The Knicks’ defense was the part Mike Brown couldn’t ignore after New York opened its NBA Cup defense with a 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tyrese Maxey turned in a superb night for Philadelphia, and the 76ers made the most of the Knicks’ lapses on that end. For Brown, the bigger issue was how often his team let the game get away from it defensively. The defeat also dropped New York to 2-4 and spoiled a chance to get back to .500 at 3-3.
It was another tough result against Philadelphia, too. The loss gave the 76ers a 2-0 edge in the head-to-head matchup, and even with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns both scoring more than 20 points, the Knicks still came up short.
Brown’s frustration centered on how easy the 76ers made things look, especially early.
"Gotta give Philadelphia credit; they won the ball game. When you watch this game, though, especially in the first half, how they got downhill so easily.
They were getting in our paint left and right. It was really, really easy; we weren't in our shifts," Brown said about the Knicks' defense after the game.
"To continue to have that ball dribbling into the paint, especially in the paint when they shot 5-7 from the three-point line, was not good."
Brown also said the Knicks are trying to hit home runs on every offensive play, a style he sees as part of the inconsistency showing up on both sides of the floor. He wants that cleaned up moving forward if New York is going to get back toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
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For a Knicks team still trying to find consistency, that has kept the same question hanging over the bench: how much more should Clarkson be playing? The coaching staff has been careful with his usage, and the answer has not changed much even as his minutes have been productive. Until that shifts, every strong outing is likely to renew the debate about whether the Knicks are leaving something on the table. [Read more 🡒]
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New York Playoff Game Ended With A Finish Fans Still Can't Believe
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The score sent Whitesboro into the next round of the playoffs, where Auburn awaits, but the ending is what has kept the game in the spotlight. The play spread quickly on social media, and for anyone who saw it live, it was the sort of chaotic, improbable finish that is hard to process even after the highlight has been slowed down and replayed. [Read more 🡒]