Knicks face Clippers tonight: Knicks aim to reset after Lakers loss
knicks are back on the floor Monday, March 9, 2026, facing the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The matchup lands on the second night of a back-to-back after New York’s 110-97 loss to the Lakers on Sunday afternoon, raising immediate questions about fatigue and focus. Tip time is listed as either 9: 00 pm ET (MSG listing) or 10: 00 pm ET (Peacock listing), with the game presented as the second and final meeting between the teams this season.
Knicks at Clippers: what’s at stake at Intuit Dome
New York enters the night at 41*-24, while Los Angeles is 31-32. Over the last 10 games, both clubs are 6-4, adding urgency to a contest that could swing momentum quickly. New York already took the first matchup, beating Los Angeles 123-111 on January 7 on its home floor.
The quick turnaround is front and center. Jalen Brunson logged 42 minutes in the Sunday game against the Lakers, and the schedule offers little time for reset before facing a Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard.
Injuries, expected lineups, and the latest availability
Los Angeles lists John Collins as OUT with a neck issue/strain, with that status described as a fifth straight missed game. For New York, Miles McBride is still recovering from hernia surgery. Mitchell Robinson played Sunday, and expectations lean toward him sitting Monday; he is also described as out due to load management while continuing to nurse a sore ankle.
The Clippers are likely to start Darius Garland, Dunn, Derrick Jones, Jr., Kawhi Leonard, and Brook Lopez. Roster changes are part of the backdrop: Los Angeles dealt James Harden for Garland, then moved Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, with both deals adding draft picks.
Key performers and recent form heading into tip
Sunday’s loss still hangs over New York. In that 110-97 defeat, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds, while Brunson added 24. The task Monday is not only to respond, but to do it on tired legs.
Los Angeles arrives with more recent traction, winning four of its last five, including a 123-120 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Leonard scored 28 in that win, while Garland and Mathurin each had 21. Leonard’s broader production is looming as well: he leads the Clippers with 27. 9 points per game on 50/37 shooting splits.
In the January 7 meeting, Brunson led New York with 26 points and Towns posted a 20-11 double-double, while Leonard had 25 for Los Angeles. New York now has to recreate that control in a different building, with different rotations and availability.
How to watch and what happens next
Viewing details vary by listing. The game is shown on MSG in one listing with a 9: 00 pm ET start, while a separate listing places tip at 10: 00 pm ET on Peacock, with live coverage beginning at 6: 30 pm ET with NBA Showtime on NBC and Peacock.
From a standings perspective, New York is described as third in the Eastern Conference with 17 regular-season games remaining, sitting 2. 5 games back of the Boston Celtics. Los Angeles is positioned 9th in the West in the play-in range, 7. 5 games behind both the Lakers (5th) and Nuggets (6th) for the final two guaranteed playoff spots.
Late Monday night, the immediate focus is execution and energy. The knicks have a clear shot at a road reset against a Clippers group that has been winning recently, and the next developments will come fast once the opening tip time is confirmed and final availability is set.
