Dylan Backer
The New York Knicks carried two double-digit leads at home in Game 2 of their first round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. They had multiple chances to put away Atlanta and go up 2-0 in the series.
Knicks’ Mike Brown poorly executed coaching strategy in Game 2
Instead, poor coaching decisions cost them, and the Knicks wound up blowing a double-digit and take a stunning defeat at home 107-106 to tie the series at a game a piece. New York now suddenly loses home court advantage and will have to try to take two games on the road.
Head coach Mike Brown notably played lineups with both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns sitting on the bench in Game 2. According to All NBA Podcast, the Knicks scored 0.77 points per possession in the halfcourt when both players sat, compared to 1.23 points per possession in the halfcourt when at least one of them was on the floor.
Brown played a combination of Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson at one point in Game 2. That five-man lineup had played zero minutes together during the regular season, making this game serve as a means of experimentation for Brown.
Knicks need to make massive adjustments ahead of Game 3
The bench provided virtually no spark for New York. Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Alvarado all went scoreless in their minutes, and McBride was exposed for not being able to facilitate in the halfcourt with some brutal turnovers that allowed Atlanta to take a lead in the second quarter.
Towns was on fire in the third quarter, helping the Knicks push their lead to as much as 14. In the fourth, he was barely used, not checking in until the 7:45 minute mark of the fourth and only attempting two shots in the closing period.
Brown decided to experiment at a really bad time, and his decision to do so could end up costing him a series that was in their hands. New York was just 23-19 on the road this season, so the task of taking down the Hawks has suddenly become significantly tougher.
Game 3 is now a must-win for New York to flip the series back in their favor. If they don’t make adjustments, things could get spooky for a group with such high expectations coming in.
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