Knicks leaning into defense after statement win over Spurs

The Knicks may not call it their best defensive effort of the season. It might have been close.

A day after a 114-89 win over theSpurs at Madison Square Garden, coach Mike Brown described the performance as “high level.”

“We had five guys on a string,” Brown said, via ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill. “Even the games we haven’t scored a lot of points, our defense has gotten better.”

The Knicks held San Antonio to 26.5 percent shooting from three-point range and forced 22 turnovers, snapping the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak. Victor Wembanyama finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds but committed seven turnovers.

Forward Josh Hart said the focus must remain there.

“We have to continue to make strides defensively,” Hart said. “It can’t be up and down.”

Mikal Bridges set the tone on both ends, scoring 25 points with five steals.

“We have a lot of guys who can score,” Bridges said. “But I try to control what I can control, and that’s bring energy on both ends.”

Over the past month, New York ranks among the league leaders in defensive rating. If that continues, Sunday may look less like a one-off and more like a signal.