Jalen Brunson didn’t mince words after a disappointing 111-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden, a game the Knicks never truly competed in. He pointed to one particularly glaring moment – an unforced eight-second violation late in the second quarter – as symbolic of New York’s overall lack of focus and effort….
Jalen Brunson didn’t mince words after a disappointing 111-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden, a game the Knicks never truly competed in.
He pointed to one particularly glaring moment – an unforced eight-second violation late in the second quarter – as symbolic of New York’s overall lack of focus and effort.
We just didn’t have it. And I know it sounds like an excuse, but when you stop scoring and let that dictate the rest of your game, you lose rhythm, you lose that sense of urgency we need.
Jalen Brunson
From Brunson’s perspective, the defeat was defined by a lack of urgency and an absence of the Knicks’ identity on both ends of the floor.
The Knicks were shorthanded, missing Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart and Landry Shamet, but Brunson refused to blame the final margin solely on absences. New York fell behind by as many as 24 points after three quarters, with poor shooting and defensive lapses allowing the Hawks to dictate the pace.
The urgency must be present from the start, not when you are already down
Jalen Brunson
New York shot just 36% from the field and a season-low 20% from three, marking one of the Knicks’ worst offensive nights of the year. Brunson led the team with 24 points, while OG Anunoby (19) and Mikal Bridges (18) provided some scoring late – but it was too little, too late to change the outcome.
Coming off a strong performance in the NBA Cup, where Brunson earned MVP honors, the Knicks have now lost back-to-back games, raising fresh questions about consistency, defense and overall focus as they aim to maintain momentum in a competitive Eastern Conference.
