Mike Brown understands why he and the New York Knicks are getting booed at MSG
The honeymoon phase for Mike Brown in the Big Apple has come to a screeching, dissonant halt. Less than two months after guiding the New York Knicks to an NBA Cup victory in Las Vegas, the head coach found himself standing on the sidelines at Madison Square Garden, listening to a chorus of boos rain down from the rafters. Following a dispiriting 114-97 blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Brown didn’t offer excuses or deflect blame. Instead, he offered a candid assessment that likely resonated with the frustrated fanbase: he agreed with them.
"I'm okay with the boos. If we're playing crappy, boo," Brown told reporters during his postgame availability. "If I were in the stands, I'd probably boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the game, and this is a form of entertainment for the fans. They know good basketball, they know bad basketball."
The fans certainly recognized bad basketball on Monday. Despite the return of All-Star starters Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart from injuries, the Knicks looked listless, falling behind by 30 points in the first half against a depleted Mavericks squad. The deficit was 75-45 at the break, a margin that prompted Brown to abandon tactical adjustments in the locker room. He admitted later that his halftime message was simply to "lock in and do your job," noting that X’s and O’s are irrelevant when the competitive spirit is absent.
This latest defeat marks a disturbing trend for New York. After starting the 2025-26 campaign 23-9 and looking like the Eastern Conference favorites, the Knicks have gone into a tailspin since the calendar flipped to 2026. They have lost nine of their last 11 games, dropping their record to 25-18 and loosening their grip on the third seed. The defensive intensity that defined the team under former coach Tom Thibodeau—and initially under Brown—has evaporated, leaving the lane wide open for opponents.
The pressure is mounting rapidly. Jalen Brunson reportedly called a players-only meeting following the loss, emphasizing that the roster needs to take accountability rather than relying on the coaching staff for answers. Brown was brought in to elevate this group from playoff participants to champions, and while the NBA Cup was a promising start, the patience of the Garden faithful is notoriously thin. If Mike Brown and his star-studded roster cannot arrest this January freefall immediately, those boos at MSG will only get louder.
"I'm okay with the boos. If we're playing crappy, boo," Brown told reporters during his postgame availability. "If I were in the stands, I'd probably boo, too. You pay hard money to come to the game, and this is a form of entertainment for the fans. They know good basketball, they know bad basketball."
The fans certainly recognized bad basketball on Monday. Despite the return of All-Star starters Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart from injuries, the Knicks looked listless, falling behind by 30 points in the first half against a depleted Mavericks squad. The deficit was 75-45 at the break, a margin that prompted Brown to abandon tactical adjustments in the locker room. He admitted later that his halftime message was simply to "lock in and do your job," noting that X’s and O’s are irrelevant when the competitive spirit is absent.
This latest defeat marks a disturbing trend for New York. After starting the 2025-26 campaign 23-9 and looking like the Eastern Conference favorites, the Knicks have gone into a tailspin since the calendar flipped to 2026. They have lost nine of their last 11 games, dropping their record to 25-18 and loosening their grip on the third seed. The defensive intensity that defined the team under former coach Tom Thibodeau—and initially under Brown—has evaporated, leaving the lane wide open for opponents.
The pressure is mounting rapidly. Jalen Brunson reportedly called a players-only meeting following the loss, emphasizing that the roster needs to take accountability rather than relying on the coaching staff for answers. Brown was brought in to elevate this group from playoff participants to champions, and while the NBA Cup was a promising start, the patience of the Garden faithful is notoriously thin. If Mike Brown and his star-studded roster cannot arrest this January freefall immediately, those boos at MSG will only get louder.
