Mike Brown shows frustration with the Knicks losing to the Thunder's gamesmanship

The New York Knicks lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-100, on Sunday. It was not the best result for the Knicks, as they could have won the game, even against the defending champions.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown knew that the referees would be a big factor in the game, mostly because of OKC's gamesmanship. Unfortunately, the Knicks failed to cope with that part of the Thunder's play style.

Mike Brown warned the Knicks about the Thunder's gamesmanship

When playing against the Thunder, teams know that they have to be mindful of defense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander loves to initiate contact, which is a big part of his game.

This has bled over to the rest of the team, who have learned that it is a good way to win games. Unfortunately, some teams tend to forget that when playing against the Thunder, just like what the Knicks did on Sunday.

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It might not be the most exciting way to play basketball, but it is within the rules. Since it can lead to wins, the Thunder will keep looking for fouls and taking advantage of what the rules allow them on defense.

Brown was well aware of this, but that led to the Knicks' loss because some players forgot. After the game, Brown showed his frustration about his players losing to it.

"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... They do a great job of exploiting it, so I tip my hat off to them," Brown said after the Knicks' loss to the Thunder.

Brown wants his team to be mindful of the referees, but at the same time, he wants them not to rely on them as much. Playing honest defense and good offense should not require a referee's help, so moving forward, this is a significant lesson for the Knicks.

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