The New York Knicks dropped a 106-99 home loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, marking their third straight defeat.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown highlighted the impact of Phoenix’s offensive rebounds. “One of the areas that really hurt us was their ability to rebound…they probably had four to five what we call dagger threes,” he said.
Brown also pointed to his team’s 17 turnovers as a key factor. “The combination of those two things definitely kept the game close or them with a lead throughout most of the night,” he explained.
The coach emphasized the team had quality scoring opportunities. “We had three or four down the stretch…wide open ‘green threes’ and we couldn’t knock any of them down,” Brown said.
Despite recent struggles, he expressed measured concern. “You don’t want to lose games at all…two and eight in the last 10, there’s concern there, but not to the point to where we’re going to overhaul everything,” Brown said.
Spacing and post play with Karl-Anthony Towns drew attention. “We told him at halftime…they’re coming, so you may have to spray it quickly,” Brown said, noting that turnovers occurred when the ball didn’t reach the right players in time.
Brown defended Towns’ missed late-game shot. “It’s a good shot…historically he’s pretty efficient…just a bad miss,” he said, adding that several teammates also had open attempts down the stretch.
He reflected on the Knicks’ performance in the physical matchup. “I thought our guys played hard…we didn’t feel a difference in effort in the first or second half,” Brown said.
The coach addressed recent offensive stagnation. “A handful of green threes…down the stretch, the ball didn’t go in…we got to keep shooting and keep letting it fly with confidence,” he said.
Brown explained the role of Phoenix’s defensive pressure in turnovers. “Because of the pressure…the push ahead pass might have gotten stolen…we have to go by them, touch the paint, play off of two, and play within our concepts,” he said.
Regarding injured players, Brown provided an update on Josh Hart. “He was a little sore and we held him out…we’ll hear from the medical staff tomorrow and make a decision,” he said.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Deuce McBride led the Knicks with 23 points each, while OG Anunoby added 21. Devin Booker scored 27 points for the Suns, with Grayson Allen contributing 16 and Mark Williams 14.
The Knicks fell to 25-17, while the Suns improved to 24-17. New York will host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, and Phoenix visits the Brooklyn Nets.
