New York Knicks lose back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers: Defense isn’t optional

The New York Knicks lost games in consecutive nights, starting with a loss to the Hawks 111-99, followed by a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers 130-119. In both instances, the Knicks’ inability to get stops hampered their chances of coming back.

The Knicks faced Atlanta shorthanded, with signs of fatigue in their return from the road. They didn’t have Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Mitchell Robinson. Atlanta played physical basketball, scoring more in the paint and forcing more turnovers than New York. Meanwhile, New York shot 9/42 from three, only outscoring Atlanta in the fourth quarter with runs that were too little, too late.

KAT and Robinson returned for the game against Philadelphia, but the Knicks looked sluggish nonetheless. The Sixers shot 47% from three, taking advantage of New York’s poor closeouts. The big men didn’t plug the interior defense either. So, the Knicks chased another comeback that wouldn’t manifest.

The schedule hasn’t been kind to the Knicks, but that’s no excuse for their poor defense. Let’s explore the back-to-back through each player’s impact.

Vs. ATL: 24 PTS (10/23 FG, 1/9 3PT, 3/3 FT), 5 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 35 mins

Vs. PHI: 31 PTS (10/21 FG, 2/4 3PT, 9/12 FT), 4 AST, 4 REB, 4 TO in 35 mins

The Hawks had the benefit of facing New York’s third, fourth, and fifth-string centers. That meant they could send hard help when Jalen Brunson dribbled through screens, limiting the Captain’s ability to get easy looks anywhere. The refs didn’t do Brunson any favors either, as he drove into contact without being rewarded free throws.

With KAT and Robinson’s gravity back, Brunson went right back to beating defenders routinely. I’d argue that Brunson had a fair case for even more free throws than he earned, because Philadelphia couldn’t stop him without extra contact.

Brunson’s defense is another story. The Sixers attacked Brunson through screens and forced switches, often finding him to match up against.

Vs. ATL: 19 PTS (5/13 FG, 1/6 3PT, 8/10 FT), 1 AST, 10 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 35 mins

Vs. PHI: 19 PTS (6/11 FG, 3/5 3PT, 4/4 FT), 6 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 37 mins

Since missing a game injured, OG Anunoby has been in a shooting slump. But he met Atlanta’s physicality with his own muscling to the rim for buckets. Anunoby drew fouls as often as he scored and made up for poor shooting.

OG’s shot finally snapped back into place against Philadelphia. He didn’t have the same success attacking the rim while Embiid patrolled the paint, leading to misses and turnovers. But Anunoby’s offense is finding the rhythm he had before the injury in November.

Vs. ATL: 18 PTS (7/19 FG, 3/11 3PT, 1/2 FT), 5 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 35 mins

Vs. PHI: 12 PTS (5/14 FG, 2/8 3PT), 6 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 37 mins

Mikal Bridges looked a bit off for most of the two games. His jumper wasn’t falling consistently, even missing open looks. But he did make late three-pointers to nearly spark a comeback run in the fourth against Atlanta.

Bridges was worse against Philadelphia, unable to find space to get anything going and unwilling to drive and force the issue at the rim.

Vs. ATL: 11 PTS (4/14 FG, 3/10 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 31 mins

Vs. PHI: 20 PTS (6/9 FG, 5/7 3PT, 3/3 FT), 2 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins

Deuce McBride started the Hawks game hot, but cooled off as things went on. The poor spacing for New York left McBride with less space to work with, though his defense stood out while most others barely showed resistance.

Deuce got more space and exploded for a super-efficient 20 points against Philadelphia. He gave the Knicks a pulse in the fourth quarter with consecutive threes late, though his defense wasn’t as good. That may be more about Maxey’s incredible performance than shortcomings for Deuce.

Vs. ATL: DNP

Vs. PHI: 23 PTS (6/16 FG, 0/5 3PT, 11/12 FT), 2 AST, 14 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 34 mins

Karl-Anthony Towns only played against Philly, and his game wasn’t great. He did well whenever he attacked the paint, but KAT kept settling for threes when it was time to gain momentum. His defense wasn’t good either.

Vs. ATL: 8 PTS (2/4 FG, 4/4 FT), 4 AST, 16 REB, 1 STL, 4 BLKS, 1 TO in 28 mins

Vs. PHI: 0 PTS (0/0 FG) in 5 mins

While Ariel Hukporti slipped out of the rotation against Philadelphia, his emergency start against Atlanta deserves a shout-out. He turned a slow start into a strong finish purely by refusing to stop fighting. Hukporti’s better on a switch than the Knicks’ typical starting centers, and his impressive rebounding got better the more he played.

The Knicks look sluggish after a brutal part of the schedule. But they aren’t getting any breaks soon. Winning the NBA Cup made the month to follow particularly daunting, and we’re seeing that.

But that’s no excuse for the mess on defense. No one is stepping up when the refs invite teams to be more physical. It puts into perspective how much they miss Josh Hart’s presence.

The three-game skid only gets tougher with a visit to first-place Detroit next. We’ll discuss it next time, Knicks’ fam!