The New York Knicks' winning streak ended on Wednesday night at the hands of the Orlando Magic, 124-107. Head coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game that the Knicks' loss was easy to understand because of their lack of execution, particularly on defense. He revealed that his team failed at one of its nightly goals, which is to win the possession battle.
Brown said the Knicks lost the possession battle 30 to 19 on Wednesday. He went on to reveal the straightforward formula his staff employs to calculate those numbers each game.
"We just have to match their physicality without sending them to the free throw line," the coach said after the loss. "All the time, but especially when you play good teams, you want to try to win the possession game. Free-throw attempts plus offensive rebounds minus turnovers."
This formula isn't a secret kept by coaches but rather a matter of preference. The official calculation involves adding field goal and free throw attempts, each modified by multipliers, and subtracting offensive rebounds before adding turnovers. The multipliers are there to account for plays involving second chance points or foul calls.
How the Knicks beat themselves vs. the Magic (and how to fix it)
Brown wasn't quite so complicated with his explanation. He was blunt with reporters, asserting that he was most disappointed with the amount of times his team complained to the officials. Brown noted that this was a larger problem in the first half than in the second.
Without commenting on the calls that were – or were not – made, the head coach said his team wasn't in any position to complain. He felt the Knicks, whose loss to the Magic was their first at home this season, beat themselves.
"If a team is getting [to the free throw line] 34, 35 times a game and we’re getting there 22, that’s a huge head start they got. So we have to be physical without fouling,” Brown told reporters on Wednesday.
The Magic shot 33 free throws on Wednesday night and cashed in on 28 of them. The Knicks also missed five free throws, but made just 18. Brown, who has joked in press conferences before about needing new glasses, may not have nailed the exact free throw totals from the game. Every other word the coach said, though, was based in truth.
New York has one more game in its longest home stand since 2013: a Friday night matchup against the Heat. It's an NBA Cup night, if you find that of relevance, and is set to tip-off at 7:10 p.m. EST. The Knicks will be without their star point guard, Jalen Brunson, for the first time this season.