Knicks HC Angry After Near-Collapse Against Warriors

This was the first time Brown had withheld the award after a win.

Brown told the media the team needs better physicality and focus from the opening tip, and made it clear this conversation had nothing to do with the final score.

"I'm not talking about the outcome, win or loss. I'm talking about the start of the game," he said.

Why the Knicks First Quarter Problem Has Mike Brown Furious

This is not a one-game issue. The Knicks have been sleepwalking through first quarters for weeks now, and it nearly cost them against a Warriors team that had no business being in this game.

Golden State scored the last 11 points of the first quarter to go up 35-21, then pushed it to 46-25 early in the second. A roster built from whatever scraps were left standing still nearly walked out of MSG with a win. The last three games tell the same story.

Against Utah, the Knicks trailed by 18 in the second quarter before rallying to win 134-117. Against Indiana, a 15-loss Pacers team tied it at 71 in the third quarter before New York pulled away 101-92. And now this against Golden State. Three straight games, three slow starts, three opponents who had no business making it close.

Brown had already pointed to the two losses in Los Angeles as the moment this pattern became impossible to ignore. The last three games show it has only gotten worse since then.

"Our group, starting with me as a head coach, we have to figure out how to go into games, not relying on some amazing comeback because we did not start the game the right way," he said.

Those slow starts also force Brown into decisions he should not have to make. He burned two timeouts inside the first six minutes, on a team that has been together all season and knows what is expected of them. He was blunt about what that means.

"A veteran team, that has experienced winning at a high level...I shouldn't have to call two timeouts in the first 6 minutes of the ball game & we're not talking X's & O's," he said.

When asked if a lineup change was coming, Brown left the door open.

"It's not too late in the season to do anything," he said.

He added he is not thinking about pulling the trigger right now, but when pressed on why, given everything he just said, his answer was short.

"Cause right now, I don't feel the need to. But like I said, if I felt the need to, I would."

That answer is hard to agree with. The Knicks have been getting hurt in first quarters for weeks and the current starting five has not fixed it.

Sliding Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart to the bench in favor of Mitchell Robinson , Jordan Clarkson, or Landry Shamet could give New York a sharper, more ready lineup from the opening tip. Both Clarkson and Shamet showed exactly that off the bench in this game.

With the playoffs closing in, the Knicks cannot keep spotting teams big leads and hoping Brunson or someone digs them out every single time.