Amid three-game losing streak to start season, Mike Brown implores Knicks to ‘focus on the details’

Mike Brown and the Knicks aren’t panicking.

Yes, the championship hangover could be real, with the Knicks having lost their third straight game to begin the new season against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

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Regardless, New York’s head coach remains unfazed, eager to continue tinkering and tweaking the way his team plays while keeping the faith in the team’s star-studded starting lineup.

Against the Magic at home, Brown gave some extended playing time to newly signed backup big James Wiseman, who cut into the bench minutes of fellow newcomer Andre Drummond.

“Our starting five is what it is, everybody else after that – until we’re at a point where it’s consistent – I’m going to try to give guys [like Wiseman] that opportunity.”

Along this vein, with regular bench unit floor general Jose Alvarado sidelined with a sprained ankle, second-year guard Tyler Kolek stepped into a larger role and delivered nine assists and zero turnovers. It will be interesting to see whether Wiseman and Kolek continue to earn the coach’s trust as the season progresses.

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Brown shared more of his outlook on how the contest unfolded, focusing on the ‘game within the game’ rather than the final score and squandered lead.

“Our transition [defense] wasn’t good in short bursts…we didn’t do a great job of taking care of the ball…there’s no single common thing,” he explained. “In the first half, we gave up 13 fast-break – or transition – points. In the second half it was 6, but those came off of our turnovers, so while we were doing a great job with our rules of transition defense, other things bit us in the behind.”

“It’s the focus on the details,” he continued. “We’d go on a run, and then throw the ball away. I’d say three-fourths of our turnovers were our mistakes rather than their [defensive] pressure.”

“We’d do a pretty good job on some closeouts, and on others we’d stop short and let them shoot a comfortable shot,” Brown lamented. “We’d play great defense and force a tough shot, and then not box out. Those are the little things we have to embrace for 48 minutes, especially when we’re not shooting the ball…

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Publish date : 2026-10-26 03:08:00

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