East Notes: Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Raptors, Wizards

Knicks

Point guard Jalen Brunson again said he will have to do better after the Knicks dropped Game 3 on the road to the Heat. Overall, the Knicks were outplayed from the tip.

“A lot of that starts with me,” Brunson said, via Peter Botte of the New York Post. “They’re a very paint-heavy team when you drive the ball offensively. They’re going to collapse. There are a lot of eyes on me when I drive the ball, so I have to be able to find guys and get them in the right positions to take their shots. It starts with me, and I know I’ve said this before, I got to be better.”

• Power forward Julius Randle has struggled shooting the ball in the playoffs and finished just 4-of-15 from the field on Saturday. It was his second game back after re-aggravating a sprained ankle. “In my mind, it’s not a factor,” Randle said. “I’ve got to find a way to play better and get a win.”
• Guard Immanuel Quickley twisted his ankle in the Game 3 loss and his return on Monday for Game 4 is TBD, per Steve Popper of Newsday.

Raptors

• The Raptors are viewed as a “lock” to re-sign free agent center Jakob Poeltl, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
• Overall, though, the Raptors are expected to undergo some roster changes, which could involve guard Fred VanVleet, forward OG Anunoby and others. We have that full post here.
• Toronto, of course, continues to cast a wide net in its coaching search. Former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer could be among the candidates.

Wizards

• While the Wizards have yet to hire a head of basketball operations, it appears likely that they will stay the course with their roster, per Pincus.
• That includes bringing back both forward Kyle Kuzma and forward/center Kristaps Porzingis, who are both expected to opt out of their current deals in search of longer ones, per Pincus.