For one night at least, Mike Brown didn’t have the golden touch.
The Knicks coach earned some blowback after his decision to sit superstar Jalen Brunson for 7:11 spanning the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter in Monday’s Game 3 loss.
Brunson exited with the Knicks trailing by one and returned with the team losing by five points in its eventual 115-111 defeat that sliced its NBA Finals series lead to 2-1.
Mike Brown coaching the Knicks during Game 3. Getty ImagesThe Post’s Stefan Bondy tweeted: “Mike Brown waiting too long to bring in Brunson and (Josh) Hart. Offense is stalled.”
Added CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn: “I don’t want to second guess Mike Brown too much. The last time I did that he won 13 in a row. But it felt to me like the game swung when he took Jalen Brunson out with foul trouble with 4.5 minutes to go in the third. Needed to dominate those (Luke) Kornet minutes, couldn’t without JB.”
Brown has been a wizard with his in-game decisions during this magical Knicks run, often finding the right combinations and being rewarded with stellar play from his backups.
It’s always tricky when starters encounter foul trouble, though, and it’s fair to wonder if he waited perhaps a little too long to insert Brunson back into the game after he picked up his fourth foul.
The Knicks trailed 79-78 at the time when he exited with 4:29 left in the third quarter, a key moment since the Spurs also took out Victor Wembanyama at the same time.
The Spurs took advantage when Jalen Brunson wasn’t on the court. AP Photo/Ross D. FranklinThe Spurs are more vulnerable during those moments when Kornet spells Wembanyama — he played 9:16 on Monday — and that opens chances for the Knicks.
The Knicks managed to hold court in the remainder of the third quarter to trail by one point, 92-91, entering the fourth, meaning they gained on ground with Wembanyama on the bench.
The start of the fourth then swayed the game.
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The Spurs, with Wembanyama back in the fold, grabbed a 96-91 lead before Hart entered the game with 10:36 remaining, and Brunson entered 1:18 later.
The Knicks did not score their first basket of the period until 8:30 remained in the contest, which cut the deficit to 98-93, and they did not work their way back to within three points until the final minute.
They shot just 7-for-27 in the final quarter.
“I liked some of the looks, but I also think we were pretty stagnant. There’s definitely things that we can learn from,” Brunson said of the fourth quarter. “Especially with our approach when we start the game and with the way we start the half, I don’t think we did well and I don’t think I did well either.”
