New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown said Tuesday that the biggest issue entering Game 4 of the NBA Finals is not belief but execution, especially after the Spurs used physicality and pace to beat New York in Game 3.
Brown opened his session by offering condolences to Stacy King’s family. “My thoughts and prayers are out to the Bulls organization, his family, and his friends,” he said. “He was a great guy and he’s going to be really missed.”
On the floor, Brown said the Knicks have to make Karl-Anthony Towns a bigger part of the game, especially late. “It’s extremely important that he’s getting touches that he’s involved not just in the fourth quarter, but obviously throughout the ball game,” Brown said. “I got to continue trying to do a better job of getting him involved throughout the course of the game.”
That point has become more urgent after Towns was held scoreless in the fourth quarter of the series. Brown did not sound surprised by the trend, but he made clear it has to change quickly if New York is going to avoid falling deeper in the series.
The Knicks have also stumbled into early deficits in all three Finals games, and Brown said the problem started with energy and physicality. “Our level of physicality was not good last night to start the game,” he said. “We just wanted to make sure that our level of physicality was there, but if they hit some shots, we wanted to weather the storm.”
He added that New York did not do that well enough in either half. “We didn’t do a good job coming out last night, not just to the first half, but the second half as well,” Brown said. “So we have to up our level of physicality especially at the start of the games and try to maintain it throughout the course without fouling.”
Brown was equally direct about the offensive issues that surfaced in Game 3. “We just didn’t execute well,” he said. “It’s been pace, it’s been space, it’s been getting the ball reversed, it’s been touching the paint, and more importantly, it’s been making quick decisions.”
He pointed to the possessions where New York stalled the attack. “One guy caught, held, held, held, held, held,” Brown said. “Now the defense settles in, now you’re in trouble.”
The Knicks have had stretches where late-clock shot-making kept them alive, but Brown said that cannot become the plan. He stressed that the offense has to move faster and cleaner so the next defender is forced to react, not settle.
Brown also said the team’s confidence remains intact after a 13-game winning streak earlier in the postseason. “I’m a firm believer that you can grow and learn a lot in wins, but you can do the same as in losses, too,” he said. “Nobody is quote unquote panicking.”
The Knicks coach said the response has to come from the same group that has carried New York all season. “We feel like we can play better a lot better than what we did,” Brown said. “We’re looking forward to going out on the floor and showing it.”
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, with the Knicks holding a 2–1 series lead after the Spurs’ 115–111 win in Game 3.
