It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but the New York Knicks won their third preseason game in a row on Thursday. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in a comeback win that went into overtime by a score of 100-95.
Knicks won a preseason game without running sets
The starters got more burn in this game, and the benches closed it out. Though it took a while for a rhythm to start flowing, the Knicks were able to get the job done as they tuned up for the regular season.
After the game, an interesting discovery was made as to why things didn’t look as clean initially. Head coach Mike Brown revealed after the game that he didn’t call a single play throughout the game and had the game dictated by reacting to the defense.
“Mike Brown says the Knicks played this entire game without a single play call, just reading the opponent and reacting accordingly. Says he wants the team to learn to play off of instinct before they begin running sets,” Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News posted on X.
Ball movement and pace have been the two major keys under Brown, and they once again showed that off against Minnesota. New York shot a staggering 57 three-point attempts (making 15 of them) and recorded 22 assists.
The strategy is great for building team chemistry
Getting the offense used to running a freestyle offense is great for team chemistry. It allows the players to understand each other’s roles on the court and get used to making plays on the fly.
Defenses are hard to predict, so ensuring that the players can read a defense and react accordingly is a strong coaching strategy by Brown. Ultimately, the idea worked, as the team seemed to have much greater chemistry as the game progressed.
What’s more encouraging is that they were able to overcome a double-digit deficit purely by reacting to what was in front of them, rather than running a set. The Knicks have massive expectations this season, so they will want to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands what their roles are coming into the season.
New York will play their fourth preseason game on Monday, when it takes on the Washington Wizards at home.