The Knicks won, but their coach was fuming.
Facing the minor league version of the Golden State Warriors, the Knicks needed to climb out of a 21-point hole to pull off a 110-107 nail-biter Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.
Mike Brown was so disgusted he declined to name a defensive player of the game for the first time after a win. He harped on the start of the game, noting that his team’s struggles from tipoff have become a trend.
“We have to figure out how we don’t have to go into games relying on some amazing comeback because we did not start the game the right way,” Brown said.
The win was sealed with an ugly turnover in the closing seconds by Golden State center Quinten Post, who couldn’t handle a pass on the perimeter and gave it up to Landry Shamet.
Before that, Shamet and OG Anunoby connected on clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds — going 4-for-4.
Jalen Brunson drives to the rim during the Knicks-Warriors game on March 15, 2026. AP
So the Knicks (44-25) still found a way. But the mood in the locker room was more appropriate for a loss, with the focus on the terrible start.
“Don’t play like that,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who notched another double-double. “I think it’s pretty simple.”
“Yeah, [Brown] was frustrated,” Towns added. “Obviously, the win’s everything, but we don’t want to win games like that, especially this late in the year when we should have better standards and a better execution in playing. I understand it.”
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 30 points, shooting 9-for-20 while going 10-for-10 from the foul line. He knocked down an important pull-up jumper with 65 seconds left. Jordan Clarkson was again a spark off the bench, dropping 14 points in 22 minutes.
Mikal Bridges continued his season to forget while managing just 21 minutes and getting benched in crunch time for Shamet.
“It’s not just Mikal,” Brown said. “It’s us collectively as a group.”
Ste[hen Curry wathces on from the bench during the Warrioprs-Knicks game on March 15, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors weren’t just short-handed. They were short an entire lineup. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Seth Curry were all out.
Their starting lineup resembled a G-League outfit — Malevy Leons, Gui Santos, Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard and Post.
The Knicks, meanwhile, were at full strength outside of Miles McBride, who continues to recover from hernia surgery. They were also coming off a five-game road trip and clearly unfocused.
Within three minutes into the second quarter, the Knicks were trailing by 21. They were missing shots and committing turnovers. The Warriors were on fire.
But order was soon restored. Golden State started missing in the second quarter. The Knicks were better at taking care of the ball. By the end of the third quarter, they retook the lead.
“If we play better from the start, we don’t have to play catch-up,” Brunson said. “It’s definitely something that we need to get better at and it has to be our focus.”
It followed a similar trajectory of the previous two Knicks wins, both against bad teams (the Jazz and Pacers). The Knicks struggled early but found their footing before pulling it out in the fourth quarter.
They survived again Sunday, but left MSG with more concerns.
“I’m sitting here bitching about this and somebody told me from the first of January on, we had the No. 1 defense in the league. Something like that,” Brown said. “We can play better. I know for myself and every man in that locker room, every person in that locker room, expects more. And somehow, someway, we got to figure it out.”
