When the Knicks misplaced to the reigning champion Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder by three factors at Madison Sq. Backyard on Wednesday, head coach Mike Brown was happy together with his staff’s efficiency, a sentiment shared in a locker room that had gone toe-to-toe with an NBA juggernaut.
That sentiment shifted drastically following Sunday’s 110-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, a recreation LeBron James sat on account of arthritis in his foot and soreness in his elbow. Within the wire-to-wire victory, the Lakers led by as many as 23 level, capitalizing on turnovers, offensive rebounds and inexplicable fouls at hand a rolling Knicks staff simply its sixth loss since Jan. 20 and the second lack of its now-concluded five-game stretch in opposition to top-six groups in both Japanese or Western Convention.
“If we did these issues, these self-inflicted issues, I’d be annoyed no matter it’s,” Brown, visibly perturbed by his staff’s efficiency, mentioned in his post-game press convention on Sunday. “[The Lakers] had one thing to do with it. They’re an ideal staff. I don’t need to take something away from [head coach] JJ [Redick] or the remainder of the workers or their gamers. They earned that win.
“However I believed we had some controllables that we didn’t do a great job of taking good care of, and that’s the irritating half. We didn’t give ourselves a lot an opportunity to win the ball recreation at any level, and that’s what’s irritating.”
The Knicks dangle their hat on being a low-turnover staff that dominates the offensive glass, significantly in opposition to groups just like the Lakers that don’t prioritize rebounding. They turned the ball over 19 occasions for 21 Los Angeles factors on Sunday.
Jalen Brunson completed with 24 factors on 8-of-19 capturing from the sphere to go together with seven assists however turned the ball over seven occasions, usually leaving his ft or dropping possession of the ball on drives to the rim.
“[Nineteen] turnovers on the highway, and this isn’t a knock on [the Lakers], however they’re not gonna entice and double staff and all that stuff. However we get into the paint and soar within the air and switch the ball over,” mentioned Brown. “Once I contact the paint, I’ve gotta play off two ft. I can’t soar within the air as a result of once I soar within the air and a defender rotates and takes away the passing lane, or the offensive man strikes, it’s a turnover.”
The Knicks additionally misplaced the battle on the offensive glass, 12-10, for 15 Lakers’ second-chance factors. Karl-Anthony Cities completed with 25 factors and 16 rebounds, and the Knicks received the battle on the boards, 47-42, however Mitchell Robinson didn’t have his typical, dominant affect on the glass and completed with simply two offensive rebounds in 17 minutes and 4 complete rebounds on the night time.
“Second likelihood alternatives for 15 factors: That’s one thing we don’t surrender. We are able to’t get beat in that space, and it was on account of our incapacity to place our bodies on our bodies in boxing out,” mentioned Brown, who famous the Knicks had been poor chasing down rebounds on lengthy threes. “If there’s a protracted shot and the ball goes up, [you’ve] gotta go discover a man to field out. [You] can’t flip and stroll to the rim and let the ball bounce over my head and simply go, ‘ugh subsequent time I’ll get it.’ No. On a protracted shot, go discover a physique and field out. We discuss that on a regular basis.”
“That’s the very first thing. The second factor? We fouled.”
The Knicks fouled the Lakers 23 occasions and despatched their opponent to the foul line for 30 pictures on Sunday. Cities, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges–who went scoreless in 27 minutes–every recorded 4 fouls, Josh Hart registered three fouls, and Jordan Clarkson, who introduced a much-needed scoring set off the bench, fouled thrice in 10 minutes.
The Lakers shot 25-of-30 from the foul line in comparison with 19 makes on simply 21 makes an attempt from the charity strip for the Knicks.
“We received beat off the dribble usually. We received beat center, and being actual lazy about it, we reached on the final second and despatched them to the free throw line,” mentioned Brown. ” After which lastly, we didn’t deal with the basketball. That’s a recipe to get your behind kicked particularly on the highway for those who’re gonna get beat in second likelihood factors the way in which we did with out boxing out, for those who’re gonna attain as a result of you’ll be able to’t include the basketball (30 free throws), after which 18 turnovers. That’s a recipe for catastrophe on the highway regardless of who you play.”
Brown mentioned he doesn’t need to overreact an excessive amount of to the loss given the Knicks have performed effectively since mid-January. The Knicks owned a 25-18 document following their Jan. 19 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, which marked their ninth loss in 11 video games coming into the 2026 calendar yr. They’re 16-6 ever since and owned the NBA’s greatest protection over 10 video games main into Lakers recreation on Sunday.
“Our guys have been taking part in effectively. I’m simply speaking about tonight. And will it linger? Yeah we may take one other step again tomorrow, I don’t know. I’m speaking about tonight. I didn’t like the way in which we performed,” he mentioned. “There’s some video games you say look they shot the shit out of the ball and it wasn’t our night time as a result of we missed some pictures. We missed some pictures at the moment. I believed we had some beauty that we usually knock down. However to have a hand in dropping the sport your self by not taking good care of the issues which are simply effort and locked-in issues.”
Subsequent-up, the Knicks play the second leg of a highway back-to-back in opposition to the Los Angeles Clippers on the Intuit Dome on Monday. Judging by Brown’s postgame demeanor, his gamers know they received’t win many video games in the event that they play like they did in opposition to the Lakers.
“I’m at all times direct [with my players]. Whether or not it’s this recreation or one other recreation, I’m at all times direct. There’s nothing to sugarcoat. You simply inform the reality,” he mentioned. Requested whether or not or not his gamers know the place they went flawed on Sunday, Brown responded: “They’re sensible. They’ve an ideal really feel. Yeah [they know].”
