The Knicks’ hopes of revenge against the Western Conference’s top team were quickly dashed on Friday night as they lost 126-101 to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the takeaways…

– While there was no shortage of offense in the first quarter of their first meeting last week, the Knicks and Thunder struggled to score early in the rematch. Both teams began the game a combined 1-for-13 in shot attempts, and New York’s first field goal didn’t come until 7-19. The stifling defense on both ends of the field contributed to the particular inefficiency.

– However, it didn’t take long for the Thunder to calm down and find their groove. With the score at 11:11, four minutes before the end of the first quarter, a three-point throw Isaiah Joe sparked a powerful 15-2 run for Oklahoma City that silenced The Garden crowd. New York trailed 31-17 after one game and committed five turnovers.

– The Knicks were simply overwhelmed by the Thunder’s second-quarter momentum. They allowed a sudden 10-2 run that forced head coach Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout, and the wake-up call didn’t spark anything. New York saw their deficit balloon to a whopping 28 points as they couldn’t match Oklahoma City’s physicality and speed in transition. This is due to a blatant lack of energy and concentration.

– Feel free to call the Knicks’ first half a nightmare. Not only did they shoot a meager 32 percent (14 of 44) from the floor, but they also only managed two three-pointers on 15 attempts. As for the Thunder, they were completely opposites and ended the half with a strong 10 three-pointers, a field goal rate of a crisp 60 percent and a commanding rebound advantage of 27-17.

– The first half was a real highlight for Joe, who scored an impressive season-high 23 points with six three-pointers off the bench. The Knicks’ two wingers were also ghosts – OG Anunoby And Mikal Bridges shot a combined 0 of 11 for zero points in two quarters. Jalen Brunson (15) and Karl Anthony cities (10) were the only Knicks in double figures, and boos rained down as they left the field trailing 70-43.

– New York slowed down early in the third quarter, but the effort was far too little, too late. It didn’t take long for Oklahoma City to respond and continue to score with ease. While the Knicks scored 31 points in the third period, their poor ball movement and teamwork were evident.

– The Knicks entered Friday ranked No. 5 in the NBA in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage, but they didn’t remotely resemble a productive unit from beyond the arc. Against the Thunder, they finished a terrible 4 of 31 (13 percent) from three games.

— Duece McBridewho had missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, returned to action on Friday. He scored seven points with five assists and five rebounds in 20 minutes. With the game out of reach, the Knicks got 31 points from their bench – technically an improvement over the meager five bench points they scored in their first loss to the Thunder.

– When he returns to the garden, the thunder is loud Isaiah Hartenstein was warmly welcomed by the audience when the lineup was announced. He added nine rebounds, six assists and six points in 30 minutes. Following a tribute video, he greeted fans.

Game MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a game-high 33 points against the Knicks last week, made his first three-point attempt midway through the third period. However, this was not due to the strong Knicks defense beyond the arc. The league MVP contender had no problem scoring inside as he scored a commendable 39 points on 15 of 21 shooting in just 29 minutes.

Highlights

What’s next?

The Knicks (25-14) will have to put the loss out of their minds quickly as they are scheduled to face the Milwaukee Bucks in a Sunday matinee at The Garden (3 p.m.).