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Mar 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown at press conferences at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Mike Brown Breaks Down Knicks' Blowout Win Over Wizards

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Mar 23, 2026 5:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks took care of business at Madison Square Garden, beating the Washington Wizards 145-113. Karl-Anthony Towns put up 26 points and 16 rebounds, Jalen Brunson added 23, and New York shot 58.5% from the field and 53% from three. It was as complete a performance as you will see from this team.

The second half is where they really took over. The Knicks poured in 77 points after halftime, built a 33-point lead by the fourth quarter, and turned 13 offensive rebounds into 26 second-chance points.

Head coach Mike Brown noticed all of it, and he had plenty to say about it in his postgame press conference via SNY.

One thing Brown keeps coming back to with this group is making opponents feel them early, and against Washington, they finally did it the right way.

Mike Brown Didn't Overlook Washington

Brown was asked about the Knicks not overlooking teams based on their record. His answer got right to it.

"We talked about it. Our biggest thing is making our opponent feel us, and we did a better job in that area," he said. "I thought we did a nice job moving the ball and trying to take the right shots. We had a couple of turnovers in that first quarter that we wish we had back, but I thought overall it was a lot better than what we've done in a couple of games."

Beyond the offensive execution, Brown pointed to Karl-Anthony Towns as the defensive standout of the night. Towns finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds, but it was his work in ball screen coverages that stood out to his coach.

"Our defensive player of the game was KAT. He had 12 rebounds, a couple of deflections, and a steal. He was really good in the 50-50 ball area," he said. "One of the things that we've been talking to him about is to continue putting his chest in front of the ball in pick-and-roll and DHO situations, and he did a fantastic job with that tonight. So good win by our group."

Tyler Kolek Pulls Off a G League and NBA Double on the Same Day

While Towns was the headliner, one of the better stories of the night belonged to Tyler Kolek. Earlier that day, Kolek put up 42 points and 11 assists for the Westchester Knicks in a G League game.

Then he showed up at MSG, went 4 for 4 from the field including three threes, and scored 11 points in just over five minutes off the bench. Brown was genuinely amazed.

"That's an amazing feat. To play in a G League game in the afternoon and come play in an NBA game, it's got to be a weird feeling," Brown said.

"But these guys are pro athletes, and they do a great job of taking care of their bodies, and our performance group does a good job with them in that area too. For them to be able to do that, to me, is an amazing thing. It was fun to see Tyler hit some shots and hear the crowd cheering his name. I like the way our guys tried to play down the stretch after playing in that G League game earlier today."

When Brown Calls Timeouts and Why He Lets His Assistants Coach

Brown also got into the details of how he manages the game from the sideline, specifically around timeouts. His biggest trigger is what he calls next play speed.

"I'm big on next play speed. If we don't get back or make an effort because we're talking to the ref, arguing with the ref, or just take too long to change gears, that's a big one for me. If they don't feel us defensively and we give up two or three threes in a row because they're not feeling us, that's not good. It depends on the situation a lot of times and how we've been playing, especially in that particular area of when I call the timeout."

Part of how Brown manages those moments is by stepping back and letting his assistants speak instead. His reasoning was simple.

"It's great for the guys to hear different voices. It's like with your kids, if you're the one doing this all the time, sooner or later they may tune you out," he said. "I have the utmost confidence in all of my assistants. It gives me an opportunity to save my voice, and maybe when I'm speaking, it can magnify a little louder. I close my eyes and let them coach and I'm okay with it."

Brown trusts his staff, Towns is growing on the defensive end, and Kolek is making the most of every minute he gets. For a team heading into the final stretch of the regular season, those are good signs.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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