Knicks 2026-27 start: 3-4 after Nets win, Alvarado back, Bulls at MSG Wednesday

The Knicks are 3-4 heading into Wednesday night's home game against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 4. They lost their first three games of the 2026-27 season and have won three of four since. The latest win was Monday's 103-90 result over Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden, where New York turned a close game into a comfortable one in the fourth quarter.

For the roster, the full schedule and season-long numbers, see our New York Knicks guide. This piece covers what has happened in the first two weeks and what is coming next.

The first seven games

New York opened with a 106-100 home loss to Philadelphia, then lost 107-103 at Boston and 111-102 at home to Orlando. The team won its first game against Detroit, 111-97 at the Garden, then outscored Chicago 133-127 on the road. A 98-93 loss in Philadelphia followed before the Brooklyn win.

Four of the losses were by six points or fewer. The Knicks are 2-2 at home, according to ESPN.

What changed against Brooklyn

The Nets led by three after the first few minutes and ran off 13 straight points in the first quarter. New York won the fourth quarter 28-11, as Sofascore noted, and finished ahead on the boards 43-38 and in assists 24-20.

Landry Shamet came off the bench to lead the team with a season-high 22 points. Jalen Brunson scored 19 and OG Anunoby added 18. Karl-Anthony Towns scored all 11 of his points after halftime and grabbed 16 rebounds, ESPN reported. Josh Hart led the team with seven assists. The win was New York's 15th straight regular-season victory over Brooklyn, according to NBA.com.

Turnovers have been a problem since opening night. SNY's recap on Yahoo Sports described the team as still working through those early-season turnover issues. The Knicks committed 15 on Monday, two more than Brooklyn. They also shot 41 percent from the field, 39 percent from three and 83 percent from the line.

Rotation and injuries

Jose Alvarado missed four games with a sprained left ankle and returned Monday. Coach Mike Brown said Alvarado would get his backup point guard job back because he held it before the injury, ESPN reported. That likely means fewer first-half minutes for the other guards behind Brunson. Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson both played in the fourth-quarter run, according to Posting and Toasting.

With Alvarado back, the regular rotation is full again. Shamet's bench scoring was the main difference on Monday.

Bulls at the Garden

Wednesday is the second meeting with Chicago in 11 days. In the first one, New York scored 133 points, its season high. The Knicks are heavy favorites in the market. On Novig, one of 12 venues on our Bulls-Knicks odds page, New York is favored at -525 on the moneyline and Chicago is listed at +506. The Knicks are favored by 12.5 points on Novig's spread, while Hard Rock Bet has New York at -11.5. The total is 233.5 on Novig and ranges from 233 to 234.5 elsewhere.

In New York, sports wagering is legal for adults 21 and over through state-licensed operators. Which markets are available depends on the state you are in.

A win would put the Knicks back at .500 for the first time since opening night. They have no back-to-back to worry about here: both teams are coming off two days of rest after Monday's games.