How Failure Became the Knicks’ Playoff Fuel

Before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland, Mike Brown and his staff tried to jolt the New York Knicks after their sweep of Philadelphia by showing the players a video of their own faces from last season’s playoff elimination by Indiana. The message was simple: remember how the loss felt, and ask whether they were willing to do everything needed to never feel that way again. Brown later said that was the only motivational speech the team needed.

The tactic resonated throughout the postseason. The Knicks were down 24 points in the series opener against Cleveland and 29 points against San Antonio in the Finals, yet still kept coming back. They spent 72% of the championship series trailing, but still won it, relying on experience, composure and Brown’s coaching. Most of the players who saw meaningful minutes were between 28 and 34 years old, and Brown made sure they understood this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for them and for the franchise.

Brown’s own career shaped that message. As a 37-year-old coach in 2007, he lost the Finals with Cleveland to San Antonio. Since then, he won four championship rings as an assistant, guided Sacramento back to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, and built a reputation as a culture setter before leading the Knicks to their first title in 53 years. Owner James Dolan had made reaching the Finals the minimum requirement after firing Tom Thibodeau, who had taken New York to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in the 21st century.

Brown also earned praise for tactical flexibility. He knew when to sit players, switch to small-ball or bring in his big men, and he adjusted throughout the playoffs. Examples included giving Karl-Anthony Towns the ball against Atlanta, using Landry Shamet instead of Josh Hart in the Game 1 comeback against the Eastern Conference finals, and pairing Jose Alvarado with Jalen Brunson in Game 4 against San Antonio, even though the two had not shared a playoff minute before. Brunson, who said his own mindset is to “not be afraid to fail,” said Brown had the same approach, calling it a major advantage because it lets the team keep fighting without obsessing over the result.