Mike Brown under fire for comment after Knicks' Game 3 loss

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mike Brown under fire for comment after Knicks' Game 3 loss

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Apr 24, 2026 3:51 PM ET

The New York Knicks are suddenly facing a 2-1 deficit in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal against the Atlanta Hawks, and coach Mike Brown did not exactly inspire a lot of belief that a comeback is in the offing.

Many Knicks fans sharply criticized Brown for his comments following the Knicks’ 109-108 loss to the Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday.

The coach said he had reassured his team that a 2-1 series deficit was not the end of the world and pointed out that the Oklahoma City Thunder fell behind 2-1 twice last season before going on to win the NBA title.

“Oklahoma City was down 1-2 last year and they ended up winning it. I’m not saying we’re going to win it or anything like that,” Brown said.

Mike Brown: "I told them this: It's a 7-game series for a reason. Stuff's gonna happen. Plenty of teams have been down 1-2. Sh*t I even think OKC was down 1-2 last year and they ended up winning it––I'm not saying we're gonna win it or anything like that…" pic.twitter.com/uVXxsete0a
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 24, 2026

Fans suggested Brown’s comments were a sign of defeatism and a lack of fight.

“I’m not saying we’re gonna win it” already planning on losing
— SleeperHawks (@SleeperHawks) April 24, 2026

“I’m not saying we’re going to win it”

This is one of the worst coaching quotes ever. https://t.co/zVj8a99McC
— Nic Thomas | NBA & NBA Draft (@NicThomasNBA) April 24, 2026

Brown’s point was that the Knicks are not done, and that other teams have come back and had success from similar positions. That last sentence sort of trampled all over that point. After all, the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last year in part because of the team’s failure in the Eastern Conference finals. Logically, Brown would be expected to at least match that progress.

Brown’s handling of the series so far has been widely panned, and that was before their Game 3 loss. If the Knicks cannot come back to win this series, he is going to have a lot of questions to answer for failing to match Thibodeau’s achievements.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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