Mar 29, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after a foul is called against him during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Most legitimate championship contenders would have most of their wrinkles ironed out at this point in the season. But the Knicks are not one of those, as Tuesday night’s 111-94 loss to the Houston Rockets continued to sound alarm bells for Josh Hart and Co.
“I just think we’re not going in the right direction,” Hart told reporters after the game. “We’re not trending upwards. So we’ve got to figure it out.”
In a blink, the Knicks trailed 14-1 on Tuesday night and never recovered, marking their third straight loss with six games left in the regular season. Hart called the “effort, attention to detail,” and the “discipline” as “pretty embarrassing,” as the No. 3 seed in the East now sits seven games back of the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons, and just one game ahead of the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I think the togetherness is there now,” head coach Mike Brown said. “Now, like any other team, throughout the course of the season, sometimes you feel like it’s not there. Sometimes you don’t. But if I’m talking overall, yes, I do. But [Tuesday], it wasn’t, especially in the pick and roll. And there are isolated times where it feels like you’re not on a string defensively and/or offensively.”
The Knicks have not beaten a team with a winning record since dispatching the Denver Nuggets on March 6, and Jalen Brunson admitted there are “mental lapses” that should not be happening at this time of the season.
That’s a strong indictment for a team that entered this season as title contenders and is still believed to be in the mix with the playoffs starting later this month.
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