Texas Strikes Back: Smash Topples New York Slice in Westchester as the State Sports Rivalry Continues

by Warren Rosenberg - MetroSports Magazine October 12, 2026

The Texas Smash’s victory over the New York Slice adds a new chapter to a year of New York–Texas showdowns across professional sports, following New York’s historic NBA Finals triumph and a series of high-profile battles on other playing fields.

Pleasantville, N.Y.  The New York - Texas sports rivalry took a different turn at the Westchester Table Tennis Center, where the Texas Smash defeated the hometown New York Slice, 14 - 7, during Major League Table Tennis action on October 10.

For Texas, the victory offered a measure of payback in a year when New York teams have enjoyed some memorable victories over Texas-based opposition. From basketball courts to beach volleyball and beyond, the two states have supplied plenty of material for a growing sports rivalry.

This time, however, it was Texas celebrating.

The match took place during Week 3 of Major League Table Tennis’ 2026–27 season. The Westchester weekend brought four professional clubs to Pleasantville for three days of competition, giving local fans an opportunity to see elite table tennis up close.

A comeback for Texas in the New York sports rivalry

The storyline has an obvious starting point: the NBA Finals.

In June, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs four games to one to win their first NBA championship since 1973. The Knicks repeatedly overcame double-digit deficits, including a 16-point hole in the decisive Game 5, which they won 94 - 90 behind Jalen Brunson’s 45 points.

That championship established a memorable New York triumph over a Texas opponent. The Texas Smash could not reverse that result on the basketball court, but it could deliver a victory of its own with paddles in hand.

The Smash entered the Westchester matchup with an established championship pedigree in MLTT, while the Slice were looking to turn their home-court advantage into a breakthrough. Texas ultimately prevailed 14 - 7, making the contest a particularly satisfying result for the visiting team.

The rivalry extends beyond basketball

The table tennis result fits into a wider year of New York–Texas sporting storylines, although the results in each sport deserve their own context.

• NBA: The Knicks defeated the Spurs 4–1 in the 2026 Finals, bringing a championship back to New York.

• Beach volleyball: The AVP brought its professional league to Central Park on July 18^th and 19^th, with the New York Nitro and Austin Aces among the participating teams. In this NY vs Texas battle on the sand in Central Park, New York defeated Texas, 3-2. Could the fans in attendance have been shouting “Nitro in Five”.

• Team Boxing League: The 2026 season featured professional boxers of New York's NYC Attitude and Texas-based clubs including the Houston Hitmen and Dallas Enforcers. The NYC Attitude defetaed the Houston Hitmen, 24-6 on April 10^th, and defeated the Dallas Enforcers, 20-6, on July 10^th.  

• Professional bull riding: The New York Mavericks defeated the Texas Rattlers with score of 348.70 to 91.35 on August 7^th, the first time in PBR team competition that New York defeated Texas. And, on September 20^th, the New York Mavericks did it again, defeating Texas by a score of 267.20 to 89.00.

  
  

These contests take place under very different rules and circumstances, but they provide an entertaining backdrop for the Smash–Slice showdown. The broader rivalry is best understood as a collection of individual sporting battles rather than a single, officially tracked competition between the two states.

Why the table tennis victory mattered

Major League Table Tennis gives fans a distinctive team format: four singles matches, one doubles match and a concluding Golden Game. That final segment can turn a close contest into a decisive team victory, with the league's scoring system rewarding performance across the entire matchup.

At Westchester, Texas did enough across the format to secure the 14 - 7 win. The result was especially notable in front of a local audience supporting the New York Slice (below), whose home venue is the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville.

For the Smash, it was an opportunity to show that Texas could answer New York's success in another sport. For the Slice, it was a reminder that home support alone cannot overcome an opponent executing under pressure.

And for local table tennis fans, the match demonstrated why professional table tennis deserves a place in the region's sports conversation: its quick exchanges, precise placement and momentum swings create an atmosphere quite different from the familiar spectacle of basketball, boxing or beach volleyball.

One state, many sports, plenty of competition

The Texas Smash's victory does not erase the Knicks' championship or change the results in other leagues. It adds another entry to a year of sporting competition in which New York and Texas have repeatedly crossed paths.

The Knicks supplied the championship headline. The other leagues offered their own matchups and moments. At the Westchester Table Tennis Center, it was Texas's turn to claim the spotlight.

For the New York Slice, the challenge now is to answer back on the table. For the Texas Smash, the message was simple: whatever happens in the other arenas, this time the paddle belonged to Texas.