New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown opened his postgame press conference with a blunt assessment after a 110-96 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, saying, “I’m ready to go home.”
Brown pointed to the team’s inconsistent edge on defense and rebounding as the main issue, stressing execution across the full game. “You know, to start the game we were physical. And then we were doing it in spurts. So we have to do a better job of doing it for over 48 minutes,” he said.
The Knicks coach emphasized that breakdowns on the glass directly swung the outcome. “Part of the physicality or where we lacked physicality was on the offensive glass. We didn’t do a good job putting bodies on bodies. Whether it was Diabate rebounding or guys rebounding their own missed shots. That’s what hurt us.”
New York allowed only 12 offensive rebounds, but the damage came in second-chance production, as Brown explained: “They only had 12. Which isn’t a ton. It’s a lot, not a ton, but they had 26 second chance points on those 12 offensive rebounds. And that was the biggest difference in the game.”
Brown also highlighted shot distribution and efficiency factors that did not translate into control of the game. “We got 40 threes which is a good number, but when you don’t put bodies on bodies and then 17 free throws isn’t a lot. We couldn’t generate enough free throws but 17 to eight makes it a little tough.”
When asked about Miles’ usage and approach, Brown said the intent was clear from the start. “We just wanted him to go be aggressive,” he said. On the performance, he added, “He looked good. It was good to see him just go play free and take any shot he wanted and be aggressive because he could score in basketball at a high level.”
Looking ahead, Brown acknowledged the uncertainty of the postseason path while keeping focus on preparation. “They were good. Atlanta’s a good team. Everybody’s good. Everybody’s going to pose challenges. I don’t know who we’re going to play.”
On the timing of preparation for the next opponent, Brown said, “I’m sure it’s happened. I can’t sit here and recall like oh god it was this time or that time, but I’m sure it’s happened.”
He also detailed the team’s process heading into the play-in, including film preparation and rotation clarity. “We feel pretty good about our rotation heading into this game relatively healthy,” he said. “Either Tuesday or Wednesday. We’re not sure. Well, tomorrow’s off though for sure.”
