Knicks Face Third Preseason Loss Against Timberwolves
The Knicks suffered another setback in their preseason, losing 122-104 to the Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Coach Mike Brown expressed that he’s keeping the offensive strategies simple and predictable as part of his challenge to the players.
“Honestly, I’m kind of limiting our guys on offense,” Brown explained. “I’m being pretty generic with our plays because I want to see if they can execute when the opposing team starts to find their rhythm and applies pressure. It’s about whether we can still get to our spots effectively and execute our strategies. Can we maintain our speed while doing it? Those are the little things I’m focusing on.”
Jalen Brunson led the team with 20 points, shooting 6-for-13 overall and hitting just 1-of-4 from three-point range.
The starters, including Brunson, played roughly half the game, while Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels combined for 48 points, with Edwards scoring 26 and McDaniels contributing 22, including nine three-pointers between them.
The Knicks have now been outscored by a total of 43 points throughout the preseason.
Despite the losses, Brown appears to remain optimistic.
“For me, it’s more about the process than the outcome,” he stated. “Defensively, I want to see if we’re playing at the speed of the next play. Overall, I think we did fairly well, although we had some execution breakdowns regarding assignments. Those are things we can refine over time. We’ll keep watching the film and continue to work on it.”
In terms of contributions off the bench, Tony Bradley scored 10 points in just seven minutes without missing a shot, while Pacôme Dadiet recorded seven points, including two three-pointers.
Looking ahead, it seems likely that none of the starters will play in the upcoming game against Toronto, which is part of a back-to-back schedule.
Brown mentioned the players would have the choice to travel for the game. After Monday’s loss, several starters opted not to talk to the media.
On the Timberwolves’ side, Edwards declined to speak to reporters following the game.
