The New York Knicks appear to be spiraling out of control this month. Although they retain their position among the top three teams in the Eastern Conference, a 114-97 loss to a shorthanded Dallas Mavericks team on Monday night raises questions about their current state.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown was particularly incensed with the team’s poor performance against the Mavericks. During his post-game media availability, Brown didn’t hold back in critiquing his team’s shortcomings and what went wrong against Dallas.
“Bottom line is we gotta lock in and do our job for 48 minutes,” Brown stated. “They scored 75 points in the first half, and at halftime, we usually do the clips and talk about technical X’s and O’s and all that crap that coaches do, and teams do. There was nothing to be said at halftime except for lock in and do your f*****g job.”
Brown gave credit where it was due. Following a disappointing effort on the defensive end, he acknowledged that the Knicks made the necessary adjustments in the second half, but the result was far from favorable.
The team’s poor performance also drew the ire of the fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden, who booed the Knicks during the game. Both Mike Brown and Jalen Brunson addressed this while speaking with the media.
“I’m okay with the boos,” Brown responded. “If we’re playing crappy, boo. If I was in the stands, I would boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the game. This is a form of entertainment for the fans. They know good basketball, they know bad basketball, and we didn’t play good basketball in the first half.”
Brunson had a similar take on the matter, as he shared:
“I mean, I’d be booing us, too. Straight up.”
Jalen Brunson, who returned from an ankle injury after missing two games, was one of the bright sparks for the Knicks on Monday night. With 22 points and six assists, he was one of New York’s most productive players. Regardless, having shot 9-24 from the field, it was evident that the Knicks’ superstar was also struggling to find his groove.
Like Brown, Brunson also acknowledged that things went wrong in the first half, adding that the team just didn’t show up. When asked about how the team could adjust to this by doing some soul searching, he commented:
“Should’ve started a couple of weeks ago, but we gotta start tomorrow. We’ve got to figure this out fast.”
Finding a solution as soon as possible will be a priority for the Knicks, who have posted a 2-9 record in their last 11 games. Now on a four-game losing streak, New York’s season is on the verge of coming off the rails.
It has become abundantly clear that a change is needed. However, what this adjustment will be remains an enigma.
With Jalen Brunson leading the huddle and Brown nowhere in sight early in the second quarter, the situation doesn’t look very promising for the Knicks’ head coach.
