Overview
- Karl-Anthony Towns said he is playing through a Grade 2 quad strain and still logged 19 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes against Cleveland.
- In his debut, Mike Brown used an 11-player rotation and credited president Leon Rose for the roster depth that enables flexible lineups.
- New York’s bench contributed 35 points, with Miles McBride delivering 15 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting in 26 minutes.
- Brown’s pace-and-space approach showed up with 40 three-point attempts, quicker ball movement, and meaningful minutes for Tyler Kolek and Landry Shamet.
- With Mitchell Robinson sidelined for left-ankle injury management, Ariel Hukporti started at center; the NBA injury report lists Robinson out and Hart and Towns questionable for Boston.