Knicks starts a concern, but Mike Brown not changing starting 5 yet | amNewYork

"We have to figure out individually, collectively, how we can start games better, Brown said. I'm not talking about the outcome, win or loss. I'm talking about the start of the game. [We need] a level of focus, a level of physicality, so that they're feeling us to start the game. The group knows it, they understand it. Now, they gotta do it."

"Over their last five games, they are a combined -40 in the first quarter, which also included a 15-point deficit after the opening 12 minutes against the tanking Utah Jazz on March 11."

"The inconsistencies of the Knicks' starting five of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns have been well-documented. They had their fair share of issues down the stretch of last season, and a stubborn Tom Thibodeau did not tweak the lineup until midway through the Eastern Conference Final, when it was far too late."

The New York Knicks faced a 14-point deficit after the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors on March 15, 2026, continuing a troubling pattern of poor starts. Over their last five games, the Knicks have been outscored by a combined 40 points in opening quarters, including a 15-point deficit against the Utah Jazz. Head coach Mike Brown acknowledges the issue but remains committed to the current starting five of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Brown emphasizes the need for improved focus and physicality from the start of games rather than lineup changes. He has shown flexibility by benching Mikal Bridges late in games for Jordan Clarkson, who contributed to a 110-107 victory. The Knicks must address these inconsistencies to establish themselves as legitimate Eastern Conference contenders alongside Detroit and Boston.

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