Daily News highlighted how offensive inconsistency doomed the Knicks throughout the contest. When outside shots fell in the opening quarter, New York established pace and ball movement. When the offense stalled in the second quarter, the team fell behind by double digits. The Knicks ultimately finished 16-of-46 from 3-point range, with makes arriving too late to alter the outcome.
Rebounding and turnovers further exacerbated New York’s difficulties. Despite entering the matchup as the league’s second-best rebounding team, the Knicks surrendered a 16-7 advantage in second-chance points to an Indiana squad that historically struggled on the offensive glass. Late-game turnovers by Brunson and Mikal Bridges also short-circuited comeback possessions, leaving New York with 13 total turnovers compared to Indiana’s 15.
Broader Standings and Outlook
The defeat leaves the Knicks anchored at the bottom of the East Group B standings alongside fellow early-season strugglers. With group play concluding soon, New York must refocus on the standard 82-game regular season calendar to correct their 6-6 trajectory. The team’s inability to secure wins against depleted opponents underscores the competitive parity within the Eastern Conference early in the 2026-27 campaign.
Examining the mathematical reality of the tournament reveals the heavy cost of those early group losses. With a record of 0-2, the defending champions face an insurmountable mountain in group calculations where tiebreakers and point differentials heavily favor undefeated or single-defeat contenders. The margin for error that usually accompanies an 82-game campaign does not translate into the compressed format of group-stage play. Consequently, the coaching staff faces mounting pressure to address the structural inconsistencies that surfaced during the opening weeks of November.
Personnel deployment and rotation adjustments remain a central narrative as the Knicks navigate their schedule. Head coach Mike Brown has continued to experiment with minutes distribution, searching for reliable contributions from the bench while balancing the high-volume offensive responsibilities carried by Brunson and Towns. Although players like Miles McBride have shown sparks of efficiency in compressed playing time, overall roster rhythm has eluded the team during tight fourth-quarter stretches.
The upcoming travel schedule offers little breathing room for a squad attempting to recalibrate its identity. Following the disappointing conclusion against Indiana, New York departs on a multi-game road trip beginning with consecutive fixtures against the Toronto Raptors before heading to Minnesota. These encounters will test whether the reigning champions can tighten their defensive rotations, curb careless turnovers, and restore the perimeter shooting efficiency that defined their previous postseason success.