It’s a tough time for the Knickerbockers; they’re going through a lot. And by “a lot,” I mean the New York Knicks’ back-to-back defeat against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoff series. Another 1-point loss has clearly gotten on Stephen A. Smith’s nerves. Therefore, he didn’t hold back while blasting the players and the front office after Thursday’s loss.

“Let me tell y’all something right now, change is coming to New York City. It’s going to be another head coach in New York City,” Smith screamed on First Take. “If they lose this series, several players are going to be gone from New York City. Y’all lose, y’all go ahead and lose this game. Y’all go ahead and lose the series. New York Knicks, you just a bunch of sorry a**es right now.”

Smith went on, “I’m so sick of what I’m seeing right now, and I’m losing my damn mind.”  The Atlanta Hawks stayed confident, shooting nearly 60% in the 4th quarter over the last 2 games, while the Knicks dropped to the 30% range, a stark contrast to Tom Thibodeau’s era. “That’s right, Mike Brown. I’m saying something ’cause I love Mike Brown, but I’m very, very unhappy right now. The New York Knicks are stinking up the joint,” Stephen A. went on.

Then he moved his focus towards Mikal Bridges. In June 2024, the New York Knicks traded for  Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, sending Bojan Bogdanovic plus a massive haul. The deal included 4 unprotected first-round picks in 2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031, 1 protected 2025 first-round pick, 1 unprotected swap in 2028, and 1 second-round pick in 2025, highlighting a major long-term investment. However, the same Bridges closed Thursday night with zero points in 21 minutes.

“Mikal Bridges, Leon Rose, the honeymoon’s over, dog. The honeymoon’s over. Enough of all of this basketball purgatory,” Smith ranted. “Before you arrived, you were doing well, and then you messed up. And why’d you mess up? Because Jalen Brunson gave you a good thing. Because he signed a contract a year before that, saving you about $114 million, so you could go out and get his boy from Villanova with Mikal Bridges.” Stephen A. Smith added that Jalen Brunson’s durability, consistency, elite defense, and relentless effort make him dependable, so his workload or pressure is never a concern.

However, Mikal Bridges’ 0-point performance is completely unacceptable. Moreover, the Knicks are not against teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, or the Minnesota Timberwolves. “Against the Atlanta Hawks! Mikal Bridges is scoreless. I’m looking at a bunch of zeros, a bunch of donuts all over the place,” Smith said.

He went on to dissect Bridges’ Game 3 meltdown, listing it cold: 4 turnovers, 3 shots, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 0 free throws, 0 points, 0 steals, 0 blocks. Then, he tied it to the 5 first-round picks sacrifice, arguing it cost the Knicks a shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo. Meanwhile, he dragged Leon Rose, James Dolan, and World Wide West into the mess.

Well, why should the New York Knicks star boy, Jalen Brunson, feel left out? Stephen A. Smith dragged in the 29-year-old guard for his late-game execution. He blamed his final 2 offensive possessions, including an air ball, a rushed baseline drive, and a turnover. Then he turned to Josh Hart, questioning his 2 points in 40 minutes, framing the collapse against the Atlanta Hawks as unacceptable and setting up the need for Brunson’s postgame response.

Jalen Brunson’s take on the New York Knicks’ loss

Brunson spoke to the media after losing Game 3 against the Hawks. He explained what truly went wrong in the matchup. “Being down early, them playing with the lead for most of the game, us clinging to four a couple of times. And then in the fourth, obviously taking the lead in the last minute,” JB said. “I like the way we fought back, but there’s a lot of things that go throughout the game that myself can be a bit better at, and a missed opportunity for sure.”

Jalen Brunson further showcased his leadership, and he openly criticized his own performance when reporters asked him about it. “Not good enough,” he said, stating that he has to be better at everything. Meanwhile, Brunson dropped 26 points on 11-23 shooting. However, he went 0-5 from the 3-point range. He added just 4 assists, below his usual standard. Moreover, he committed 3 turnovers, the second most on the team, only behind Mikal Bridges.

This is where excuses end, and accountability begins. The New York Knicks face heat from every direction, and Stephen A. Smith made sure of it. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson sit at the center of it all. However, with leadership questioned and decisions under fire, the response now matters more than the noise. Game 4 is a do-or-die situation now.