Every loss has been something new for Knicks still trying to figure things out

In each of the Knicks’ losses, it has been something new. A different sign that captures how they’re still — even six games and four defeats into the season — a step behind opponents at the start of their title defense, even with the same starting lineup and most of the same rotation intact from last year. 

There was the entire game opening night, when head coach Mike Brown said it looked like the Knicks were “running in mud.” There was the third quarter against the Celtics. The fourth-quarter collapse against the Magic, too. And then Friday night, it was the Knicks’ start, when they trailed by double digits in the first quarter en route to their 98-93 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia. 

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It marked their fewest points in an opening frame this season. It served as the latest reminder of a potentially concerning trend in a start to the year already filled with them. And as they’re trying to recover conditioning and erase the step missing after the condensed offseason that followed their championship run, it marked the latest sample in 2026-27 of the Knicks slipping into an insurmountable place in a game because of a costly quarter. 

Philadelphia 76ers forward Dean Wade (45) grabs a loose ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“We gotta find a way to be that magical team we were last year at a more consistent pace,” Karl-Anthony Towns said following Friday’s loss. “You don’t always want to just wait until the end to find that magic. Lightning don’t strike twice, so we gotta be that team right now and we gotta continue to build off of what we did last year.” 

The Knicks trailed by 13 after the opening 12 minutes against the Pistons on Tuesday, but they responded by limiting Detroit to just three field goals in a 12-point second quarter. They only managed 13 in the third quarter. And by the end of it all, the Knicks defense had powered them to their first win of the season. 

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown, center left, looks on during the second half of an NBA Cup game in Philadelphia, Friday,…

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Publish date : 2026-11-01 00:41:00

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