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The defeat at Madison Square Garden was particularly stinging, as the home side squandered a 10-point lead with less than ten minutes remaining in the final quarter. The Magic capitalized on the opportunity, surging to score 40 points in the fourth period to seal the victory.
Addressing the offensive struggles
Brunson’s performance reflected the broader shooting woes plaguing the team, as he finished 12-of-28 from the field and struggled from beyond the arc, converting only one of his seven attempts. As a collective, the Knicks shot just 23.7 percent from 3-point range, hitting only nine of their 38 attempts. Brunson emphasized that the lack of offensive cohesion is a leadership issue he intends to rectify.
“Everything falls on my shoulders,” Brunson stated following the loss. “I just gotta be a better leader when it comes to that, when it comes to our guys being ready to go in the right spots. There’s a lot of other little things, but it’s organization on my part.” The guard noted that while the team has shown flashes of the form that defined their previous season, they have struggled to maintain that intensity for a full four quarters.
Coach Brown highlights lack of sharpness
Head coach Mike Brown echoed his star player’s sentiments, pointing to a lack of execution in the finer details of the game. Despite a promising start that saw the Knicks jump out to a 12-0 lead, the team failed to sustain their momentum, leading by only four points at halftime. Brown expressed frustration with the team's transition defense and overall lack of physical sharpness.
“Games like this will tell us, our crap stinks. It does,” Brown said. “And we’re the only ones who can do anything about it. There’s no light switch we can just turn on and go and win the ballgame.” The coach highlighted that the team has appeared a step slow, noting a lack of crispness in the frontcourt on both ends of the floor. The Knicks will look to break their losing streak on Tuesday when they host the undefeated Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden.
