Mike Brown highlighted his team’s defensive performance after the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 117-101 in the NBA Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
“You give Toronto a lot of credit. They came out and hit us in the mouth to start the game,” Brown said, noting the Raptors’ aggressive pressure disrupted New York early.
Brown credited Jalen Brunson for keeping the Knicks close in the first quarter. “Jalen did what he was supposed to do. He bailed us out offensively in that first quarter,” Brown said. Brunson delivered 35 points, including a 26-point first half that helped New York build a commanding lead.
Brown emphasized the team’s offensive adaptability. “After that first quarter, everybody just started getting aggressive… if they get up in you, just attack, drive. If you draw two, go ahead and kick it,” he said, praising the Knicks’ patience and decision-making against Toronto’s defensive pressure.
The head coach singled out the second quarter as a turning point. “We were really good defensively, holding a team like that to 13 points in a quarter. That was the difference of the ball game,” Brown explained. The Knicks limited Toronto to eight fast-break points in the second half, despite the Raptors’ league-leading transition scoring.
Brown also highlighted contributions on the boards. “We needed every single offensive rebound that we could get, scoring 25 points off 14 offensive rebounds was huge,” he said, pointing to Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson’s efforts. Towns posted 14 points and 16 rebounds in 31 minutes.
OG Anunoby earned praise for his defensive impact. “OG was our defensive player of the game… switching between Josh and Barnes and Ingram. Great game by all three of our guys defensively,” Brown said.
Brown stressed Josh Hart’s influence on the Knicks’ offense. “It’s interesting to see teams put their five on him… our guys are doing a good job of finding him with sprays, and he’s knocking them down,” he noted, referencing Hart’s 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including four threes.
Brown compared Hart’s versatility to Andre Iguodala’s. “If you don’t really understand basketball, it’s hard to appreciate their game… Josh can do everything,” he said, praising his ability to impact both ends of the floor.
On the team’s progress, Brown said, “We’re starting to figure out who we are… we still have a lot of room to grow on both sides of the floor. We can be a phenomenal team offensively and defensively.”
The Knicks improved to 17-7 and will face the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas. Toronto dropped to 15-11 and has lost four straight at home, struggling without key players RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
