With games coming every other night and travel rarely letting up, NBA teams don’t get many chances to slow down — let alone practice at anything close to game speed.

So when the Knicks had one Thursday in Tarrytown, they used it with purpose.

Twelve games remain in the regular season. The margin for error is shrinking. And for a team with expectations of a deep playoff run — and more — the focus has shifted from building identity to sharpening execution.

That includes the moments that decide games.

“Down two, up two, that type of stuff,” head coach Mike Brown said after practice. “This much time, that much time.”

Brown calls them “special situations.”

And even for a team led by the league’s reigning Clutch Player of the Year, they’ve required attention.

Slow starts have been the Knicks’ most consistent issue in Brown’s first season replacing Tom Thibodeau. But late-game execution hasn’t been airtight either — not to the level expected from a team with Jalen Brunson closing games.

The numbers reflect that shift.

The NBA defines clutch time as the final five minutes of a game within five points. Brunson led all eligible players in clutch scoring last season. This year, he ranks 24th at just over three points per game.

His efficiency has dipped, too — from 51.5% shooting in those moments last season to 42.6% this year.

That drop doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Brunson’s scoring has been down by design, a product of an offense built to involve more playmakers around him. But it has changed how the Knicks operate late — and how often they rely on him to take over.

Interestingly, the Knicks haven’t spent as much time in those moments.

They rank in the bottom six in total clutch minutes played (104) this season, yet have still produced strong results when games tighten. New York ranks fourth in clutch net rating, outscoring opponents by 17.8 points per 100 possessions, and owns a 17-12 record in those games.

Efficient. But not as tested.

Almost every other top-six team across both conferences has logged at least 20 clutch wins. The Detroit Pistons (25-12), San Antonio Spurs (24-11), Orlando Magic (23-12) and Oklahoma City Thunder (22-10) lead the league in total clutch victories, while the Los Angeles Lakers (21-6) own the best win percentage in those situations.

The Knicks sit tied for 13th with the Denver Nuggets.

Even the Boston Celtics — one of the East’s elite — are an outlier, sitting at 13-16 in clutch games.

Which is why Brown carved out time to simulate those scenarios now. Because they may not show up again before the games matter most.

“It was good,” said Jose Alvarado. “Working on situations like that, because you never know what situation you will be in a game. Working on, honestly, to be prepared for those situations.”

A SPEEDY RECOVERY

Brown addressed the news out of Detroit, where Pistons star Cade Cunningham is expected to miss significant time after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung.

“The biggest thing is you wish him a speedy recovery. You don’t want anybody hurt,” Brown said. “I don’t know enough about [his injury], but it doesn’t sound good. So I hope it really heals however it’s supposed to. I don’t know what the timetable or all that stuff is, I just hope he gets better.”

Cunningham sustained the injury five minutes into Detroit’s win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. He is averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds for a Pistons team that holds the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference — and swept the Knicks in the season series.

BRUNSON UPDATE

Brunson did not provide much additional clarity on the neck injury that sidelined him for Tuesday’s win over the Indiana Pacers.

“I feel good,” he said after Thursday’s practice, noting the injury occurred during Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

RIVALRY?

Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets presented another opportunity for the Knicks to extend their dominance in the rivalry.

A win would have made it 15 straight, but Brunson wasn’t interested in entertaining that angle.

“No comment. No comment. No comment. We’re gonna focus on winning the game then moving on from there,” he said. “I don’t care about the streak.”

Asked if the matchup still qualifies as a rivalry, Brunson shut it down even quicker.

“Next question.”