Mikel Brown Jr. experienced a difficult fourth quarter in his Madison Square Garden debut, as the Brooklyn Nets fell to the New York Knicks 103-90 on Monday night. The No. 6 overall pick finished the game with 13 points, three assists, and two turnovers, struggling particularly with his shooting in the final period.
After helping the Nets build a lead entering the fourth quarter, Brown missed all four of his three-point attempts and did not attack the rim as effectively. Head coach Jordi Fernández acknowledged Brown's potential but emphasized his responsibility in running the team. "I think Mikel’s a rock star," Fernández said. "He’s gonna keep taking steps. And right now, we always want him to be aggressive, but he has the responsibility to run the team, and that’s a big deal."
Brown is now shooting 31.6 percent from the field through his first five games with the Nets. "I’m still growing and developing and learning," Brown stated. "I’m doing what I love every single night, and to be able to play in this type of environment, I’m just extremely blessed."
Meanwhile, Julius Randle received cheers during pregame introductions in his first game back at Madison Square Garden since joining the Nets. Randle, who had a successful five-year tenure with the Knicks, contributing to their first playoff appearance in eight years, finished the game with 21 points and 13 rebounds on 5-for-16 shooting.
Egor Dëmin missed his third consecutive game with a right leg bone bruise.