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CHARLOTTE — At least until OG Anunoby makes his return, Mike Brown appears committed to sticking with his small-ball lineup.
This lineup, featuring Miles McBride and Josh Hart, has proven effective in their recent games, securing comfortable wins against the Nets and Hornets.
As a result, Mitchell Robinson, who has faced challenges with injury and is following a load management schedule, is taking on a role coming off the bench.
“I’ll continue with this approach to see how it evolves,” Brown remarked. “In this business, things are always changing. Anything can happen at any moment.”
The starting five, consisting of Jalen Brunson, McBride, Mikal Bridges, Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, benefits from a strong sense of familiarity and teamwork. Apart from Towns, these players have a history of playing together over several years.
It’s also probably the fastest and most offensively talented lineup without Anunoby, who is scheduled for a re-evaluation Sunday on his strained hamstring.
“I feel like when we have a faster lineup out there we just get the pace going, we get stops,” McBride said. “We have guys that want to guard, get stops and then get up the floor. And then we’re just good with sharing it. When KAT’s going we’re looking for KAT. Obviously JB, he’s dominant. And then we all just feed off that.”
Added Brunson, “There’s obviously chemistry there.”
Brown said he settled on this lineup after sifting through his mistakes, adjusting via trial and error.
One error, he acknowledged Wednesday night, was leaving Josh Hart on the bench for consecutive fourth quarters earlier this month.
Hart has been playing more minutes lately and, not coincidentally, has been playing better.
“I’ll be the first to say that wasn’t the right thing to do [to bench Hart in fourth quarters] because he does so many great things for us and our group and our coaching staff,” Brown said. “And obviously as time has gone on, we’ve gotten a better feel for how we’re going to play him and he’s got a better feel, too. But back then he obviously could’ve b–ched or complained or threw a fit. He didn’t.
“ And he continued to believe in the process. Even though what I was doing was wrong at the time.”
Mikal Bridges collected his second Defensive Player of the Game after Wednesday’s blowout win over the Hornets.
It’s an award handed out by the coaching staff after every victory, whether on the road or at home.
Here’s a breakdown of the 11 DPOG winners for the Knicks:
Anunoby (2x), Hart (3x), Bridges (2x), Robinson (1x), McBride (1x), Landry Shamet (1x) and Jordan Clarkson (1x).