The defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, survived a thriller against an East contender, the New York Knicks, on Monday, 111-100. It was a close match, but the outcome surely wasn’t received well by the Knicks’ head coach, Mike Brown, who went on to rant against the referees for “questionable” officiating.
Mike Brown Frustrated About OKC’s Free-Throw Privilege
New York tried everything to slow Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down, and it slightly worked in the first three quarters. The reigning MVP had a slow start, but somehow still managed to work his magic in the final period, finishing with another 30 points.
Throughout the match, the Thunder had 38 free-throw attempts. In contrast, the Knicks were only handed 17, less than half of what their opponents got. The Knicks’ mere 17 attempts underscored the disparity in officiating, at least that’s what coach Mike Brown was trying to tell the media.
Not only was Brown slamming the officials, the 2023 Coach of the Year also sent a subtle jab at Oklahoma City as well as SGA. For context, 16 of OKC’s 38 attempts were by SGA, which is just one less compared to what the whole Knicks attempted from the line. In their last meeting three weeks ago, Brown called SGA a “tough cover,” considering how difficult it is to guard him without fouling.
Knicks at Fault Too
Although there was clearly a disparity in free throws, the Knicks’ heartbreaking loss was partly their own doing. If they do want to reach the Finals, the Knicks must do better than allowing 18 turnovers. In addition, their rotation in the final moments was critical. One example is when Karl-Anthony Towns got hot in the fourth quarter by scoring 7 straight points, but only touched the ball once for the rest of the game. Indeed, Jalen Brunson was also in the zone, but disabling arguably the best three-point shooting big man in the league in crunch time is odd.
The New York Knicks are top five in offense, defense, and net rating, but haven’t found their rhythm to beat marquee teams.
Thunder Still Undefeated vs. Knicks Since 2023
After their loss on March 30, the Knicks are still winless against the Thunder since 2023. The last time they were able to steal a win was in November 2022. In their last 10 outings, OKC is 9-1 against New York.
This may not be a looker, but this record says a lot. In their latest matchup, the Knicks could have easily taken a comfortable lead given that the Thunder weren’t shooting so well.
