As the Knicks face a crucial stretch this season, former NBA player Blake Griffin expressed disappointment in Mike Brown’s strategy at the end of Game 3.
With just 12.5 seconds left and trailing by one point, the Knicks opted for a play that ultimately led to a turnover, causing them to lose 109-108, putting them in a 2-1 series disadvantage.
“It didn’t seem like a broken play,” Griffin noted post-game. “It’s not a strategy I would suggest. You should get the ball to the opponent accurately and score quickly. Running multiple actions gives the defense a chance to react. If it was meant to be a planned play, then the spacing was poor.”
Earlier in the game, Hawks coach Quin Snyder had CJ McCollum isolate against Deuce McBride, resulting in a midrange jumper that gave Atlanta the lead.
Diving deeper into the strategy, NBA icon Steve Nash pointed out that Karl-Anthony Towns’ ineffective screen on Dyson Daniels seemed to hurt the play’s execution.
“I think they wanted KAT to challenge Brunson,” Nash explained. “He just didn’t set up Dyson well enough. Instead of being proactive, he kind of backed off. When Brunson was forced to the side, he ended up double-teamed with no help.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown shared his intention to provide Brunson with open space.
“We cleared the right side to set him up,” Brown stated. “We aimed to give him the room he needed to make a play.”
Nash, who previously coached the Brooklyn Nets with stars like James Harden and Kyrie Irving, remarked that sometimes it’s simpler to make a single pass than attempt multiple ones.
“Unfortunately, that sequence had a poor outcome,” Nash noted. “Risk is part of making plays late in the game, especially with multiple passes.”
Dirk Nowitzki, another NBA legend, weighed in.
“It’s common for people to complain when the top player holds the ball, and yet, sometimes a more straightforward approach can be better,” Nowitzki said. “I’m a bit shocked by the Knicks losing two close games.”
Meanwhile, Udonis Haslem criticized the Knicks’ “empty possessions” with Brunson absent and specifically pointed out Towns for not stepping up when it mattered.
“Are they really going to figure this out?” Haslem questioned.
Griffin added, “The Knicks struggled to maintain possession throughout the night.”
With alarm bells ringing, the pressure mounts for the Knicks as they aim to bounce back in Game 4 in Atlanta on Saturday.
