Knicks Coach Mike Brown Using Quick Timeouts to Curb First-Quarter Slumps
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New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown has started burning early timeouts in an effort to stop his team’s recent first-quarter problems before they snowball.
Brown has halted play within the opening six minutes in four of New York’s last five games, twice doing so in the first two minutes, including during Wednesday’s victory over the Utah Jazz. “I’ve just seen too many times when I don’t, where it seems like it gets worse and the next thing you know we’re down 16-4,” Brown told the New York Post. “I’m going to do whatever I can to not let that happen.”
Across the past 10 contests, the Knicks have been outscored by roughly three points in first quarters, ranking among the NBA’s worst during that span. Brown pointed to turnovers, slow closeouts and opponents’ quick three-point attempts as the chief culprits. “We’re not giving ourselves a chance,” he said.
The Knicks could also be shorthanded for Friday’s matchup with the Indiana Pacers. Josh Hart (knee soreness) and Karl-Anthony Towns (knee soreness) are both listed as questionable. Despite Indiana holding the Eastern Conference’s worst record, Brown emphasized that nothing can be taken for granted.
Source: Hoops Wire
