Fake comeback attempt by New York on Friday.
Fake concerning development across the nation’s airspace, too.
Here’s a bunch of the latest, including some interesting Josh Hart revelations.
Mike Brown
On the decision to draw up the final shot for Karl-Anthony Towns instead of Jalen Brunson:
“We needed a 2-pointer. We had executed something like that in practice. We thought we would gain an advantage with a little rip screen. KAT got a great look. Probably a shot that he makes nine out of 10 times. So I’m okay with it.”
On what really led to the Knicks’ loss to Indiana:
“That play was something we liked, and we went to it. But I’ll say this: That play did not cost us the game. We were lucky a little bit, and our guys did fight to give us a chance down the stretch. But I don’t care who you play, it’s going to be hard to win a game on the road when you lose the possession game like we did, if we get blown by on defense as bad as we did, if you let your opponent win the physicality battle like we did. It’s all a recipe for a loss. And that’s where I’m disappointed.”
On the Knicks’ fouling issues:
“I don’t know if we fouled that much, but we were fouling. They just could keep putting their head down and driving into us, and we weren’t ready to play. We didn’t do our work early and get in the stance, being ready to guard these guys off the dribble drive, and they just walked to the free-throw line time after time after time.”
On his reaction to the no-call on OG Anunoby’s drive to the basket:
“I did get a T, but the reality of it is they were playing harder than us. It was out of frustration. Some of it because we just had a game that we played, and you have a guy like Jalen [Brunson] who’s an All-Star and an MVP candidate; he goes 0-0 from the free-throw line. And at the end of the first half [here], I think it was maybe 20 to three or something like that, and that in itself is frustrating.
“To know that we’re getting beat that bad from the free-throw line, and they’re missing some calls. Now, are we fouling? Yes, and we got to do a better job doing our work earlier. But in the same breath, the discrepancy shouldn’t be that bad two games in a row. Hopefully not three games in a row coming up.
“And that’s what I’m taking a look at. That there are some fouls that they’re calling with our body because guys are just putting their head down and running into you and snapping their head back, but we’re not getting those same calls, and that is the frustrating part.”
On the Knicks’ inconsistent offensive rhythm and the need to improve:
“No, not yet. Not yet. At times, yes, but we’re not always in a good flow right now, which is fine, because there are other ways to win a basketball game while we’re trying to work on that.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On missing the potential game-tying shot against Indiana:
“I thought it was a great shot. I was excited for the opportunity. I got to make a quick decision. It’s either OG is open on the rip screen and he has an open layup or I get to take the shot. I just was ready for the opportunity. … I’m happy with the follow through. I was happy with the technique. It just wasn’t my day.”
Mikal Bridges
On taking full responsibility for his struggles and needing to improve:
“I just look in the mirror, I just got to be better. Nobody else to blame but me and I just got to go out there and, whatever it is, just be better and go harder.
“When times are tough, you just gotta own up to it and just be better.
“I try to be my best throughout the whole year. Obviously, struggles come, which obviously nobody wants, but like I said, in these moments, gotta look in the mirror and you’re tested the most and just see what you’re made of. So, just gotta be better.
“I got to do everything better.”
Josh Hart
On the Knicks’ crowded wing rotation and the possibility of roster changes:
“There are several different ways you can look at it. You can look at it, if [Shamet and McBride] have it going, cool. Good. You could look at it like, ‘Okay, maybe something else has to change [like a trade].’
“But there’s going to good days with that, bad days. But whatever allows the Knicks the best opportunity and chance to win, that’s the most important.”
On the Knicks’ slow pace limiting the effectiveness of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby:
“There’s less chances at the rim. I think it also affects Mikal and OG. … [Coach Mike Brown] says Mikal is the best runner in the league. So if you have the best runner in the league and you’re not running, you’re wasting one of his talents. If we play faster, we’ll be able to do that. Sometimes OG has smaller guards defending him, so if we run he can be able to seal at the rim, be able to get easy points at the rim, which also can help our rim finishing.”
On speeding up the Knicks’ offense even if Jalen Brunson doesn’t bring the ball up the court:
“We gotta get the ball out and sometimes that might have to be [Brunson] just running and not going to the ball after a make or a defensive rebound. Just trying to get a better and quicker flow so it’s not so stagnant in the halfcourt.”
On revealing a pre-training camp injury:
“I tweaked my calf.”
On how his calf and ankle injuries disrupted his conditioning and preparation for the season:
“This year was a little different. Obviously, a shorter break in terms of the summer [because of the long playoff run] but also I wasn’t physically able to really push my body towards the end of the summer to be prepared for the season. I had [the calf] injury in September, which kept me out for about three weeks, so I wasn’t able to get in some of that conditioning and some of those legs under me, which is normally the time to do it.
“And then, the ankle injury in training camp. So, the ramp up was a little bit slower than I kinda wanted it to be or kinda liked it to be, so I think that’s the biggest thing is just getting my legs under me.”
On his shooting struggles and the impact of missing several weeks of basketball activity:
“The shots I’m shooting, I like them. I think that was kinda evident with Cleveland. One of the things: All three of my 3s was just hella short. It was just, those legs, get those legs under me.
“Also, on top of that, missing a week in the season, it’s cumulative of six, seven weeks of just not much activity basketball-wise. So, I think that’s just what it is. So, as the season progresses and I’m out there running more, doing all those kinds of things, the performance will follow.”
On his mental struggles following the loss to Indiana:
“Just have to be better. Have to be better mentally. I just gotta get my mental right.”
On not knowing how to improve his mental state and on-court performance:
“Wish I could tell you. Don’t know. … I gotta figure out how to improve that and improve my play.”
OG Anunoby
On why he has struggled to finish shots around the rim:
“Not sure.”
On the Knicks’ offensive woes:
“It’s early. We’re not where we wanna be, but it’s November. Everything needs to be better.”
Miles McBride
On the need for staying ready and responding to adversity:
“You’re playing well one day and [then] next time you get punched in the mouth. So it’s always about how you respond in this league.”
