Mike Brown challenged Karl-Anthony Towns to be more physical after the New York Knicks struggled to control Detroit’s Paul Reed, and Towns responded with 27 points and 20 rebounds in a 111-97 victory over the previously unbeaten Pistons on Tuesday.
Brown said Towns’ second-half approach was a major factor in New York earning its first win of the season after three straight losses.
“KAT, the guy is killing us on the glass and when he gets a rebound, he’s putting it back,” Brown said of his message to Towns. “Or anything he gets in the paint, he’s putting it back. If he catches on the perimeter, guard him.”
Brown added: “I got to take my hat off to KAT because I thought his shift in his mindset was really big for us in the second half.”
Towns finished with 27 points and 20 rebounds, including eight offensive boards, while Reed scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Detroit. The Knicks won the rebounding battle 49-45 and outscored the Pistons 37-13 in the third quarter to turn a tight game into a commanding lead.
Brown credited the team’s physicality and attention to detail, pointing to screening, rebounding and competing for free throws as important parts of the performance.
“Those little things that may not add up to much in a lot of people’s minds, our guys brought to the table tonight,” Brown said.
The Knicks also improved their defense against Detroit’s perimeter threats. Brown noted that Duncan Robinson and Daniss Jenkins, whom New York had identified as players to watch, combined to shoot 3-for-16 from the field. Against Orlando in the previous game, Brown said the Magic’s designated hot shooters had combined to go 9-for-18.
“Our awareness, our level of physicality throughout the 48 minutes was a lot better on those two guys than the previous game,” Brown said.
Brown acknowledged that the Knicks still have work to do to sustain their effort throughout a full game. He said the team must shorten its lapses rather than allow them to last eight or 10 minutes.
“Is it fixed? Not fixed. Nothing’s really fixed,” Brown said. “What tonight shows us is we’re more than capable if we put our minds to it.”
