Tom Thibodeau’s side have strayed from the principles that propelled their surprising 5-3, losing four consecutive games on Friday’s visit to Cleveland. In each of the four games, their opponents exceeded the average of the seasonal scores and connected in at least 11 3-point attempts.
This coincided with their shooting slump, and the Knicks clearly don’t have the margin for error to revert to an apathetic game. “Disappointed that we could have played better, defensively, yes, but more determined to do it well,” said Thibodeau after Wednesday’s 116-109 loss to the Nets at Garden. “We have to get back to practice. I like the fight we showed at the end, but it was too late. We have entered too large a hole. “