ESPN's Stephen A Smith is calling out New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown for his backhanded compliment toward the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a 111-100 loss, Brown comended the Thunder's ability to earn fouls, starting with All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who made 13-of-16 free-throw attempts en route to 30 points.
Instead of complaining about Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder's approach, perhaps Brown should take notes, Smith said, per ESPN's First Take.
“I’m saying, listen, you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder rather than complain about them. Don’t hate, emulate. The fact is, they’re the reigning defending NBA champions. They’re clearly doing something right. Figure it out,” Smith said. “And find a way to emulate it yourself or to thwart their efforts. The New York Knicks have yet to do that.
“And that’s why, since the All-Star break, the New York Knicks are 9-0 against teams under .500, and they’re 4-7 against teams above 500. That’s less than mediocre if you’re the New York Knicks against winning teams. News flash, once the playoffs arrive, that’s who you’ll be playing, winning teams.”
Stephen A. Smith on Mike Brown complaining about the officiating during the OKC game:
“I’m saying, listen, you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder rather than complain about them. Don’t hate, emulate. The fact is they’re the reigning defending NBA champions. They’re clearly doing… pic.twitter.com/GlWRMKQeKA
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 30, 2026
The Knicks dropped to 48-27, holding a 1.5-game lead over the Cleveland Cavs for third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Mike Brown's back-handed compliment after Knicks loss
After guard Miles McBride left Sunday's game with an injury against the Thunder, Knicks head coach Mike Brown complimented the defending champions for their ability to manipulate the officials. Brown was impressed by the Thunder's players, who made 31-of-38 free-throw attempts, he said, per New York Daily News' Kristian Winfield.
“You can’t reach because the team does a fantastic job, starting with SGA, of getting the officials to believe a foul has occurred. Their gamesmanship is off the charts,’’ Brown said. “They do a great job of exploiting it, so I tip my hat off to them.”
The Knicks were 13-of-17 from the charity stripe.
