After Mike Brown settled on his starting lineup for Saturday’s Game 4 — but before he was ready to announce it publicly — the coach made sure the media understood this:

“At the end of the day, whatever decision is made is my decision,” he said.

That was a curious comment from Coach Collaboration, who often goes out of his way to credit others for his play calling, his substitutions, his defensive alignments, his roster, etc. But there was more context to Saturday’s starting lineup.

The Knicks had discussed swapping out Mikal Bridges for Miles McBride, a justifiable move given their production in the first round against the Hawks. But benching Bridges might’ve prompted some uncomfortable conversations, including criticism directed at the front office.