The NBA champion is unrecognizable: the Knicks are last in offense

New York Knicks continues to lack the consistency expected from one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. The 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Cup once again revealed the offensive problems of Mike Brown's team, which has a record of 2-4 after six games. Although New York staged a comeback in the second half, as they had in previous games this season, this time they could not find a way to complete the comeback.

The match confirmed a trend that is starting to repeat too often: the Knicks need to react after starting games poorly, and while they sometimes manage to recover ground, they do not always have enough capacity to finish the effort. Against Philadelphia, they fell behind by 14 points, managed to take the lead during the third quarter, but ultimately succumbed to the decisive plays of LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey.

The loss also halted the positive momentum gained from two consecutive victories against Detroit and Chicago. Those results had provided some relief, but had not resolved the difficulties in moving the ball, generating good shot opportunities, and finding offensive continuity.

Mike Brown calls for less haste and more collective play

The Knicks' coach, Mike Brown, identified one of the main problems with his team after the game. In his view, New York is trying to resolve too many possessions with individual actions or by seeking overly ambitious plays, instead of building simpler attacks and capitalizing on available opportunities.

“We try to hit a 'home run' every time we have the ball,” Brown commented. “We need to settle for hitting 'singles'.”

The statistics support the coach's concern. The Knicks only committed 14 turnovers against Philadelphia, but their shooting percentage was too low: 40.7% from the field and 31.7% from three-point range.

The problem is not exclusive to this game. In their three previous losses, New York had a shooting percentage of 40.8% from the field and 32.4% from three-pointers. According to the provided data, those figures placed the team last in the NBA in both offensive efficiency and total scoring.

The lack of fluidity is also affecting some key players. Mikal Bridges continues to struggle to find his rhythm, while the team has difficulty generating offensive advantages consistently. Meanwhile, the 76ers displayed a much more solid structure, with all five starters contributing resources to attack and maintain pressure on the New York defense.

Jalen Brunson acknowledged that the problem lies not so much in not knowing what they should do but in applying it from the first minute.

“Sometimes we also hesitate, wanting to make the right play every time,” the guard noted. “We know what we need to do; the challenge is to start games that way. That should be our main focus moving forward.”

Another comeback falls short against LeBron James and Maxey

The flow of the game against Philadelphia resembled other matches from this start of the season. The Knicks began with difficulties, found themselves down by 14 points at the beginning of the third quarter, and had to significantly increase their intensity to get back into the game.

The reaction got them ahead on the scoreboard. A difficult corner three-pointer by Brunson, with 1 minute and 32 seconds remaining in the third period, allowed New York to take a one-point lead. However, the Sixers responded immediately and did not let their opponent consolidate the momentum.

LeBron James hit a turnaround jumper to regain control of the game, while VJ Edgecombe added a long-distance three-pointer that extended the lead once again. In the crucial stretch, James and Maxey ultimately halted the Knicks' comeback attempts.

The Philadelphia team came into the game with special motivation to win the matchup in Group B of the NBA Cup. This was also a rematch of the season opener, which the Sixers had won the week before.

The absence of Jaylen Brown, who could not play due to a knee injury, did not prevent Philadelphia from showing more energy and continuity than New York. Maxey constantly attacked the rim and exploited the Knicks' defensive struggles, while the visiting team's offense only managed to find solutions during certain moments.

The NBA Cup doesn't distract Mike Brown: the goal is to correct issues

The matchup had added interest due to the situation of both teams in the Eastern Conference. Both the Knicks and the 76ers are among the contenders for the top spots, and the context of the NBA Cup heightened the game's intensity, even though it took place at the end of October.

New York won this tournament last year, and its players noted that that experience helped unite the group during the rest of the season and in the playoffs. However, Brown did not want to use the competition as a special factor to explain the importance of the game.

“For me, no,” he replied when asked if the game had a different significance because it was the NBA Cup. “It's the next opponent, and that's the most important game. I don't care if it’s Philly, Boston, or Charlotte; what matters is playing the right way.”

Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds, also acknowledged that the team struggled to find energy during the game. The center compared the feelings to those of a team nearing the end of a long road trip.

However, the effort was not sufficient to achieve another comeback. “You find yourself in a position where you need to make some magic, and today we simply didn’t have enough to come back and win the game.”

The Knicks leave Philadelphia with another loss and more questions about their offensive performance. The 2-4 record does not solely define the aspirations of a team that has enough talent to compete in the East, but the repetition of the same problems is starting to be a cause for concern. Brown and Brunson agree on the diagnosis: New York needs to play with greater clarity from the start, move the ball better, and stop relying on comebacks that do not always end well.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El campeón de la NBA está irreconocible: los Knicks, últimos en ataque