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The NBA title ‘conundrum’ Knicks are still trying to shake in uneven start
The Knicks have struggled to find their rhythm at the start of their title defence, with Josh Hart describing the challenge as a “little conundrum”. After playing into mid-June, players had a short off-season that included training as well as public appearances and business opportunities, leaving their bodies to catch up with the demands of the new season.
New York became the first reigning champions to lose their opening three games since the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. They have also lost twice to Philadelphia, the side they swept in the second round of the playoffs five months earlier. Hart missed Wednesday’s game against Chicago with ankle soreness, the first time a Knicks starter has been absent this season.
In short
- The Knicks lost their first three games as reigning champions.
- Josh Hart says the short off-season has left players needing time to recover.
- New York has already lost twice to the Sixers.
Explained simply
The NBA is the top professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. Its season runs from autumn into the following spring, with the leading teams then meeting in the playoffs to decide the champion. New York’s Knicks won last season’s title after a long playoff run that ended in June.
Josh Hart is a Knicks player, and Philadelphia’s 76ers are a fellow Eastern Conference team. The teams met in last season’s playoffs, when New York won all four games in their second-round series. A new season brings a fresh schedule and demands, even for the defending champions.