New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown reflected on his team’s 121–111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, emphasizing the importance of sustaining effort for a full 48 minutes. Brown credited the first half for strong offensive execution but said the team lost its pace in the second half.
“Defensively we were solid in the first half… offensively it was great. And then came the second half,” Brown said. He explained that the ball stagnated, players held onto it too long, and spacing broke down, allowing Milwaukee to capitalize.
Brown noted that the Knicks’ early success hinged on Karl-Anthony Towns’ decision-making. “KAT played a remarkable first half offensively. He drew two, he kicked it… got guys wide open looks,” Brown said, adding that the all-star center’s impact wasn’t fully reflected in field goal attempts.
The coach highlighted the team’s struggle to maintain their standard, focusing on energy, pace, and sacrifice over individual stats. “It’s always about our standard… stay connected. We need to hit adversity and see if we’re tough enough mentally to stay connected through it,” Brown said.
He also stressed accountability across the roster, beginning with himself. “If none of those things are happening… it’s my job to make sure we hold everybody accountable because we all need to be held accountable starting with me,” Brown added.
Despite trailing by just 12 at halftime, New York could not withstand a Milwaukee comeback fueled by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 37 points and Ryan Rollins’ career-high 25 points. Brown acknowledged the opponent’s performance while reinforcing lessons for his team. “Got to give Milwaukee a lot of credit… but in order to be great, you’ve got to do it for 48 minutes,” he said.
Brown also addressed the adjustment period for KAT and the importance of pace in the Knicks’ offense. “KAT has got to figure out how to play with a little bit of pace… if we do the things that we’re talking about offensively… KAT’s going to be more than fine,” Brown said.
The Knicks fell to 2–2 on the season and will visit Chicago on Friday, while Milwaukee improved to 3–1 and will host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
